Human Degradation
Comparison between 1984 and Macbeth
Shakespeare and Orwell in their respective titles each explore the aspect behind human degradation due to unjust and socially inequitable practices. Generally, degradation is the deed of lowering something or someone to a less respected state, with Macbeth and 1984 seeking this concept through three main ideas; living conditions, expendability of people and psychological manipulation. These two texts will be compared through these headings, discussing connections and contrasts to identify how each author explores human degradation.
The living conditions in Macbeth and 1984 share tight foundations of which the ‘Government’ runs the society. Once Macbeth gained the leadership of Scotland,…show more content… Lady Macbeth, combining with the Three Witches, was a dose of manipulation towards Macbeth to murder the King. Similarly, the woman in Winston’s life instructed him what to do, convincing him to keep the relationship viable by going against the Party and attempting to hide from telescreens and in the bigger picture, Big Brother. In consequence for this manipulation, Lady Macbeth felt guilty for ordering Macbeth to conduct the ultimate treason and kept washing blood from her hands as a symbol of paranoia. “Out, damned spot! Out, I say! — One, two. Why, then, 'tis time to do 't…Who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.” Not too dis-similar, the repercussions felt by Winston for being manipulated included the fear of being caught. He is in a constant sense of worry, as he knows that his every move is watched and when he meets with Julia, he is paranoid that his actions will soon catch up with him. In the end sequentially, Macbeth and Winston both succumb to their demise after being manipulated by Lady Macbeth and Julia respectively.
The Party and Macbeth, the two main controlling figures in each story also used psychological manipulation. The Party created a society that involved propaganda and overall despotism. The people were constantly reminded that ‘Big Brother is Always Watching’ and as with any type of propaganda, eventually you will start to believe…show more content… From the actions of Macbeth, it was ultimately he that suffered the ultimate consequence. This is a good example of poetic justice, as to the reader, it was the most logical result that Macbeth died and Macduff prevailed. Macduff’s family was taken away from him and this gives the audience a relatable soft spot towards their own family. Lady Macbeth also rightly suffered as it was her input that started the chaos and she paid for it through her guilt and paranoia. Human degradation in 1984 saw others degraded from the actions of the Party. Their control and manipulation through the use of Big Brother for example limited the actions of the whole population, such as food resources and precisely chocolate rations. Julia, the other source, told Winston what to do for most of their relationship. She kept pushing the fact that he needed to constantly break the law to keep their partnership thriving and the fallout from these actions had each of them
