ipl-logo

How Does Macbeth Cause Moral Corruption

538 Words3 Pages

In the novel Macbeth by William Shakespeare power hunger causes moral corruption throughout several of the main characters. The main character hears a prophecy of him become king, this cause his wife to convince him to kill for it. Macbeth kills the king, guards and becomes king. Treason is expected by many and as Lady Macbeth goes crazy an army is formed, and Macbeth is killed. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have selfish desires to have power which leads them into corruption and their ultimate deaths. The promise of power leads Lady Macbeth and Macbeth into a corrupt lifestyle all for something that is already taken. Macbeth wants power but he does not know how far he will go for his desires until it is too late and he has killed and lied for it. Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth that he can kill for what is his but he does not agree with it, so Lady Macbeth says that if he does kill the king he is a man. “And to be more than what you were, you would / Be so much more the man”(2,7,57-58). Power and Lady Macbeth changed Macbeth for the worse and he some what …show more content…

Lady Macbeth knew he was struggling with what he did but she thought it was a simple fix, if he just washes his hands and doesn't think about it it will all be okay for them. “These deeds must not be thought / After these ways; so, it will make us mad”(2,2,45-46). This method of moving on from murdering many people helped neither Macbeth nor Lady Macbeth move on, by then they were too far corrupted to go back. All the blood on their hands is far too much for them, they try to hide it but Lady Macbeth cannot control what she says in her sleep, she repeatedly washes her hands to wash the blood away but she cannot. The doctor sees what Lady Macbeth is doing but needs to be loyal. “What is it she does now? Look how she rubs / her hands”(5,1,28-29). The blood is far too much to be looked over or simply washed away and it makes her go

Show More
Related
177 Words | 1 Pages

Macbeths excessive want to be powerful leads him to his downfall.

Read More
73 Words | 1 Pages

A continuous struggle for power is a common idea in literature, but the immoral desire of power can destroy the goodness in people. In the tragedy, Macbeth William Shakespeare introduces Macbeth and his story how his desires of power lead to his demise. Initially Macbeth was a loyal warrior who lived and served for his king,; however, his desires for power corrupts him. In order to maintain his power, he begins to kill

Read More
696 Words | 3 Pages

Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, shows how murder and corruption disrupts natural order through the outcomes of his characters’ decisions in the story. In the beginning of the play, the protagonist, Macbeth, and his good friend, Banquo, is confronted by three witches who give them both prophecies foretelling the future. Macbeth is told that he will be promoted to Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland, and Banquo’s descendants will become kings. After hearing these prophecies, Macbeth makes poor decisions to make sure they come to pass. As the play progresses, the intense guilt of the character’s lead to insanity, and murder seems to be the only option in their situations.

Read More
778 Words | 4 Pages

From murder to greed Shakespeare’s Macbeth portrays a story of how one’s flaws can transform into a person’s way of thinking and acting. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth changes from a cold-hearted, greedy, shell of a human body into a guilt ridden woman. Her selfish desires met with ambition and a want for power pushed her into driving Macbeth to kill Duncan. Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth become very guilty because of the crime they have committed.

Read More
482 Words | 2 Pages

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.

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
764 Words | 4 Pages

While the play revolves around Macbeth and how his tragedy came to be, it gradually clarifies his tragic flaw as his thirst for power. However, Macbeth’s thirst for power is not only his tragic flaw, but also a cause

Read More
538 Words | 3 Pages

The Witches, who prophesied that Macbeth would be King, sparked an eternal thirst in him for royal status. Everything began to go downhill as Macbeth was riddled with greed for more and more power. Not stopping at any costs to give him more control. Macbeth was “once thought honest,” but with greed for power, his whole disposition changed into a wrathful, insecure

Read More
722 Words | 3 Pages

Power can easily become a corruptive force when ambition and desire get out of hand. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth (1606), Macbeth’s ambition and Lady Macbeth’s greed for power transform them into a corrupt king and insane queen. The witches are the trigger for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s inhumane actions. A variety of literary and dramatic techniques are used to present these themes.

Read More
2254 Words | 10 Pages

Macbeth, otherwise known as the Scottish play, is one of William Shakespeare’s most well known plays, among the ranks of Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. Since the play follows the characters’ development closely and illustrates just how sheer ambition can deeply affect a person to the core. In Macbeth, Macbeth yearns for more and more power, striving ever to take a seat on the throne; however, without his wife planting the seed of ambition, Macbeth would not have been driven to commit treason and be a generally cruel person. With much urging and convincing from Lady Macbeth, Macbeth strives to get what she believes he deserves. While Macbeth is the main character of the play, Lady Macbeth is indubitably ambitious to the point of evil, which

Read More
824 Words | 4 Pages

Macbeths guilty conscience makes him unable to play the ‘true’ role of a villain of the play. Macbeth begins to see ‘false creations’ before murdering Duncan; the image of a floating dagger taunts Macbeth’s senses. Macbeth is devoured in his anxiety he starts to hallucinate the crime before going through with it. Macbeth is unable to dispose thoughts of his guilt and doubt, which prevents him from being stuck at the point where it is too late to turn back, yet the fear of his nature prevents him from turning completely into a ruthless coldblooded

Read More
642 Words | 3 Pages

The reader is able to see this through Macbeth’s contemplation on whether or not he should kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth's lust for power and Macbeth’s final yet selfish decision. The overall comparisons are able to demonstrate the harmful physical and psychological effects of power throughout a community. As a result, the reader can learn from both Queen and Shakespeare that one's evil pleasure and desires can be a result of one's destruction all

Read More
760 Words | 4 Pages

Power is always coveted in any society and the world of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is no different. In the play, Macbeth, a noble lord, shows his hunger for power with thoughts to remove an heir to the throne from power. Macbeth’s impatience to be king leads him to stain his honor by using murder. Macbeth travels further down the path of evil by arranging the assassination of a friend.

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
560 Words | 3 Pages

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth wanted to be powerful so bad that they were willing to compromise their morals in order to be successful. The actions of the Macbeths prove that ambition ultimately takes over all

Read More

More about How Does Macbeth Cause Moral Corruption

Open Document