“Siddartha” is a book of a man’s struggle to find his true self. But his searching leads him in all the wrong directions. Then finally after a long journey he stops looking. During his search he discovers four things, what the “oneness” of life is, how the four noble truths affect everything, enlightenment, wisdom and love.
On page 142 and 143 Siddartha realizes that Atmen or the “oneness” of life is in everything. That no matter who you are whether the Buddha, the dice player, or robber, “everything is Brahman.” Even a rock is said to have Atmen, because eventually the rock would dissolve and become material for a human body. He understood that the human being needed certain outlets to release emotions, such as lust, desires, and wants.
The four noble truths encapsulates the idea’s of Siddartha, where he believes that the human needs outlets. Throughout the book Siddartha, he struggles with his desire to find himself. In his life Siddartha was a Brahmin’s son, a Samana, a lover, and a merchant. Through his life he realized that no matter what you are, everything suffers. He also learned that most of his sufferings come from his own desires. As seen by his want for Kamala’s love, he did almost anything for that love. Finally Siddartha realized that everything that fulfilled his desires was all illusion. In the end he became a ferryman and the realization of what life was all about hit him; everything revolves around everything else and one must live life and enjoy it.
Realization of himself came in two stages, the first was when he left Gotama, coming to the river on page 41 and 42. He realized that he had always tried to follow after the ways and in the paths of others, but now he needed to follow his desires and to just live life. The second time Siddartha was enlightened he was sitting by the same river with Vasudeva, on page 136 and 137, he realized that he must not fight against his destiny. This enlightenment actually came when he described, to Govina on page 143, what he thought life actually was. It was not Samsara or Nirvana, but it was the realization that life is only illusion, a person just does what he can.
Siddartha, on page 34, did not believe that a person could gain “salvation through teachings,” but that a person needed to find his salvation through himself and no words could ever describe one’s enlightenment when he found it.
Shakespeare’s Macbeth as a Tragic Hero
Macbeth as a Tragic Hero
For Macbeth to be considered a “Tragic Hero”, he must have some potential nobility, some good qualities that make his downfall terrifying. He must be examined as a human being with human weaknesses. Is he one who, as Lady Macbeth says, Act I, Sc. v, “is too full of the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way” or is he the “butcher” that Malcolm considers him to be in the final scene of the play? Or is he a victim of his ambition or of moral weaknesses or of his limited concept of manliness, or even of a combination of circumstances that cause him to fall? From the opening scene Macbeth is chosen as a target for temptation; the witches, as agents of evil plan their trap; so the stage is set for his downfall.
One good quality of Macbeth is his bravery. We learn of his physical prowess and bravery on the battlefield – “brave Macbeth”, “valour’s minion”, “valiant cousin! worthy gentleman!”, he is an eagle, a lion, “Bellona’s bridegroom”. These are the outward signs as seen by the Captain, Duncan and Ross, Act I, Sc.ii. Unfortunately, Macbeth is prone to temptation. In the following scene we observe his interest in the Witches’ predictions. He is tempted – “Your children shall be Kings” ; but temptation is not guilt. When Ross tells him he has been made Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth asks, “why do you dress me in borrowed robes?” Does this suggest that, at this stage, he wants no honors that are not rightfully his?
* A Materialist – In this soliloquy (aside) in Act I,Sc. iii we see how the fulfillment of the first prediction is working on him. Does he show himself to be a materialist here, looking for success and closing his eyes to the fact that achievement and goodness do not necessarily go together? Is this what Lady Macbeth sees in him when she says in Act I, Sc. v, “wouldst not play false And yet wouldst wrongly win?”
* Virtuous or Hypocrite – He is aware of his duties as a subject “…and our duties Are to your throne and state children and servants, Which do but what they should, by doing every thing Safe toward your love and honor.” Is this an inclination of his virtue, or is it hypocrisy?
* Conscience?