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Macbeth Ambition For Power Essay

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Ambition for power is a major theme in Macbeth, it is evident that it is still evident today through Hitler in WWII. Ambition for power within Macbeth is clearly seen through both the actions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in the beginning of the play whether the murder of King Duncan is being planned. After Lady Macbeth receives Macbeth's letter informing her of the witches prophecies, Lady Macbeth has a soliloquy where she states "...That I may pour my spirits in thine ear..." This quotation conveys that Lady Macbeth wants to fill Macbeth with power, motivation, ruthlessness and evil. Ambition for power is also notable as the most crucial theme in the plot of Macbeth’s tragic flaw. The three bearded Witch’s distort Macbeth's morals and stimulates his ambition for power through the act of killing those who are a threat to his throne, as seen through their prophecy in Act 1, "...All, hail, Macbeth, though shalt be king hereafter" Prior to the killing of Duncan by Macbeth, Shakespeare …show more content…

This theme of ambition for power can be seen in the modern world through the similarities between Adolf Hitler and Macbeth. Adolf Hitler was a German politician who became the leader of the Nazi Party. Hitler was the dominant voice in the administration and execution of the mass killing (Holocaust) of millions of Jewish and those who were not of Hitler’s want including homosexuals and those who suffered a disability. Hitler desired for Germany to have power and influence over the world, he believed that in order for this to happen he had to get rid of those who were not part of the Aryan race as he wanted Germany to be ‘pure'. This desire would ensure that he gained power. This shows that the theme of Ambition for power is evident in modern society as there are many people who have an ambition for

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Both greed and power, if not controlled, can lead to destruction. Throughout William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Shakespeare uses both characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to demonstrate how ambition can change one’s personal relationships. As in the beginning of Act 1, Scene 7 Macbeth and Lady Macbeth do not share the same ambition, and it is because of this that their relationship lacks love and affection however through the use of persuasion and other means, Lady Macbeth is able to get Macbeth to pursue her ambition. This not only changes their relationship drastically but it also changes Macbeth’s attitude towards ambition. Throughout the play, Shakespeare shows us through Macbeth, the possibility for ambition to eventually turn into greed and how the lust for power may corrupt us.

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Greed for power leads corrupt leaders to pursue power through ruthless and violent ways, putting their countries in an unstable state. Macbeth commits murders and violent acts to earn his absolute power, but his corrupt mindset of yearning power leads to instability in the Scotland. After hearing from the witches, Macbeth admits that, “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical/ Shakes so my single state of man/ That function is smother'd in surmise /and nothing is but what is not.”

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It is human nature to want power, to be at the top of the pyramid, to be king/queen, but that comes at a price as shown in Macbeth. In the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth will do anything to have absolute power and nothing stands in their way. From killing to going completely mad, they will become the next king and queen at all costs. The ambition and the want for power is so high that they kill many, they do whatever they can to be one step closer, and they go completely insane, all because they want that absolute power.

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An Exploration of Power in Shakespeare’s Works Power, as countless quotes and political figures have taught us, is either the tool of a justified disciplinarian or, more often, the weapon of choice for the malicious despot. As such, every generation of writers has embraced its complexities in the hopes of shedding new light on this ancient yet ever-evolving concept. These writers, Shakespeare included, help to both define the role of power in the past and outline an ideal for it in the future. In The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth is consumed by a need to be king as his humanity slowly peels away, revealing a grim picture in which primal urges rule. Similarly, throughout The Tragedy of King Lear, Lear finds himself slowly go mad with the knowledge

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