Giao&Michelle_Malcom

Redeeming their Power: An In-depth Analysis of the Play Character versus the Pop Superstar
In Shakespeare's //Macbeth//, the redeemer is the witty [|Malcolm]. He is the eldest son of King Duncan, who was the king before Macbeth's reign. Unlike, Duncan, Malcolm chooses to lead his kingdom without naivety. Malcolm lays no trust in the hands of his countrymen, because of his father's tragic death. King Duncan, Malcolm's father, trusted many and led a life of naivety. However, when Macbeth, the play's tragic hero, is informed of the village witches vision of Macbeth in power, the once-loyal Macbeth kills Duncan. In spite of the murder, Malcolm and his younger brother Donalbain flee, fearing that they will be the next murdered. Malcolm absconds to England and Donalbain goes to Ireland. However, with Duncan's sons missing, Scotland becomes suspicious that Malcolm and Donalbain are the murderers. Malcolm is mistrusted and in a sense has his father's legacy as a stepping stone to ultimately achieve success. Many individuals in history have had a head start in to the limelight; some are more famous than others. Yet in the modern world no individual has redeemed themselves as much as [|Britney Spears]. Britney Spears has led her life in the spotlight to say the least. Many questioned her insanity, her link to Kevin Federline, her reputation as a mother, and her partying habits. Her stepping stone to the limelight was brought on with the help of the Mickey Mouse Club. Nonetheless, both individuals, the historical Malcolm and the entertainer Britney, parallel each other in unprecedented ways through shying from the spotlight, having the absence of a parental figure, and simply being misunderstood.

One of the reasons that Malcolm and Britney Spears are alike is that they had the absence of a parental figure. Using his father's stepping stone, Malcolm was always known as the king's son to both Scotland and the reader. However, things quickly change when the grotesque witches portend that Macbeth will become King "All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter! (1.3.50) After contemplating murder, Macbeth acts on this and kills King Duncan all the while wanting to turn a blind eye to it:

Stars hide your fires;

Let not light see my black and deep desires:

The eye wink at the hard: yet let that be,

Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see. (1.4.50-53) After the murder of their father, Malcolm and Donalbain are without their parental figures. Britney Spears is like Malcolm in this sense as well. Spears was thrust into the spotlight at a young age and today gossip papers fly off the shelf quickly when headlines are released about Britney and her status with her mom, [|Lynne Spears]. Spears' relationship with her mom has always been rumored to be rocky in tabloids. In a poem titled "Dear Mama," Spears aims her fury and frustration saying “that she didn’t have a mom anymore and she couldn’t imagine a mother doing what she did to her child," says a source. Also it has been reported, although not necessarily confirmed, that there are suspicious phone calls between Lynne Spears and Britney's ex Kevin Federline, saying that he was going to let Britney hang in court.

When King Duncan died, it was the two sons' idea to flee the country in order to avoid their father's tragic fate and continue the family's reign. In comparison, Britney Spears had to make a life changing decision when times were the hardest for her. Criticized for her wild teen years and the infamous strings of marriages, she too fled away from the public eye. During their hiding days, both were harshly misunderstood by the public. Malcolm was accused of murdering his father and had to run away to escape the truth. In a conversation between Macduff and Ross, Macduff suspects Donalbain and Malcolm.

They were suborned:

Malcolm and Donalbain, the king's two sons,

Are stol'n away and fled; which puts upon them

Suspicion of the deed (2.4.24-27).

But readers know this is not true. One of the first to learn about his father’s death, it was Malcolm when Macduff yelled out “ring the alarum-bell. –Murder and treason…”(2.3.86). Likewise, after her disappearance, Britney Spears was all over magazines, television news, and newspapers. Picture surfaced of the star looking drunk, falling, and being “out of it.” Writings predicted her downfall while others just accepted the end for the formerly reigning popstar. Many viewed her escaping from the media as giving up and running away from the problems. But without knowing the personal details, rumors of her downfall are merely based on pictures and videos. Similar to each other, Duncan and Britney Spears' decision to take a break was read as a weakness by others.

Despite harsh criticisms and misunderstandings, it takes a strong-willed person to not be taken down by the public. Malcolm was smart to keep himself away from Macbeth in order to avoid being murder himself. He ignored the scandals, even if it meant tarnishing his name. But when it was time to fight, Malcolm shows mental toughness. When Macduff was confronted of the news of his family’s death, Malcolm’s answer for him was to take action to triumph over sorrow. “Let’s make us med’cines of our great revenge/ To cure this deadly grief” (4.3.253-54). Malcolm is all about will power. For Britney Spears, even with a swarm of pauperizes and fans against her, she refuses to back down. “I would like to be called an inspiration to people, not a role model - because I make mistakes like everybody else.” Britney Spears admits to making mistakes but is not afraid to fix them. However, the result of their success was initiated by encouragements from their loved ones. It was Macduff’s words that convinced Malcolm to come out of England. The news of the country falling and Macduff’s family murdered made Malcolm realized his love for his country. Eventually, Malcolm, Macduff, and their army fought against King Macbeth and won. Malcolm was able to kill Macbeth to become king of Scotland. But most importantly, he was able to avenge his father’s death. In the same situation, it was the fans’ encouragements that helped pop star Britney Spears get her career back on track. She went to rehab and took time out of partying to take care of her sons. In 2008, she created a new hit album called [|Circus]. The album sold over 505,000 copies in the United States in its first week. It debuted on the Billboard 200 and took the number one spot immediately. On going with her career, her comeback made it possible for a fifth number-one album.

Subsequently, although one character appears in a historic and renowned play and the other figure is a pop superstar in the modern world, both are more than alike. Strong-willed, independent, and simply misunderstood are just some of the characteristics both possess. In addition, both are absent of their parenal figures and shy away from the spotlight in crucial times. Yet it is their integrity and strong-will that st them up for success. It was Malcolm's sense of integrity that led him to achieve ultimate success and restore Scotland to a respectable county. It was Britney's realization of responsibility that now has her once again reigning supreme in music playlists. To say the least, both characters make interesting parallels despite their obvious differences. Ultimately, it is these redeemer heroes that tend to keep themselves in a realm of their own, but in the end are never forgotten.