After reading Macbeth and The Tragic Tale of Doctor Faustus it is obvious that the two main characters are very similar. Their journey and tragic fate are almost the same. I will look at the characteristics and desires they have in common, the symbols and people they are influenced by, and some differences between them. When we look at Macbeth and Faustus at the beginning of the play they seem like positive heroic figures. Macbeth is a brave warrior who plays an important role in a battle and Faustus is an intelligent and successful scholar with a lot of potential. They both wanted something more. Macbeth became a lord of Cawdor and Glamis, but he wanted to become a king. Faustus had the knowledge he learned from books, but he still wanted to know everything about God and magic. We have to ask ourselves why this wasn't enough for them. First we can look at some of the reasons for Macbeth. Macbeth received many awards for his achievements, but he thought he deserved an even greater title. He was also controlled by his wife and it was his idea to kill King Duncan. “When you dared to do it, then you were a man / And to be more than you were, you would be / You would be much more of a man” Lady Macbeth says that Macbeth is not a real man if he does not dare to do it. It is obvious that he is sensitive to his manhood and wants to prove himself as a husband, man and warrior. Lady Macbeth exploits her weakness to achieve her goal. He commits this crime for her because she is too sensitive to kill him herself. He acts like a protector of his wife and like a real man. It is ironic that he is so brave and protective, but at the same time he is weak and afraid of his future because he heard the prophecy of three witches. Because Faustus the reason lies in his s...... middle of paper ……ect of men's desire. She appears after Faustus desires her and gives her a kiss. He didn't ask her for any advice or help, he just wanted a kiss for comfort. In the Renaissance women were not involved in science, art or literature so it is not strange that Fausto saw Elena only as a beautiful woman. To conclude, I think both of these characters were weak because they couldn't resist temptation. Macbeth could not resist the power predicted to him, and Faustus wanted the forbidden. Their fall was inevitable because everything they did was against God. Works Cited Marlowe, Christopher. “Doctor Faustus.” Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. 1B. Edited by MH Abrams and Stephen Greenblatt. New York: W. W. Norton and Co. 2000. 991-1023.Shakespeare, William and John Wilders. Macbeth. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2004. Print.