ipl-logo

Abuse Of Power In Macbeth

914 Words4 Pages

Power is a sought after status that results in the ability to manipulate others, events, and even themselves. William Shakespeare’s tragic play “Macbeth” accentuates the relativity of this idea to humans as it expresses the wilt of morals as a result of a sprouting greed for motivation and power. Macbeth’s epoch as a tragic hero begins as a representation of a “babe” with milk as blood; pure and youthful, but his hubris matures resultant of the exposure to manipulation, defiling his initial morals. So how do motivational and masculine/feminine power drive human motivations as seen in Macbeth? Motivation is a driving force that empowers an individual through their life, allowing them to neglect opposing societal and individual barriers or …show more content…

The forceful nature of humans paired with the greed for power can lead to their own and other’s downfall. Though coercive power is stereotypically influenced through authority, Shakespeare disregards authority in consideration of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship. Lady Macbeth preys on her husband’s tenderness and submissive nature to gain an assertive status but, as prophesied, will ultimately ‘plague the inventor’ (Act 1 Scene 7). Macbeth’s humble but fallible identity of a tragic hero is instigated by his own wife in Act 1 Scene 5 as she challenges his manhood as written in her letter. "I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way.” Shakespeare metaphorically symbolises milk as a symbol of purity within Macbeth as he inclines towards a soft nature rather than the hard-headed ruler Lady Macbeth expects. Furthermore, the phrase “catch the nearest way” foreshadows how Macbeth must be witty, ruthless and careless in order to attain his goals. These quotes highlight the evident corrupt nature of power regarding manipulative relationships while also defying the stereotypical male dominance during the Jacobean era. Guilt arises as a result of Lady Macbeth’s acquaintanceship with Macbeth’s murders as she begins to vigorously rub her hands as she sleepwalks. “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” (Act 5 Scene 1) Shakespeare has externally represented her inner subconscious guilt and panic through the repetition of the word “Out” as she begins to scurry around trying to rub away the “damned spot of blood” stained on her hands. Allusions to previous foreshadowing of washing hands, visual and verbal imagery as well as the motif of Lady Macbeth’s blood allow the audience to connect with her guilt and consequences of her power. Contemporary audiences are opened to a bilateral relationship where Macbeth and Lady Macbeth begin at opposite

Show More
Related
389 Words | 2 Pages

Macbeth" delves into the destructive consequences of unchecked ambition, culminating in a cycle of violence perpetuated by the pursuit of power. Through these works, we are reminded of the devastating impact of violence and revenge on individuals and society as a whole. These themes serve as cautionary reminders of the destructive forces

Read More
1153 Words | 5 Pages

They find it onerous to “give away” the power that they hold on so endearingly to. To retain control, situations arise in which individuals will resort to committing unspeakable acts. Throughout the Shakespearean tragedy Macbeth, this theme has been reiterated several times. Shakespeare has used the characters to portray different ideologies. The most prominent example of “power corrupts”

Read More
1885 Words | 8 Pages

It can be argued that Macbeth is merely a puppet of his own wife’s desires. Besides Macbeth’s “vaulting ambition”, he is ultimately undone by a fundamental misunderstanding of female biology. Macbeth displays naivety, through the ease of being manipulated by Lady Macbeth who is the epitome of evil. Therefore, to argue for Macbeth being an ‘abhorred tyrant’, he was oblivious and ignorant to

Read More
1184 Words | 5 Pages

Shakespeare's Macbeth includes the power that affects over a person who has rose to a post authority. Influenced by unchecked power, Macbeth takes events that have serious and devastating results for himself and for different characters in the play. When Macbeth has presented an act in which he utilizes control for negative ends, he discovers it is progressively harder to limit himself from perverted use of force. Eventually, it’s his failure to recognize the adaptive and maladaptive elements of force from each other that keeps him from understanding his potential significance.

Read More
801 Words | 4 Pages

Power is a dangerous thing to have, no matter who you are or what intentions you have with it. William Shakespeare's book, Macbeth shows the tragic effects power can have and who easily it can corrupt your brain. Macbeth became king not exactly knowing what he was getting himself into, but eventually he realized being king had given him a lot of power so he did unspeakable things to keep that power and his crown. In Macbeth’s case fate brought onto him what he brought onto others in a shakespearean tragedy. Macbeth was so honored he could be king, he did anything he could to keep the power, including murdering, lying, and losing respect for others.

Read More
404 Words | 2 Pages

Power, a societal ranking of superiority and dominance, has influenced people for eons. In Macbeth, Shakespeare emphasizes power as a force that unwillingly controls the actions of others, resulting in broken relationships and dismay. Emotions primarily caused by the eagerness for power are guilt and greed. In Act 3 Scene 4 of Macbeth, Macbeth appears to be haunted by the ghost of Banquo, but no one can see the paranormal interaction besides Macbeth himself. " Avaunt!

Read More
747 Words | 3 Pages

While power may seem alluring to many, Shakespeare’s Macbeth highlights the destruction and harm that comes with great power. Throughout Macbeth’s journey for more power, Shakespeare is able to demonstrate the cognitive changes Macbeth endures with his power gain. Macbeth is seen getting more violent and apathetic as the play goes on, showing how power corrupts the mind. Soon after Macbeth has a great increase in power, Act Three Scene One emphasizes how the determination for more power affects Macbeth. Macbeth is shown with little remorse for causing the death of one of his former friends, blinded by the desire for power.

Read More
1175 Words | 5 Pages

Shakespeare ‘Macbeth’ Assignment Act 3 Scene 4 In this extract of the play, Macbeth is reacting after he believes he has seen the ghost of Banquo, and Lady Macbeth attempts to smooth over the situation with him and their guests. The relationship of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is an unusual one, with Lady Macbeth usually being the more domineering and controlling of the two. Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as controlling and manipulative in this extract, subverting the role women were contextually expected to play in a relationship.

Read More
2185 Words | 9 Pages

However, this contrasts with Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Scene 5 when she says that Macbeth is "too full o'th'milk of human kindness". "Milk" denotes innocence and childhood as children drink the pure milk of their mother. However, Macbeth hesitates in committing to his "deep desires'' as he isn't inherently evil or his desires are still young and not fully developed. Shakespeare presents Macbeth's lines as "(aside)", utilising stage directions to allow the audience a window into Macbeth's weak and impressionable mind, granting the character of Macbeth to show his feelings to himself and the audience. Showing how Macbeth is weary of others knowing about his intentions, and here is where the audience can start to feel a sense of his disloyalty to the

Read More
293 Words | 2 Pages

\ Time after time, novels and plays have been written where the main theme is the desire for more power. I believe that this is prominent in the play Macbeth, and especially in the main character Macbeth. Throughout the play, we quickly come to see Macbeth is an ambitious and cunning man, who is willing to sacrifice anything in order for him and his wife to gain more power in society. This become apparent when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth kill King Duncan. They devise a plan in order to do this, which includes inviting the King into their home, and stabbing him while he sleeps, then covering up the murder.

Read More
661 Words | 3 Pages

Power becomes easily obtainable once the individual has been corrupted or manipulated, similar to the leading character Macbeth who is influenced to commit malicious crimes to benefit his desires to obtain power. Having too much power however, can become a very detrimental aspect to ones personality. Macbeth murders his way to the top inveigled by

Read More
1323 Words | 6 Pages

As humans, the desire to want control or influence is natural. However, some people may go to greater extremes than others to obtain this power. For instance, in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth was characterized as a good man, well renowned for winning a battle. His wife, on the contrary, Lady Macbeth, has a strong urge to obtain power and she is willing to do anything to acquire it. She implemented the thought of destroying everyone who stood in the way along the path to reach royalty in Macbeth’s mind by making him feel like he as though he is less of a man if he decided not to.

Read More
552 Words | 3 Pages

Shakespeare’s Macbeth revolves around the idea of power as it is the main theme. Power is constantly used and abused by characters who have much confidence and want to uphold certain titles and reputations. Shakespeare’s Macbeth shows that characters are willing to use their power for worse to gain respect and control of others.

Read More
450 Words | 2 Pages

However, Lady Macbeth’s power depends on her husband’s, due to her disempowerment in the realm of the political. She believes her husband’s political power relies on him conforming to a more masculine identity. In order to convince Macbeth to undertake this transformation, like she did, Lady Macbeth must subvert the stereotypical role of a submissive wife and become domineering. This leads to her exercising power in the only form she can, that is, attacking Macbeth’s masculinity as she states: “When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man.”

Read More
789 Words | 4 Pages

Power can not only bring ambitious people honors, but also make them lose everything. In the play, Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, it demonstrates that the immoral power influences the life of Macbeth dramatically. Macbeth’s abuse of power destroys his relationship with his cousin, friend, and wife, which shows that Macbeth’s wild ambition causes him to be isolated. Macbeth’s abuse of power destroys his relationship with his cousin, Duncan.

Read More

More about Abuse Of Power In Macbeth

Open Document