Comparison and Contrast of MacBeth and Kurtz in Heart of Darkness and MacBeth

Heart of Darkness and MacBeth Joseph Conrad and William Shakespeare are not traditionally paired up for a critical analysis. However, the characters MacBeth and Kurtz in MacBeth and Heart of Darkness, respectively, prove to be worthy of comparison. MacBeth and Kurtz share many common characteristics: both have vaulting ambition that leads both to their success and their demise, a superiority complex, and both make similar sacrifices to achieve their goal. Despite their many similarities, MacBeth …

…a natural human instinct to at least have some guilt after committing an offense against another human. The evil that is in both these characters ties them together, but their morals after the acts are committed sets them apart as MacBeth is seen as more of a human being; and Kurtz, more of an animal. Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: NAL Penguin Inc., 1983. Shakespeare, William. MacBeth. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992.