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Macbeth Power And Corruption Essay

784 Words4 Pages

A leader: someone who holds the power to influence people and situations into opportunities for success. However, it is that same power that can cause uprising and corruption. Within William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, this idea is expressed. Throughout the play, Shakespeare writes about a King who has lost his humanity, three witches messing with fate, and a Prince, who was once in hiding, finally winning back his title. All of these embody the relationship of leader and follower; showing the consequences of misdeeds, and the successes gained from stability. In order to reap the benefits of good leadership it is best to lead with love, however, when too much is given then it leaves openings for betrayal. Leadership can only be prosperous if it …show more content…

When corruption is developed it prevents a leader from loving and therefore deems them an ineffective superior. Ellie Zolfagharifard, outlines the relationship between power and corruption in her article, Power Really Does Go To Your Head: Giving people a taste of authority can corrupt even honest members of a group, by describing a Swiss experiment involving the “dictator game”. In this, she writes how, “Corrupt individuals exhibit moral deterioration by using their power to benefit themselves and, by doing so, cause harm to the greater good” (Zolfagharifard 2), which illustrates that those in possession of authoritative roles who have become corrupted will not view others with respect, and cause copious amounts of damage. Moreover, followers are also susceptible to this moral deterioration. Macbeth is originally viewed as a courageous, and loyal hero, however, after gaining knowledge of his future he becomes corrupt, and decides to kill his king to take the throne, “I am settled, and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat.” (Shakespeare 1.7.79-80). He is so easily swayed from his morality because he has received an exorbitant number of prizes from King Duncan, and views him as easily giving and weak. Duncan did not possess the ability to balance his love, and was taken advantage of by Macbeth.

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