Themes and Central Characters of the Novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird” and the Play, Macbeth
| Point in the story | Macbeth | Atticus | Similarities and differences |
| beginning | In the beginning, Macbeth is portrayed as one of the great noblemen in Scotland: valiant, honorable, and loyal. Macbeth shows ambition, which helps in making him the great lord. For example, after hearing the prophecy of the weird sisters’, he becomes so disbursed by his plea for power that he becomes a violent monster who ultimately kills himself.
| Towards the starting of the novel, Atticus is repetitively reminding scouts about keeping her fists down while Alexandra inspires her to get involved in social events such as the missionary circle.
| Atticus is a single father to Jem and Scout. He is brave, respectful to others, wise, thoughtful, and compassionate. Similarly, Macbeth is a loyal and brave soldier. For example, on his way home from combat, he faces three witches. They fill his head with their expectation of him becoming a king one day. With his drive created from these thoughts, he sets off and kills the king. However, he acts before thinking and is terribly affected. He becomes suspicious and no longer sleeps and loses trust upon trust anyone. He moves to form a nobleman to a king with a suicidal wife, a life full of guilt, and no friends. Until he meets death itself, proving that by doing wrong, you only hurt yourself.
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| In the middle | Towards the middle of the play, Macbeth is tormented by views of the evil things he has been doing. However, he is caught in a spiral of evil, and he is unable to protect them.
| Towards the middle of the novel, Atticus altitude towards children evolves, he is characterized by his absolute constancy. Atticus stands firmly committed to justice and considerately willing to view things from other perspectives. He does not develop in the novel but retains these qualities in equal measure, making him the voice of the novel’s conscience and moral guide.
| Both Macbeth and Atticus are used to illustrate the dark side of human nature in various ways, by showing how humans are violent and evil creatures. For example, Atticus’s unfailing belief in the innate goodness of humanity allows Jem and Scout to emerge from Maycomb’s traumatic events with heightened compassion rather than cynicism.
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| At the end | Towards the end of the, when Macbeth realizes that he is about to die, he regains some of his old bravery as he faces Macduff in a single battle.
| At the end of the play, Atticus is reflected as a prominent and respected lawyer. He teaches his children to be just and empathetic, always leading by example. For example, When Tom Robinson, one of the town’s Black residents, is falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a young white woman, Atticus agrees to defend him despite threats from the community. | Both Atticus and Macbeth are used to illustrate how the lead villains follow parallel paths upon their guilt, undertaking misguided courses of actions that lead to undoing the women in their lives and eventually their own death. -Both characters are used to portray the theme of guilt by showing that all that goes around will come around, and the need for people to either clear their slate or think nothing of their actions. Macbeth and Atticus are used to prove that the actions taken against people can indirectly or directly harm their neighbors. For example, Atticus’s determination to protect Tom Robinson teaches Jem and Scout the importance of doing the right thing, even when the challenges are piled against you.
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