Okonkwo And Macbeth Comparison Essay

The definition of a hero is one that is brave, confident, head strong, ambitious, and motivated. Okonkwo and Macbeth both portray these qualities. They are both brave and bellicose as warriors in war. They are both head strong in their ideas. They show that they are motivated and ambitious, but their motivation and ambition causes them to make repulsive choices that they could not withdraw from. As a result, their tragic lives ended without the outcome they desired. Although these two heroes come from different time periods, they have similar characteristics because they are both ambitious and motivated; but their ambition and motivation caused them let their tragic flaw enervate them. One characteristic that both heroes possess is that they are aggressive. Okonkwo was aggressive towards people. One example would be when he beat his wife. “And when she returned, he beat her heavily. “In his anger, he had forgotten that it was the week of Peace” (Achebe 29). His motivation and ambition of becoming part of the clan, made him think he needed to attain power over everyone and everything. It also allowed his anger to get the best of him and show that he cannot control his emotions. Macbeth’s aggressiveness was shown when he killed the servants. “Th’ expedition of my violent love outrun the pauser, reason, There hands and faces were all badged with blood”

Okonkwo and Macbeth both have shown these qualities throughout their stories. Even though Macbeth and Okonkwo came from different genres, cultures, and time periods, the hardships that Macbeth and Okonkwo suffered were identical. They had different reasoning for the behavior they showed, but their motivation was the same. Heroes in general can have bravery and confidence. They can be head strong and determined, but each hero has a flaw and it is up to them to endure it or let it become a tragic flaw like Okonkwo and