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Macbeth does power corrupt
Literary analysis of macbeths character
Power in Macbeth
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Macbeth does power corrupt
Literary analysis of macbeths character
Power in Macbeth
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Macbeth Power corrupts. A simple truth, oft repeated. However, for Macbeth, that truth became all too real, as he became corrupted simply to attain power. At the beginning of Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, the title character is a Thane in Scotland, a high rank. On his journey home from war, he and his friend Banquo encounter three witches, who appear, as Banquo describes them, as “women, and yet your beards forbid me to interpret that you are so.”
Shakespeare has written numerous famous plays, MacBeth being one of his darkest plays, touching up on the topic of the thought that power sometimes leads to corruption, and how it can manipulate someone’s thoughts and actions, bringing them to do things they thought they never would. In MacBeth, there are many examples of MacBeth trying anything to gain power, even if the guilt will eat him alive. In the beginning, the Three Weird Sisters know of a prophecy allegedly saying that MacBeth will one day be King. After they tell MacBeth, he, over time, starts to obsess over becoming the highest positioned person in the hierarchy.
In the play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, Macbeth and his wife plot and kill Duncan over a prophecy they receive. This leads to the death of Him and Lady Macbeth and many others. Is power a corrupting force? Yes in the play, Macbeth is given much power and he abuses it, being corrupted with the idea of power. This is prevalent through the plot, characters, tone, and theme of the play.
In the play Macbeth by Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth believes he will be king. The power he thinks he will have causes him to kill the people who stand in his way Of fulfilling his destiny. The Spiderman quote “With power comes great responsibility,” relates to the theme of Shakespeare's play Macbeth. Macbeth and the actor Lindsay Lohan, share the trait that people with power often abuse it, corruption is frequently the result of responsibility to great for one person.
One of the most apparent themes in The Tragedy of Macbeth is the corrupting force of power over characters, specifically Macbeth himself. Macbeth’s corruption in his pursuit of power affects almost every character, but is caused by few. Some of the biggest factors in Macbeth’s corruption are the Three Witches’ prophecy, Lady Macbeth’s ambition, and Duncan’s death. These characters ultimately cause every event by Macbeth’s hands to happen, even without them knowing.
Macbeth’s Downfall to Power The human psyche inherently has a desire for power, whether it be an attempt to control others or escape domination and gain autonomy in one’s own life. Pleonexia, the extreme greed for something that rightfully belongs to others, acts as a toxic impulse in mankind, often resulting in immoral actions to obtain the power one desires. Literature emphasizes this corrupt mindset by depicting a character’s dissatisfaction with mediocre control. The character continuously craves more until meeting his tragic flaw, ultimately resulting in the character drowning in the fear of defeat, making a misjudgment as he approaches his downfall.
The evils committed by the dagger can be also interpreted as “the evils committed by power“ since Macbeth‘s morality became questionable at the moment he rose to power by raising the dagger. Most importantly, Shakespeare uses evils committed by the dagger to reflect on the atrocities committed by the people in power during his time. Macbeth was written during James's reign — a darker and more cуnical timе — reflecting the insеcurities of the Jacobеan pеriod. By drawing a parallel between the rise of tyrants in ancient Greek society and the events of the play, Shakespeare successfully expresses the theme of аbuse of power by showcasing how power corrupts a person‘s integrity.
In his play, Macbeth, William Shakespeare explores the various forms of power and their effects on the characters, as well as both physical and psychological causes throughout each act and scene. When it comes to power, many would imagine an emperor imposing rule over their country, or even a CEO imposing power on the rest of the employees. The usage of power, however, depends on the nature of a person, and if that person decides to overexploit and take advantage of that power, it tends to lead to corruption. To reach a goal, those who have power may enforce it and do whatever it takes to reach that goal, ultimately leading to a corrupt mindset that also affects surrounding people. Macbeth’s ambition for power leads to moral corruption and
A part-time job shouldn't be a stressful nightmare, but it also depends on the people you work with. In my instance, the manager of my part-time employment made my life miserable. They would not stop yelling at me and critiquing everything I did. It was only subway as if the customers would notice one piece of ham a centimetre too far to the right. My boss would constantly use his privilege to make my life wretched.
Throughout history power has been corrupted people many times. For example, Hitler, Napoleon, and even George Bush have all been corrupted by power. Any person who gains power usually uses it to their advantage. Shakespeare realized that humans are naturally corrupted by power. Many of the kings and queens of his day were corrupt.
Because Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s decision to murder Duncan, Both face the guilt of the power they abused portrays on the shadows that reflect on them as well as the natural consequences they will face. During the first half of the play, Lady Macbeth expresses her unnatural feelings and this is demonstrated through the corruption of power when she want’s to hire people to kill Duncan because she thinks that Macbeth is too scared. At first, when Lady Macbeth hinted “Their drenchèd natures lies as in a death”(1.7.78). This demonstrates that Lady Macbeth is characterizing corruption of power due to the fact that she want's to kill Duncan, therefore she can be queen of cawdor while Macbeth is king.
William Shakespeare, playwright of Macbeth, shows the importance that power and corruption can hold on a person’s humanity. In order to prove the true effect of personal gains, he uses the main character, Macbeth, to show how evil people are willing to become. Personal power has the ability to be essential to greatness, but at the same time is able to destroy a person’s true nature. Believe it or not, Macbeth once was a man of honor. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth was loyal to King Duncan, a strong military leader, and a respected husband.
A common theme in Macbeth is that power and corruption come hand in hand. Frequently, people with power lie and go against the better welfare of their people. Tragic hero, Macbeth, and political mastermind, Joseph Stalin, end up corrupted by trying to control and obtain power. They both wanted power and superiority so they did everything they could to get higher and higher on the totem pole.
Once in power, many individuals find themselves consumed by an overwhelming thirst to control others. When someone possesses control and authority over others, they become infected with evil and wicked behaviours which begin to dominate and destroy their minds. Like Hitler, Mussolini, and Saddam Hussein who all desired absolute power, Macbeth too was an example of this self destructing demeanour. Their “vaulting ambition” led to many unfortunate incidents which resulted in the death of innocent lives. People who believe that absolute power doesn’t corrupt absolutely are very mislead.
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.