ipl-logo

Macbeth Power Corruption Essay

662 Words3 Pages

The Deterioration of Macbeth

In most of Shakespeare's works, there is always a certain theme. Romeo and Juliet’s theme was love and tragedy. Hamlet’s theme was the mystery of death. And the theme for Macbeth is power corruption, which I will elaborate on. In Macbeth, there are many times in which power corrupts Macbeth and he loses every bit of morality that he has.
It all started in the beginning of the play with the prophets, the three witches. Everything began when the witches prophesied that Macbeth would be thane of Glamis and Cawdor and future king of Scotland. The witches also tell Banquo that his descendants will be kings. Macbeth is already thane of Glamis and when the three witches tell him his fate, he's dumbfounded. The thane of Cawdor and the king of Scotland are alive so he figures it's impossible for the prophecy to be true. But, …show more content…

“The only thing motivating me is ambition, which makes people rush ahead of themselves toward disasters.” (Shakespeare, 41) Macbeth basically corrupted himself because he thought he was powerful and his ambition is what drove him to commit dreadful deeds, which supports the power corruption theme. His desire to be king, after the prophecy from the witches of course, led him to murder king Duncan and blame it on others in order for him to fulfill the role of being new king of Scotland. His greed led him to commit an unearthly sin and as the play progresses, his greed increase increases and he loses his sanity. “If you stick with me when the time comes there will be something in it for you.” (Shakespeare, 51) Macbeth tells Banquo this and this contributes to the theme because he's telling Banquo that if he sides with him then he'll have something in it for him. Macbeth is implying that he will go above and beyond to get what he wants and more and that Banquo should join him because there's more to

Show More
Related
1280 Words | 6 Pages

At the beginning of the play, three witch sisters told him that he would become Thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland. Right after they told him about the prophecies, Macbeth was told that he did in fact become Thane of Cawdor. Since that prophecy came true, he began to wonder if the prophecy about him becoming King would come true. When Lady Macbeth found out about the prophecies, Lady Macbeth convinced and influenced Macbeth to kill the King so that the prophecy could come true. Macbeth was reluctant to kill the king, but that reluctance was soon overcome by the sheer determination for power that grew inside of him.

Read More
699 Words | 3 Pages

(1.3.47-48) These hags prophesy that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor, to add to his title Thane of Glamis, and, eventually, king. Confounded, Macbeth demands an explanation, though none is forthcoming. Later, he discovers that he has indeed taken the title Thane of Cawdor, due to the rebellion of the former Thane.

Read More
251 Words | 2 Pages

Shakespeare has written numerous famous plays, MacBeth being one of his darkest plays, touching up on the topic of the thought that power sometimes leads to corruption, and how it can manipulate someone’s thoughts and actions, bringing them to do things they thought they never would. In MacBeth, there are many examples of MacBeth trying anything to gain power, even if the guilt will eat him alive. In the beginning, the Three Weird Sisters know of a prophecy allegedly saying that MacBeth will one day be King. After they tell MacBeth, he, over time, starts to obsess over becoming the highest positioned person in the hierarchy.

Read More
507 Words | 3 Pages

In the play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, Macbeth and his wife plot and kill Duncan over a prophecy they receive. This leads to the death of Him and Lady Macbeth and many others. Is power a corrupting force? Yes in the play, Macbeth is given much power and he abuses it, being corrupted with the idea of power. This is prevalent through the plot, characters, tone, and theme of the play.

Read More
494 Words | 2 Pages

Corruption In Power The play The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare tells of a Scottish thane by the name of Macbeth. He is a Scottish hero who is recognized by some as brave for all his accomplishments in war. Macbeth later receives a prophecy of him becoming king and decides that he must kill to achieve the title of king. In a haze to keep his newly earned power, he kills anyone that questions his authority.

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
1385 Words | 6 Pages

Macbeth’s Downfall to Power The human psyche inherently has a desire for power, whether it be an attempt to control others or escape domination and gain autonomy in one’s own life. Pleonexia, the extreme greed for something that rightfully belongs to others, acts as a toxic impulse in mankind, often resulting in immoral actions to obtain the power one desires. Literature emphasizes this corrupt mindset by depicting a character’s dissatisfaction with mediocre control. The character continuously craves more until meeting his tragic flaw, ultimately resulting in the character drowning in the fear of defeat, making a misjudgment as he approaches his downfall.

Read More
926 Words | 4 Pages

Even the thought of having power corrupted Macbeth. Once Macbeth committed the murder he felt that he had the power to continue murdering. Therefore, the audience can see that power corrupts. The third theme in this play is violence.

Read More
544 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout history power has been corrupted people many times. For example, Hitler, Napoleon, and even George Bush have all been corrupted by power. Any person who gains power usually uses it to their advantage. Shakespeare realized that humans are naturally corrupted by power. Many of the kings and queens of his day were corrupt.

Read More
438 Words | 2 Pages

Because Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s decision to murder Duncan, Both face the guilt of the power they abused portrays on the shadows that reflect on them as well as the natural consequences they will face. During the first half of the play, Lady Macbeth expresses her unnatural feelings and this is demonstrated through the corruption of power when she want’s to hire people to kill Duncan because she thinks that Macbeth is too scared. At first, when Lady Macbeth hinted “Their drenchèd natures lies as in a death”(1.7.78). This demonstrates that Lady Macbeth is characterizing corruption of power due to the fact that she want's to kill Duncan, therefore she can be queen of cawdor while Macbeth is king.

Read More
931 Words | 4 Pages

William Shakespeare, playwright of Macbeth, shows the importance that power and corruption can hold on a person’s humanity. In order to prove the true effect of personal gains, he uses the main character, Macbeth, to show how evil people are willing to become. Personal power has the ability to be essential to greatness, but at the same time is able to destroy a person’s true nature. Believe it or not, Macbeth once was a man of honor. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth was loyal to King Duncan, a strong military leader, and a respected husband.

Read More
1025 Words | 5 Pages

A common theme in Macbeth is that power and corruption come hand in hand. Frequently, people with power lie and go against the better welfare of their people. Tragic hero, Macbeth, and political mastermind, Joseph Stalin, end up corrupted by trying to control and obtain power. They both wanted power and superiority so they did everything they could to get higher and higher on the totem pole.

Read More
1288 Words | 6 Pages

Macbeth had become everything that he had ever wanted to be which was the king of Scotland and when the witches told him that someone else was going to take his crown he went to extremes to try to keep them from doing that which was eventually what lead to him dying. The witches had told Macbeth that the sons of Banquo would take his crown so he decided to have Banquo and his son killed Macbeth said, “Our fears in Banquo stick deep/ And in his royalty of nature reigns that which would be feared”(3.1.49-51). Macbeth did everything he could to protect his crown, but that is eventually what lead to his downfall and his death. He killed his best friend Banquo which was when his ambition had gone to far and was the beginning of his decline.

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
986 Words | 4 Pages

Macbeth’s Moral Deterioration Throughout the years where ruling and power took place everyone has always wanted to feel powerful and wouldn't stop at any lengths to have it even if it means hurting others along the way and choosing the wrong path . For others not so much, but some will choose anything to have power for instance in the tragedy of Macbeth. This is a story of an unsuccessful ruler who became king by murdering and manipulation. He chose to kill and lie in order to have power. His immoral decisions eventually lead him into extreme feelings of guilt and remorse later on in the tragedy.

Read More

More about Macbeth Power Corruption Essay

Related Topics

Open Document