The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play that takes place in the 11th century during the Renaissance. The Scottish Thane of Glamis, Macbeth, receives a prophecy that he will one day be King of Scotland. Ecstatic to hear about the insight of his future, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make this become reality; including killing those who stand in his way. The author, William Shakespeare, uses the theme of lust for power to illustrate how far one will go to get what they want. Within the play, lust for power is an evident theme and helps reflect how the characters interact with one another. In the beginning of the play, the weird sisters return and inform Macbeth and Banquo of their prophecies. With this being known, Macbeth’s response was, …show more content…
Instead of attending the feast, Banquo tells Macbeth that he is going for a ride. According to the three witches’ prophecy, Banquo’s decedents will inherit the throne. Macbeth is afraid of Banquo and knows Banquo is suspicious, so he puts a strategy together to get rid of him. Immediately after hearing the weird sister’s prediction, he believed a weight would lifted off his shoulders if he were to hire hitmen to murder his best friend, Banquo and his son, Fleance. After the first prediction the witches gave Macbeth came true, he figured killing Banquo would increase his chances. In his soliloquy he stated, “It is concluded: Banquo, thy soul’s flight, If it find heaven, must find it out tonight.” (Act 2 Scene 1). This quote reflects to the theme because even though Banquo is his best friend, Macbeth still had the audacity to arrange his death. This shows how much he truly valued power even if it meant taking the life of his friend. The fact that Shakespeare did not have Macbeth kill Banquo with his own hands indicates he wanted the audience to see how malicious Macbeth really was. One could easily predict if he had not ordered men to kill Banquo, he would have stayed under the radar and maybe even still be