They say character determines a man's fate. This statement is indeed true in the character of Macbeth. Macbeth's character constantly changes throughout the play. One minute he is brave and courageous, the next minute he is cowardly and then he becomes cruel. These different characters of Macbeth can relate and contrast with several characters from modern day short stories and poems. Macbeth's guilty conscience can contrast and relate with Robert from the short story "Test" by Theodore Thomas. Macbeth's nature of lying and killing to cover up his guilt can relate with Liam from the short story "Bluffing" by Gail Helgason. Macbeth's fate and misfortune can relate with the character of "you" in the poem "What You Are Doing Now" by Gary Hyland. And finally, Macbeth's guilt and self-destruction can relate with that of the small child in the poem "The Child Who Walks Backwards" by Lorna Crozier. Although Macbeth's character and the characters of these short stories and poems greatly differ in age, style, status, era, and anything else imaginable, they share some very similar character traits which are not determined by any of these.
In the short story "Test" written by Theodore Thomas, the main character is Robert, a very typical teenager. Like any typical teenager, he wants so badly to get his driver's license; to feel grown up and responsible. Instead, on the day of the test, he finds himself being dragged away by two uniformed men. Robert failed the last part of his driver's test, which was a guilt test. Robert was hypnotized into thinking he was in a car accident with his mother in the car and a young child and father in the opposing car. When Robert came to, he was shaken up, but when asked if he still wanted to get his driver's permit, he agreeably signed the application. Good drivers would refuse to sign the application; they"d refuse to drive for a very long time after such a horrible accident.
