Playwrights are expected to forge drama that represents the faults of the society in a therapeutic manner that will leave the people striving for the better. In the Shakespearean tragedies, for example, there is a recurrent motif of corruption manifested in certain characters such that their deeds will have notable effect on the storyline, character development and the outcome of the play. This essay aims at comparing The Tragedy of Macbeth to The Tragedy of Othello with intention to highlight where the theme of corruption is similar in both and where it differs. The study will also ascertain how corruption affects the factors mentioned above.
Corruption, as abuse of power, is perpetuated by Lady Macbeth in The Tragedy of Macbeth who uses her position to assassinate King Duncan. As the general’s wife, she learns that it is prophesied that Macbeth will become the king. Instead of waiting to be crowed nobly, Lady Macbeth compels her husband to murder the king when he visits Macbeth’s castle. Lady Macbeth, in this light, is presented as a villainous character whose greed for more power leads her to harm a noble guest while he is sleeping under their roof. As a villain, Lady Macbeth is also characterized as a dominant feminist because he sends her husband to murder the king by challenging his manhood (Gardner, 1967).
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The corrupt plans of the Macbeth couple turn them into serial murderers when they frame the king’s chamberlains for the murder. Once again, they are aware that their position allows them to do as they will and get away with it. To make their scheme successful, they put the murder weapon on the chamberlains who had been given too much alcohol the previous night. Macbeth’s infection with corruption develops when he makes it look like it was Macduff who discovers the dead king. To cover their tracks, he hastily kills the two chamberlains before they could swear that they were not involved and perhaps trigger an investigation. These acts change the reader’s perception to stop viewing him as a hero. He is a murderer and thus a villain disguised as a good soldier. The Tragedy of Macbeth is unique in that the corrupt are close to the king. By assuming power, Macbeth can only maintain it by being more corrupt. He cannot even trust Banquo, orders his killing because it was prophesied that Banquo would sire kings. In this light, it is apparent that corrupt individuals will betray anyone as long as they are not a challenge to their cause.
In The Tragedy of Othello, on the other hand, Iago is the corrupt character that banks of the trust his noble friends have in him to manipulate them. As a soldier, he feels that Othello is a corrupt general for promoting Cassio. Iago believes that he is better than Cassio and he informs Roderigo that he intends to ruin Othello because he hates him. It is ridiculous that many characters listen to Iago, a tool he uses to turn them against each other. He is persuasive enough to ignite a fight between Roderigo and Cassio, after getting the latter drunk, and is rewarded when Cassio is demoted because of the ensuing disturbance. Iago then takes advantage of the distraught Cassio to get back at Othello through Desdemona. Iago, in this light, is a terrible schemer who takes pleasure in misleading those around him. He sets up people against each other and convinces Othello that his wife is having an affair with Cassio. Iago is a pretender and prefers to remain invisible. He will eliminate anyone who might discover his secrets. Roderigo falls victim of Iago’s villainous scheme when Iago kills him so that he does not identify him as the force behind the scuffle.
There is a striking similarity in how alcohol has been used as the magic behind the success of corrupt schemes in both tragedies. The Macbeth couple, to begin with, plan their murder when people are drinking merrily. The chamberlains, therefore, do not have the slightest idea that they are the scapegoats. Their drunkedness, more so, ensures that they are not alert in the morning giving Macbeth ample time to attack before the case could take a different turn. In The Tragedy of Othello, on the other hand, Iago makes Cassio Drink so that he can manipulate his drunkenness to get back at Othello.
In contrast, whereas corruption in The Tragedy of Macbeth is inspired by the hunger for power, Iago is merely out to ruin relationships in The Tragedy of Othello. It is understandable that Macbeth was destined to be a king except that it was not explained how he would rise to the throne. This allows the critical reader to blame his acts on fate. Iago, however, is only driven by jealousy and mischief whereby there is no direct gain he seems to real from his villainous scheming.
In conclusion, The Tragedy of Macbeth and The Tragedy of Othello have corruption as the recurrent motif where certain noble individuals make use of their power and influence to upset the society. Their acts turn them from heroes to villains, especially when they leave blood in their wake. More so, the corrupt individuals have used alcohol to distort facts in both cases. All the same, power is the target in The Tragedy of Macbeth while Iago has no tangible motivation in The Tragedy of Othello. It is comforting, however, that the truth eventually comes out and the villains are contained.
References
Gardner, C. (1967). Themes of Manhood in Five Shakespeare Tragedies: Some Notes on "Othello," "King Lear," "Macbeth," "Antony and Cleopatra" and "Coriolanus". Theoria: A Journal of Social and Political Theory, (29), 1-24. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41801805
Shakespeare, W. (1606). The tragedy of Macbeth.
Shakespeare, W. (1603). The tragedy of Othello.
