Parallel Characters and Themes in Hamlet and MacBeth In William Shakespeare's plays, Hamlet and Macbeth, there are many similarities, along with many differences. These works are both Shakespearean tragedies, often using supernatural incidents to capture the reader's interest, and consist of a hero who has a tragic flaw. There are many comparative and contrasting aspects in these works. The beginning of Hamlet involves a supernatural element, as does the beginning of Macbeth. In the first scene the ghost of his father, King Hamlet, approaches Hamlet. Similarly, the opening of Macbethin involves the three witches. Although the witches can be seen by anyone they approach, King Hamlet's ghost is seen only by Hamlet himself and, in one scene, by Marcellus and Bernard, Hamlet's servants. Likewise in both plays, the main characters are slightly suspicious about the actual powers of these supernatural figures. While the witches use their apparent powers to tell Macbeth's future, King Hamlet's ghost tells Hamlet what has already happened. Hamlet states in one of his soliloquies “The spirit I saw / Could be the devil” (2.2.598-599). Macbeth also has his doubts because when the witches tell him that he will be made Thane of Cawder, Macbeth himself did not know it, but many people did. It is possible that the witches knew this. In the same topic, in both works, the portrayal of the supernatural began to lead to the final downfall of each of the characters. In Macbeth, the three witches cause him to think and do evil deeds. In Hamlet, if he had not seen his father's ghost, he would not have known that Claudius killed his father to reclaim the throne. In both cases the characters succumbed to nagging supernatural beliefs. And then they lost their lives. Other characters in these plays show parallels in their plots. Both plays have a main character who plays the king of that country. In Hamlet, the King of Denmark, Claudius is directly related to Hamlet. He is her uncle and also her mother's new husband. However, in Macbeth the King of Scotland, King Duncan, is not directly related to the main character..