[Current & Culture] Are Yoon Seok-yeol and Macbeth Alike?

Macbeth Among Shakespeare's Four Great Tragedies
Reflecting on the Rise and Fall of the Yoon Seok-yeol Administration
Lessons to Be Learned from Repeating History

During the martial law and impeachment political turmoil, there were frequent comparisons in the media between Yoon Seok-yeol and Macbeth regarding their fates. Searching for articles, there seem to be about ten. Shakespeare's play Macbeth is famous but likely on the list of works few have properly read. The top in this category might be Milton's Paradise Lost, which even I, an English literature major, have never read thoroughly. Fortunately, I have read Macbeth several times and even participated as an actor in an original-language production, so let me share some thoughts.

Macbeth is counted among Shakespeare's four great tragedies along with Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear. It is based on the story of the Scottish king Mac Behath, but the plot differs in many ways from actual history. Knowing this, let's look at the story. Ah, I tried using the Gyeongsang-do dialect as if it were Scottish dialect.

The brave general Macbeth meets witches in the wilderness who prophesy that he will become king. Lady Macbeth, upon hearing this, urges her hesitant husband to murder the king, rebel, and seize the throne. However, once he becomes king, ominous events occur, and Macbeth returns to the witches in the wilderness to hear three more prophecies.

“Beware Macduff, the Thane of Fife. Macbeth shall never be vanquished until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane. No one born of a woman shall harm Macbeth.”

Afterward, Macbeth massacres Macduff’s family, but Macduff, who was in England, escapes harm. This is the first prophecy Macbeth failed to prevent. Despite his anxiety, Macbeth tries to reassure himself by believing the other two seemingly impossible prophecies. However, the allied forces approach disguised by cutting branches from Birnam Wood, fulfilling another prophecy. Finally, Macduff appears with a sword, and Macbeth faces the last prophecy.

“You ain't gonna make it, huh? Someone born of a woman like me can't be defeated.”

Then Macduff replies, “What are you talking about? I was delivered by a cesarean before my mother gave birth to me!”

Thus, Macbeth meets his end at the hands of Macduff, who was born by cesarean section. The plot closely resembles the rise and fall of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. The characters overlap as well. Lady Macbeth, who urges and manipulates her husband, is similar to Kim Geon-hee, and the witches in the wilderness resemble the shamanistic figures surrounding the presidential couple. However, it would be unfair to compare Yoon Seok-yeol, who consistently offered only excuses until the end, to Macbeth. At least Macbeth left a remarkable soliloquy of repentance. I took out the original text and translated it after a long time.

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time. And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Is there any soliloquy as profound as this for a final statement? Macbeth is not the only one who danced the dagger dance driven by lust for power and ultimately lost his head. Many figures in history have shown the tragic end of power when taken to extremes, yet fools keep forgetting the lessons. Will another example be added in the spring of 2025?

Lee Jae-ik, SBS Radio PD and Novelist