ipl-logo

Chaos In The Tragedy Of Macbeth By William Shakespeare

1147 Words5 Pages

Many stories are created worldwide every day, and just as many are forgotten. After all, as time passes by, people, nations, and customs change which makes every story susceptible to becoming relics of the past. However, a select few of those stories become timeless for the lessons told inside of them are ones that will always apply to humans no matter if it is in the past, present, or future. One such story is William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth which follows the character of Macbeth as he slowly succumbs to his ambition and causes chaos to the world around him. In this story, Macbeth enacts a forceful takeover of Scotland by assassinating the beloved king that ruled before. In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, readers …show more content…

After Macbeth’s takeover, chaos starts to descend upon Scotland as a result of the decisions he makes much like how the Taliban’s beliefs have caused them to turn Afghanistan into a nearly unlivable place for the people of the nation. In the story of Macbeth, Ross explains the situation of Scotland after his takeover by saying, “Alas poor country, / Almost afraid to know itself. It cannot / Be called our mother, but our grave, where nothing / But who knows nothing is once seen to smile; / Where sighs and groans and shrieks that rent the air / Where violent sorrows seems a modern ecstasy” (4.3.164-170). In this quote, readers can see that Macbeth’s way of ruling Scotland has caused it to become a nation of despair for its people. From this, it can be inferred that Macbeth has used his power extremely selfishly and only as a tool to fuel his own goals and motives. He doesn’t care about the people that he is supposed to be the King of and as a result, they suffer. Likewise, many nations today face …show more content…

In the case of both Macbeth and many modern-day dictators, this is what happens and is the ultimate form of the amount of chaos and destruction that tyrants like these can bring to their nation. In Macbeth’s case, the Thanes that were loyal to King Duncan, as well as King Duncan’s son, Malcolm, go to war with Macbeth. Lennox explains the reason for war when he says, “Some holy angel / His message ere he come, that a swift blessing / May soon return to this our suffering country / Under a hand accursed” (3.6.45-49). In this quote, Lennox explains how he wants something to be able to come to fix the mess that Macbeth has made of Scotland. This allows readers to see why it is nearly impossible to avoid revolts in situations where the ruling party does not have the support of the people. When rulers such as Macbeth inevitably do things that make their people unhappy and angry, it will lead to their people wanting them out of power. Since dictators do not usually step down from power willingly, the most straightforward option to try next is to overthrow them by force. Consequently, this leads to rebellions and wars in the name of this cause. In modern times, this can be seen very clearly in the rebellions against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. According to Vox’s video “The collapse of Venezuela, explained, ” he has caused his nation of Venezuela to be

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
1464 Words | 6 Pages

Macbeth at this time is overwhelmed with uncertainties and decides his best course of action is to end the chain of power before it begins. Macbeth’s need for political status takes over him as he disregards the friendship

Read More
691 Words | 3 Pages

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a testimony to the difference between greed and ambition, good and evil, and right and wrong. The story shows that when one becomes obsessed with power, they will often resort to methods of manipulation and retaliation to achieve their desired outcome. In the case of Macbeth, he is approached by the Three Witches who inform him that he will one day become Thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland. Additionally, they inform Macbeth’s comrade Banquo that his sons will one day be kings.

Read More
651 Words | 3 Pages

The play entitled Macbeth by William Shakespeare portrays Macbeth, a loyal and brave thane to the king. When a prophecy reveals he will become king, Macbeth is overcome with ambition and greed. Convinced of this prophecy and the encouragement from his wife, he is able to kill the king and take the throne. Although Macbeth was able to obtain the throne, he was was overwhelmed by power and guilt leading to internal conflict, which suggests that success is not desirable through cheating and corruption and ultimately cost more than its actually worth, Macbeth`s reckless pursuit of killing and becoming the king is representative of the power he has and what he is able to do with the power he's gained; therefore. His relentless ambition for king reveals the guilt behind power.

Read More
463 Words | 2 Pages

Post-it Notes: An Idea that Stuck In 1966, 3M hired a young chemist named Spencer Silver. Silver was born in San Antonio, TX and had worked his way to a doctrine degree in chemistry. Little did they know that his invention, in just over 20 years, would account for one billion dollars in sales. His invention, seemingly so simple and used every day, started as a solution without a problem.

Read More
828 Words | 4 Pages

Many people make big mistakes while under bad influence in power. Some become corrupt, some cave into the pressure, and some just straight up ignore their problems and run away. Macbeth on one hand caved under pressure and killed a man's family in fear of losing the throne and on the other hand completely corrupted himself to become king. People are probably wondering what possibly could have caused him to go mad. The answer is clear.

Read More
533 Words | 3 Pages

Greed and guilt are two characteristics that can wreak havoc on the human mind and soul, and give someone what they deserve over time. Therefore, nothing seems more satisfying than when the villain or protagonist gets what they deserve for their bad deeds. In The Tragedy of Macbeth, William Shakespeare shows these traits, along with their affects, through the tragic hero of the play, Macbeth, and his wife, Lady Macbeth, also leaving the reader with the question: “Could this happen today?” After gaining the corrupt title Macbeth craves, being king is not as significant as he implies. Macbeth admits to his reign being spoiled saying, “To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus”(Act III, Scene I, lines 50-51).

Read More
694 Words | 3 Pages

The theme of Macbeth is destruction filled mind with power-hungry like wolves fighting to become leader of the pack. In this world, rather Macbeth fighting for his power to become king. “If good, why do I yield to that suggestion. Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair, and make my seated heart knock at my ribs against the use of nature?

Read More
579 Words | 3 Pages

Macbeth is a “bad king” all around. He lets his wife get into his head to kill Duncan, in order for him to become king. After Macbeth kills Duncan, he is in power and begins to kill more people. Macbeth lets down Scotland, because of how poor of a king, he is with his unnecessary killings and George Washington let down many Americans by resigning voluntarily, leaving America on their

Read More
675 Words | 3 Pages

Shakespeare’s renowned tragic play ‘Macbeth’ was written in the 1500s to entertain and please King James I of England. The story follows a once noble and valiant knight turned tyrannous called Macbeth in his journey as he navigates his way through the dangerous waters of ambition and greed that ultimately result in his death. Macbeth at the start of the play is a self-proclaimed ‘servant of the king’ but when he hears three witches’ prophecy that he is going to be king, his loyalties seem to flip. In his greed, he ends up murdering the current King of Scotland – King Duncan.

Read More
679 Words | 3 Pages

Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, is a rather bloody and demiseful tale. Although the characters of the play all have different emotions the main theme is based on greed and suffrage of one’s actions. The main character, Macbeth, is ridden with guilt and greed, while Lady MacBeth is very controlling and demanding. Macbeth's curiosity led to a great demise for both him and Lady Macbeth. Throughout the play, Macbeth’s actions are being controlled by the emotions of curiosity, guilt, and fear.

Read More
839 Words | 4 Pages

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the tragic tale of a Scottish general's rise and fall from power, evil plays a front and center role. As a play that explores the darkest corners of human ambition and desire, Macbeth weaves an intricate examination of the consequences when one is consumed by greed and the lust for dominance. In this essay, I will argue that Macbeth's tragic descent into evil is fueled by unchecked ambition and desire for power, ultimately leading to his downfall. To support this claim, I will analyze various aspects of the play, such as the influence of Showing evil forces, the roles played by characters like Lady Macbeth and the witches, and how Macbeth's own character transforms throughout the story. First, let us delve into how

Read More
1113 Words | 5 Pages

The fact that Macbeth believes the witches’ prophecies are not evil nor good foreshadows how he will go on to kill any other person standing in his way to more power. His ambition blinds his mind to make him even think about ruthlessly committing a murder. This forceful way of gaining power will only lead Macbeth to become a “tyrant” in Scotland and his “fantastical” desires of killing Duncan and receiving the crown will lead Scotland to failure. Under Macbeth’s rule, Scotland seems to be in a terrible condition. With distrust among the people, there is tension all within the country, as Macbeth’s totalitarian regime had rendered the prosperity of Scotland.

Read More
760 Words | 4 Pages

Macbeth’s impatience for power leads to drastic actions. He murders the king in the belief that “this blow might be the be-all and end-all” (1.7.5). This assassination could never “trammel up the consequence” (1.7.2-3), as Macbeth believes, but only leads to more trouble. Although Macbeth seizes the throne, Macbeth had to betray his loyalty to the king whose “virtues will plead like angels” (1.7.18-19), and his morality has paid the price. Macbeth has now lost all sense of what honor is by using such dishonest ways to become king.

Read More
1288 Words | 6 Pages

Macbeth had become everything that he had ever wanted to be which was the king of Scotland and when the witches told him that someone else was going to take his crown he went to extremes to try to keep them from doing that which was eventually what lead to him dying. The witches had told Macbeth that the sons of Banquo would take his crown so he decided to have Banquo and his son killed Macbeth said, “Our fears in Banquo stick deep/ And in his royalty of nature reigns that which would be feared”(3.1.49-51). Macbeth did everything he could to protect his crown, but that is eventually what lead to his downfall and his death. He killed his best friend Banquo which was when his ambition had gone to far and was the beginning of his decline.

Read More

More about Chaos In The Tragedy Of Macbeth By William Shakespeare

Related Topics

Open Document