Huckleberry Finns vs. Macbeth

Why does Macbeth make the wrong decision and Huck the right one? This essay is going to be written from the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and the Play Macbeth by Shakespeare. Natural men are capable of seeing things in the gray area and processes commonsense like Huck, Macbeth is ruled by his passion for power and is only capable of seeing things that is either right or wrong.

Huck biggest issue in the novel is the decision between right and wrong witch was to free Jim or turn him in, being that Huck is a natural man he is not governed by society and sees things in the gray area instead of just wrong or right. “All right then I’ll go to hell…steal Jim out of slavery” Huck is not governed by society so he follows his own commonsense, that makes him a natural man and does the right thing by freeing Jim.

Macbeth is ruled by his passion which clouds his judgment and is only capable of seeing things in black and white which makes him an unnatural man. “Macbeth admits to be a unnatural man and his judgment is clouded by his passion” (Steinke, 2003)

Macbeth is unnatural and does not listen to his commonsense because it is clouded by his passion for power and will do anything for it. In his mind he is always right which makes him arrogant.

Huck follows his own judgment and is willing to trade his life for a slave witch makes him humble. Because he believes Jim is his equal and sees things in the gray area.

Macbeth passion for power clouds his judgment and prevents Jim from seeing things in the gray area, only black and white so all the decision he makes are right in his mind, which makes him arrogant. People who are humble follow their own judgment because they do not have to prove anything to anyone which makes natural.