Psycho is just Macbeth
The similarities between Macbeth and Psycho are numerous, and I'm sure it's no coincidence that we are studying both in this class. The gnawing guilt affecting the protagonist, bird imagery, and attempts at cleansing all reminded me of Shakespeare's work.
Initially, Macbeth was not bent on grabbing power. His wife put the idea in his head, and he took it from there. He expressed regret to some degree, but was in too deep and had to continue on his path. Marion also wasn't the kind of person to do something morally wrong, but the frustrations of her lover also had a profound effect on her. In a moment of weakness, she took advantage of a rare opportunity to take a risk and drastically improve her life. However, she became haunted by her guilt. The critical eye of the policeman made her extremely nervous, and she clearly wasn't enjoying herself on the road because she never stopped, even to eat. She didn't even eat much of the sandwich when she got to the Bates Motel. She also expressed regret, but was killed before we got to see whether she was going to turn herself in or not.
The bird imagery was another parallel. In Macbeth, they said Macbeth was a mousing owl who somehow killed a falcon (Duncan). In much the same way, Norman Bates is an unassuming, shy young man who isn't particularly intimidating and doesn't have much of a presence. No one would expect brash behavior from him. Despite this, he is hiding a more sinister nature that is slowly revealed to the world.
Finally, the attempts at cleansing remind me of Macbeth and his wife constantly trying to wash their hands of the crime they committed. Marion even bought a "clean" car in an attempt to escape her past actions. In addition, the cleanup after Marion's murder showed how the part of Norman that was actually Norman wanted to rid himself of the murder that his "mother" committed.
Initially, Macbeth was not bent on grabbing power. His wife put the idea in his head, and he took it from there. He expressed regret to some degree, but was in too deep and had to continue on his path. Marion also wasn't the kind of person to do something morally wrong, but the frustrations of her lover also had a profound effect on her. In a moment of weakness, she took advantage of a rare opportunity to take a risk and drastically improve her life. However, she became haunted by her guilt. The critical eye of the policeman made her extremely nervous, and she clearly wasn't enjoying herself on the road because she never stopped, even to eat. She didn't even eat much of the sandwich when she got to the Bates Motel. She also expressed regret, but was killed before we got to see whether she was going to turn herself in or not.
The bird imagery was another parallel. In Macbeth, they said Macbeth was a mousing owl who somehow killed a falcon (Duncan). In much the same way, Norman Bates is an unassuming, shy young man who isn't particularly intimidating and doesn't have much of a presence. No one would expect brash behavior from him. Despite this, he is hiding a more sinister nature that is slowly revealed to the world.
Finally, the attempts at cleansing remind me of Macbeth and his wife constantly trying to wash their hands of the crime they committed. Marion even bought a "clean" car in an attempt to escape her past actions. In addition, the cleanup after Marion's murder showed how the part of Norman that was actually Norman wanted to rid himself of the murder that his "mother" committed.
I didn't even realize all these connections until you pointed them out! Super interesting to compare Norman with Macbeth. Another connection, albiet a reach, is that both involved the use of a blade, either a dagger or a kitchen knife, but still.
ReplyDeleteSo are you comparing Macbeth to Marion or to Norman? I think the Norman comparison is good--being pushed to do evil by another character--but I don't see it so much with the comparison to Marion. Cool idea though.
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