Many timeless pieces of art and literature remain relevant today because of their exploration of the deeper
aspects of human nature. William Shakespeare’s plays and Francisco Goya’s paintings are no exception. Shakespeare successfully paints a picture of Macbeth’s progressive fall from power into hysteria in Macbeth, and Francisco Goya captures the same raw image of Saturn’s insanity in his painting Saturn Devouring His Son. Shakespeare and Goya delve into situations that question a person’s morality and the nature of desire. In addition, the two pieces explore betrayal and its connection to a greed for power. They examine the line between good and evil, and what it takes to make a good person commit evil acts.
Shakespeare and Goya demonstrate what lengths people will go to in order to succeed. Both Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Francisco Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son delve into insanity, betrayal, greed, and evil. Macbeth and Saturn Devouring His Son highlight insane characters. Shakespeare aims to convince the reader of Macbeth’s madness through his hallucinations; whereas, Goya shows the viewer an unfiltered image of this condition. In Act II scene I, Macbeth’s speech captures his lunacy as he pictures the dagger he’d kill Duncan with. “Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. / I have thee not, and yet I see thee still” (II. i.). After Macbeth commits the evil deed, he’s anxious to hold onto his newfound power, so he calls for the murder of Banquo, Macduff, and their families. This time, however, the killings are personal because Banquo was one of Macbeth’s close friends. His ghost appears during the dinner party in Act III scene IV, and it has adverse effects on Macbeth. “Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee. / Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; / Thou hast to speculation in those eyes / Which thou dost glare with.” (III. iv.). The ghost of Banquo causes Macbeth to fall further into a deep pit of hysteria that he can’t escape. Goya shows the viewer the same concept of insanity using the story of Saturn in Roman mythology coupled with his painting. Saturn was a Roman god who inspired peace and prosperity for mankind under his rule; however, when he learned of a prophecy that foresaw his overthrow by one of his sons, he began to fall apart (https://www.pixelle.co/). Overwhelmed with fear, Saturn decided to eat his sons as they were born to prevent them from rising up. The painting represents one of these killings, and it perfectly captures how insane he’d become. The somber colors Goya uses along with Saturn’s crazed expression portrays the insanity he was striving for. In addition, the piece is not perfectly painted; it has a rough look to it that shows Saturn’s unhinged nature. Shakespeare and Goya use different methods to convey Macbeth and Saturn’s insanity, yet their audiences will reach the same conclusion about the state of the two characters. Shakespeare uses his words to show Macbeth’s hysteria; whereas, Goya uses his paintbrush to demonstrate Saturn’s madness, yet both pieces are equally convincing.
Aside from insanity in Macbeth and Saturn Devouring His Son, betrayal, a greed for power, and evil play integral roles in shaping the characters. Macbeth’s evolution throughout the play is a product of these two ideas as the weird sisters chip away at his loyalty to Duncan, promising him the throne. “The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step / On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, / For in my wait it lies. Stars, hide your fires; / Let not light see my black and deep desires” (I. iv.). Shakespeare demonstrates Macbeth’s greed for power and how that causes him to murder Duncan. In Act III scene IV, Macbeth realizes how far he’s gone to secure his position as king, and how there’s no way to go back on what was done. “I am in blood / Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o’er” (III. iv.). Shakespeare intertwines betrayal and a greed for power in Macbeth’s actions; he does everything out of a lust to be king, tossing aside any moral obligations. Shakespeare wants the reader to consider how evil acts may not be committed with evil intentions. Goya’s artwork presents a similar message. Saturn’s filicide is inherently evil, yet his motive isn’t. He wants to prevent his overthrow, yet that greed for power causes the darker side of human nature to appear. Saturn betrays his bloodline just as Macbeth kills his friends and acquaintances to rise up and become king. Shakespeare and Goya make the reader question if Macbeth and Saturn were evil, or if they were good people who were corrupted to perform awful things. Shakespeare and Goya want their audiences to consider how it’s too easy to assume evil actions are done with evil intentions. They rationalize this idea by analyzing betrayal and greed for power in their pieces.
Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son are two works of art that explore the nature of insanity, betrayal, a greed for power, and evil. The two men tackle madness differently, yet they end up portraying it in the same way. Macbeth’s hallucinations emphasize his weakening grip on reality, and Saturn’s appearance captures the embodiment of insanity. In addition, the two comment on human nature; Shakespeare and Goya closely relate betrayal with a greed for power. They want the reader to understand that evil actions don’t necessarily warrant an evil person; rather, good people can be influenced to do evil things. This commentary is evident in Macbeth and Saturn’s corruption, leading them to commit unspeakable acts against the people closest to them. Shakespeare and Goya create compelling pieces that explore these three aspects of the human condition. Insanity, greed, and betrayal are topics rarely brought up in contemporary society, yet Shakespeare and Goya continue their vital discussion.
via GIPHY - Michael Fassbender's Interpretation of Macbeth
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