Connections

The Shakespearean masterpiece Macbeth holds some strong similarities to Great Expectations. From a chilling exposition within two veritable graveyards, one being a body strewn battleground and the other a foggy graveyard, these classics hold both the same lessons and the same themes.

Both characters, Pip and Macbeth, have a insatiable desire for social dominance. While their schemes may take different forms, both routes are nonetheless damaging to those around them. Macbeth's becomes a murderous tirade, while Pip distances himself from those who love him and, in essence, destroys those relationships. However, one distinguishing feature is their morality. While Macbeth only questions his actions once or twice, both times being eventually egged on by his ambitious wife, Pip falls into a constant spiral of self blame and guilt. While Shakespeare and Dickens successfully tackle the same morals of human error and mistake, they utilize different methods.

This idea holds true within the characters and plots as well. As said before, both characters are deeply ambitious. However, this also goes for those around them. Both Macbeth and Pip have acquaintances that are desperate and eager to reap the rewards of their social status. Whether its a pushy wife, or a desperate Mr. Pumblechook and Mrs. Joe, both characters bear not only the expectations of themselves, but those around them. Similarly, both characters were fed their ambition. Macbeth spoke with three devious witches, and Pip played with an equally devious Mrs. Havisham and Estella.

While these paragraphs only show a couple of the similarities between these two literary masterpieces, it cannot be denied that their plots reflect each other. It can be said that, whatever the reason, these two great authors took advantage of the same angles to show their stories' common purpose.