How different are Boko Haram and Macbeth?

    Boko Haram is an Islamist terrorist movement that is based in northeast Nigeria. The term “Boko Haram” means “Western education is a sin”. The name of the terrorist group sums up the intentions of the movement: to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state, in which Western political and social practices (namely secular education)  are forbidden. In order to gain power and strength, members of Boko Haram commit crimes such as bombing, abducting, killing and stealing. 

    In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth is told by three witches that he is going to be king, so he kills the current king, Duncan, in order to take his place. The terrorist group Boko Haram relates to Macbeth because in both instances, people are committing crimes in order to gain a higher status because they believe that it is the right thing to do.

    In both instances of Boko Haram and Macbeth, people are committing the crime of murder in order to gain a higher status and more power. Furthermore, in both cases, people kill others because they believe that they are meant to do so. In the Boko Haram example, the terrorists are killing innocent people because of their extreme beliefs. Members of Boko Haram are trying to put into place the system that they believe is right according to their interpretation of their religion. Similarly, In Macbeth, the reason that Macbeth kills King Duncan is because he was told that it was his fate by the three witches. In this example, the three witches are the outside forces that compel Macbeth to believe that killing is the right thing to do. Boko Haram and Macbeth are both examples of how greed, the want for power, and extreme beliefs can drive people to kill others in order to get what they want.