Emperor Gaius Caesar, also known as Caligula, and Macbeth share many similar ruling styles. For those who do not know who Caligula is, he is a well known Roman emperor who succeeded Tiberius. Like Macbeth, Caligula is depicted as being an unpredictable/panicky ruler. Both rulers also become very anxious and worried, when challenged. As a result, they believe eliminating their opponents will resolve their problems, as well as protect their power/throne. Throughout Macbeth, we notice that whenever the power/throne of Macbeth is threatened, Macbeth becomes very worried and feels he must kill anyone that opposes or gets in his way (specifically seen after he kills Duncan and is driven mad). For example, Macbeth felt it was necessary that he kill Banquo and his sons, given that they were believed to have been the heirs to his throne and could have possibly been threats to Macbeth. Additionally, Caligula, like Macbeth, is known for being a tyrannical ruler. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth is constantly referred to as a tyrant. This is because, while he was ruling Scotland, he was requesting for everyone to be killed, and as a result, was spreading illness and fear all over the country.
This is a really interesting comparison! I've actually learned a lot about Caligula recently and it never dawned on me how similar he is to Macbeth. They both kind of abuse their power and you already went into how Macbeth does this but Caligula \ drained the Roman treasury by lavishing money on building projects (both practical and bizarre) and by leading a lot of military campaigns. Of course, however, I would argue that Caligula was a much more overall 'crazy' ruler compared to Macbeth due to the actions he committed while emperor (such as declaring war on Neptune and ordering soldiers to stab the water and collect seashells).
ReplyDeleteThis is such a good idea that I think makes total sense. Caligula seems kind of like the huge and more powerful version of Macbeth. As you said both are seen as tyrants and used murder to defend their power. I agree with what Amy said that Caligula was a much crazier ruler who did stranger things. However, I almost feel like if Macbeth continued to go insane and gain control he might have tried to use his power to do similar things.
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