Parallel Themes In Macbeth And Star Wars

William Shakespeare’s famous Macbeth has many parallel themes with George Lucas’s Star Wars prequel trilogy. Macbeth is a story about a thane’s unjustified rise to power and his tragic downfall. Similarly, the Star Wars prequel trilogy is about the journey of the young boy Anakin being the “chosen one” to become a Jedi master and bring balance to the force in the intergalactic warfare between the ‘Jedi’ and the ‘Dark Side’.

Both Shakespeare and Lucas’s story commonly possess the central theme of ‘blind ambition’. The protagonists of the two texts desire power at a stage where they completely funnel their vision for its achievement. Macbeth craves the throne to become the King of Scotland, and embodies the willingness to use any strategy to reach it. King Duncan is assassinated so Macbeth himself could be crowned king of Scotland. Banquo is too killed because he poses a threat. Anakin Skywalker had the

There were prophecies of turning point events. In Macbeth, the witches’ prophecies were fulfilled throughout the story. At the beginning, the third witch yells, “All hail Macbeth, that shalt be the king hereafter!’’ Eventually, Macbeth becomes the king of Scotland. Later the witches predict, “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill,” and “l none of woman born, shall harm Macbeth”. Giving Macbeth the sense of immortality. Throughout the Star Wars prequels, Yoda hints at Anakin’s future. Although Anakin is believed to be the chosen one and bring balance to the force, his future is “clouded” and “uncertain”, hinting to the audience that he is not a simple character. The prediction later becomes true when Anakin turn to the Dark Side. Macbeth and Anakin too experience premonitions where they must act to prevent them. Macbeth has nightmares about his loss of throne to Banquo’s son. On the other hand, Anakin has had two premonitions; one about his mother and the other about