own enemy.Likewise with Macbeth. A strong leader, upheld by his loyal comrades, could do no wrong. But once he learned he was to acquire some great fortune, he was his own enemy. His lust for power drove him to his bitter end. Satire may be defined as a genre that uses mockery of society to shock that society into an honest look at itself. Do we consider the Hadleyburg tale a tragedy? No. We see it more as satire. It is a sarcastic view of society's morals and values, and how hypocritical people, including ourselves, can be. Putting Macbeth on a parallel with this entertaining American short story allows us to view the play in a different light. We now can see Macbeth as a hypocrite, and we can see him resembling ourselves. How often can the power of want, the desire for more, lead humanity to destruction and despair? The same motivational tool that drives a college student into a career can someday break him. So let the critics of yesterday have their tragedy. Let them read their own literary mortality in Macbeth:Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.I am sure even Aristotle would have allowed Macbeth into the "Tragedy Hall of Fame." But if a man has the gift of foresight and is aware of the risks but chooses to ignore them and runs after his fate, what tragedy is there? If Fate wins, it cannot be considered a tragedy if Macbeth succeeds in meeting it.Today we have put out this tragic candle. I'm not of much importance in this mortal world of ours, but if I've given you something to reconsider and to ponder on, then this task is finished....
