“Fair is foul and foul is fair” sets the tone for the complex moral conflict that makes up the backbone of Shakespeare’s legendary play, Macbeth. The Thane of Glannis, upon hearing a mysterious prophecy that he will become king of Scotland, descends into a spiral of deceit and murder. The play depicts the inevitable downward spiral of a man who obeys the will of evil rather than striving to do what is good, even if he does not realize it at the time.
Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad tells a similar story. Walter White, a man of humble beginnings, receives devastating news of a terminal illness and must find a way to make money for his family before he dies. The decision to cook methamphetamine for a few thousand dollars quickly spirals into a complicated web of lies that Walt must continue to spin. Although the two stories take place in drastically different contexts, the two protagonists share some astonishing similarities.
Both stories start with a foretelling of the future. For Macbeth, this occurs early in the play. After gallantly winning a bloody battle against an opposing clan, Macbeth encounters three strange witches who prophesy that he will become “Thane of Cawdor” and “shalt be king hereafter” (Macbeth, 1.3.53). Macbeth is bewildered and initially skeptical. He immediately questions “from whence [they] owe this strange intelligence or why…[they] stop [their] way with such prophetic greeting” (Macbeth, 1.3.78-81).
The “prophecy” revealed to Walter is significantly less appealing. After suffering from a hacking cough that leads to debilitating symptoms such as loss of consciousness, it’s discovered that Walt has advanced lung cancer and likely has mere months to live. He initially elects to forego treatment due to the inevitable suffering with little chance for recovery, and focuses his efforts instead on how he may provide for his family so they will be taken care after he dies.
After receiving their big news, both characters have enormous decisions to make. For Walt, the question is how he can ensure a good future for his family after his death. For Macbeth, the issue is how he can secure his own future as King of Scotland. As most monarchies operate, the only way a new king can be appointed is if the current king dies. Therefore, Macbeth takes it upon himself to kill King Duncan so that he may be chosen as the next King of Scotland.
However, murder is a hefty crime, especially when attempted against a king, and can lead to disastrous consequences. Likewise with Walter’s decision to cook methamphetamine, which is a highly potent (and illegal) drug, with the intention of selling to make thousands of dollars for his family. Both men face added complications that make their actions far more difficult to conceal.
Because Macbeth is already in a position of leadership and prestige, all eyes are on him, and he must figure out a way to murder King Duncan without anybody finding out it was his doing. Walter’s brother in law, Hank Schrader, is a DEA agent who specializes in catching drug lords in the meth trade. He must find a way to produce and sell meth without Hank ever figuring out where (or who) it’s coming from.
An interesting parallel exists between the plots of Macbeth and Breaking Bad. Both Walter and Macbeth are faced with the question of whether or not to commit murder. Macbeth plots to kill King Duncan and Walter wrestles over whether he should kill Krazy-8. Both Macbeth and Walter assess the positive and negative consequences that could result from committing murder. Macbeth’s soliloquy is seen in 1.7. He’s conflicted by the thought of betraying Duncan’s trust in him, but goes through with the murder to free his path to the throne. Instead of a soliloquy, Walter’s inner conflict is revealed in the form of a list of reasons to let Krazy-8 live side-by-side a list of reasons to kill him.
Both men eventually decide to go through with their murderous intentions, leading to the inevitable downward spiral when a tragic character succumbs to their hamartia. Each set of stories comes with its own plot twists and nuances, but the characters face remarkably similar circumstances, particularly in the beginning. Their stories progress at a similar rate, with their lies becoming more and more difficult to conceal, and the risk to both their lives increasing exponentially with each passing day. Ultimately, the glory both characters seek is what leads to their demise.
Studying Breaking Bad 