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Examples Of Machiavellianism In Macbeth

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Hergie Alexis, Seguedeme And Towa-sello Kossi Joiny. "Machiavellism In William Shakespeare's Macbeth: A Critical Study." Ira International Journal Of Education And Multidisciplinary Studies, No. 2, 2017, P. 170. EBSCOhost, doi:10.21013/jems.v6.n2.p4
This article focuses on the ways Machiavellism is portrayed in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth through the ambition to power Macbeth shows throughout the show. This article goes deep into the history of Scotland during the time Macbeth is written in and explores what caused the characters to use Machiavellian tactics to build their ambition to power. On one hand, these tactics gain the dream that both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth want for themselves but end tragically for the two characters as they see …show more content…

It talks about the moral arguments Macbeth contemplates for and against the act of killing the king. The desires of Macbeth create the ambition over which the moral arguments stem from. Macbeth wants to push his ambitions away as they are causing him to think evil deeds. Like source A, this article explains the consequences of Macbeth’s actions as self destructive and the cause of future evil deeds to come. Article A and this article agree on Lady Macbeth’s influence on Macbeth’s choice to kill the king as just. She sees that Macbeth should appeal to his pride and ambition to power as it helps both of them in the long term. Ambition, in this article, is shown as a cursor of further evil deeds and is the mentality and motive that pushes Macbeth to wash away any earlier reasoning from his mind to not kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth is at fault for playing to her husband’s ambition and allowing him to neglect his original honorable way of thinking and decide to kill the king for the sake of power. She uses ambition to thrive with her own pride and confidence while Macbeth initially has a way of ethical thinking that is contrasting to his ambition. Both articles A and B touch on the psychology of Macbeth, but this article goes deeper in the philosophy of why Macbeth is tempted towards these evil actions. Unlike Article A, this article shows that Macbeth is in a constant battle with his own conscience as to whether or not he believes that what the witches prophesied is deserved of him or if he has what it takes to achieve the throne and power. His ethical thinking is observed more in this article and pinpoints that his ethics of what is right and wrong ends in a debate of judgement within himself. Yes, he knows the full knowledge of his choices but in this article we see the research that instead Macbeth is battling his ambition to kill the king up until the moment he finally surrenders to

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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.

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Throughout the play Lady Macbeth has a great influence upon Macbeth’s decisions, including the one which begins all the bloodshed, daring Macbeth, “Wouldst thou have that which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem[?]” (1.7.41). Lady Macbeth invigorates and changes Macbeth’s attitude from unwilling and ambiguous about murdering Duncan to “settled, and bend up...to this terrible feat” by using pathos, demonstrating that Macbeth chooses evil because of the flawed influence of Lady Macbeth who is leading him down to a tragic alley.

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Finally, Macbeth’s surrender to his uncontrolled passion for power led to his own tragic death and to his total transformation from being one of moral character to a heartless murderer. Although Macbeth’s decline evokes pity and compassion from the reader which makes him a tragic hero, passion without reason cannot be tolerated , because every man has a specific gift: the freedom of choice. Indeed, the prophecies of the three witches, Lady Macbeth’s wicked inspiration and encouragement, and Macbeth’s lustful passion to keep the throne altogether provided the perfect elements for the development and the end of the Shakespearean tragic play,

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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

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Initially plagued by guilt and uncertainty over his abominable acts, his conscience gradually erodes as he seeks to consolidate and maintain his ill-gained power. The death of Lady Macbeth represents the final severing of his moral tether and fuels his ruthless pursuit of control, leading him to ultimately confront the very prophecies that initially sparked his ambition. As the tragic hero succumbs to the overwhelming forces that surround him – both supernatural and human – the play concludes in a poignant testament to the corrupting influence of unchecked ambition and the destructive potential of power untethered from

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The Obsession with the Desire for Power Ambition is a central motif in William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth. The play follows the tragic story of Macbeth, a nobleman from Scotland, taking place in the 11th century, who becomes consumed by his ambition for power and ultimately suffers a tragic downfall. Throughout the play, Shakespeare highlights the dangers of unchecked ambition and the consequences it can have. This theme is not only relevant in the play but also has importance in the real world.

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Lady Macbeth is power hungry for the throne and she will do anything to achieve her goal. Her pleasure of having the thought of killing Duncan is revealed. These murderous thoughts that run through her mind shows how desperate she is to acquire power. Although it is the beginning of the play, her dark ambitions sets a dark tone for her character in the play. This coincidentally adds to the assurance of Macbeth’s prophecy which is that Macbeth will become king, but King Duncan is still alive.

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The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a Testimony to the negative repercussions of vaulting ambition. In Macbeth, character's morals are put to the test by supernatural forces. This is illustrated by the character Macbeth, whose tragic downfall is ultimately the result of his ambition. Furthermore, Macbeth’s ambition leads him to kill King Duncan, Banquo; both he was originally loyal too, and Macduff’s family. Macbeth’s vaulting ambition causes him to make faulty decisions, thereby causing not only his own destruction, but the deaths of family and foe.

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