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Examples Of Abuse Of Power In Macbeth

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Sarah Wang #3 2/6/2023 Period 6 Sophomore English 2023/Fairman The power of power Power. We all aspire to have power over the world, but what happens when we gain it? In many cases, it leads to the abuse of said power. Macbeth from Shakespeare's book Macbeth is an example of how those that achieve power will never be satisfied. Macbeth is the main character in this tragic story, receiving a prophecy which suggests Macbeth will receive power. Instead of letting the power come naturally he takes matters into his own hand and commiting a murder, deciding he’s in too deep he does more atrocious acts to keep and gain more power. The quote “The quality of the will to power is, precisely, growth. The vaster the power gained, the vaster the appetite for …show more content…

To begin, Macbeth demonstrates desperate and ruthless choices as he reaches for power which doesn’t belong to him. For example, when Macbeth is talking to himself about what he should do about the second part of the prophecy. Banquo, one of Macbeth's friends, also received a prophecy that his children would be their heirs to the king. Wanting to keep the power of the throne he says “Given to the common enemy of man/To make them kings, the seeds of Banquo kings./Rather than so, come fate into the list,/And champion me to th’ utterance”(3.1.74-77). Macbeth is not willing to take any chances when it comes to keeping the power he has been handed. He would do anything including killing innocent

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