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Macbeth And Citizen Kane Comparison

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The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare and 1941 film Citizen Kane possess many similarities in themes and characters, despite the completely different settings and plots. Both main characters are ambitious and determined to achieve a goal, even to a certain point where they lose everything truly meaningful to them. While Macbeth strives to become king of Scotland, Charles Foster Kane attempts to become popular and influential. Both Macbeth and Citizen Kane desire to be powerful members of their respective societies and receive respect and recognition from their acquaintances. In both works, they acquired everything they thought they wanted, yet realised they could not have what they truly desired, essentially ending up with “nothing of value”. …show more content…

In Macbeth, Macbeth was told that he would go on to be a King by the witches, which is similar to Charles Kane being told that he had the potential to be very successful from a young age. Macbeth’s lust for the Kingship is a similar concept to that of Charles Foster Kane’s desire to be politically powerful. Macbeth’s rise to the throne is similar to Kane’s success as a businessperson. In each story, they rise and achieve their goals, Macbeth becoming king and Kane becoming a political and economic success. However, both Macbeth and Kane meet a similar demise, become separated from those whom they love and ending up miserable and lonesome. Both times, the main character realises that they have lost everything important to them and have ended up with nothing truly valuable. The play and the film similarly explore the regret and loneliness of those who have lost what is truly important to them. Macbeth and Citizen Kane clearly show the difference between acquiring material goods, and acquiring what is truly important: happiness.

Macbeth and Citizen Kane explore the themes of greed, ambition and desire, and are both very clear examples of how such qualities can cause the loss of everything truly valuable. Both works show examples of how those who are overly ambitious can end up with everything they desired, yet nothing they truly want.

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