Macbeth And Lord Jim
Realization of one’s imminent death can drastically change an individual. Knowing that death is imminent can change the way we look at things, and cause us to confess our sins. In Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad and Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main characters experience this trauma. The instant that Jim jumps from the Patna, his life becomes a series of lies that will tamper with him for the rest of his life. He cannot confess the cowardly act that plagues him incessantly and, thus, he is controlled by his hidden secret. Only when he realizes that he is going to die does Jim face the lie. In parallel, Macbeth also is controlled by a lie. Macbeth’s murder of Duncan ...
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honor. The similarity between the two works emphasizes the effect of lies on the way an individual lives, and further stresses the internal struggle that Jim faced after he had jumped from the Patna. In their respective stories, Jim and Macbeth face the lies that dictated their lives and, consequentially, die with some of the dignity and honor that they had once experienced in their lives. This process is described as each man realizes and confronts his lies, faces the fatal consequences, and eventually dies.
The most significant point in Lord Jim and Macbeth is the respective main character’s realization of his lies. The realization of the lies begin by a singular drastic event that catches both men by surprise. When Tamb’ Itam explains to Jim about Dain Waris’ death, Jim is shocked. Jim separates himself from everyone else to ponder both the past and the present.
“What thoughts passed through his head - what memories? Who can tell? Everything was ...
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Both Macduff and Tamb’ Itam surprise Macbeth and Jim respectively. When Macbeth faces Macduff, he is brimming with confidence because he thinks that he is immortal.
Macbeth:
“Let fall thy blade on vulnerable crests;
I bear a charmed life, which must not yield
To one of woman born.
Macduff:
“And let the angel whom thou still hast served
Tell thee Macduff was from his mother’s womb
Untimely ripped.” (Shakespeare V, viii, 14 - 20)
When Macduff tells Macbeth that he was no actually born of woman, Macbeth realizes that the three witches have lied to him about his mortality and that he will die. He says, “And be these juggling fiends no more ...
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"Macbeth And Lord Jim." Essayworld.com. October 2, 2005. Accessed March 27, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Macbeth-And-Lord-Jim/34212.
"Macbeth And Lord Jim." Essayworld.com. October 2, 2005. Accessed March 27, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Macbeth-And-Lord-Jim/34212.
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