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Macbeth Power Essay

1384 Words6 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 facing his tragic flaw, ultimately resulting in the character drowning in the fear of defeat, making a misjudgment as he approaches his downfall. In Shakespeare’s play titled Macbeth, Macbeth develops an internal desire for greater influence over Scotland, going against his morals as he murders those in line …show more content…

Therefore, not only must he continue to murder to cope with the guilt, but Macbeth ironically finds the need to gain more power so nobody can take it away from him. As the Battle at Dunsinane approaches, Macbeth determines that he has experienced enough horror throughout his journey to be king. He states that “‘direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts, cannot once start me’” (Shakespeare 5.5). At this point, Macbeth knows that he is guilty of the terror of the entire country, and fears that anyone could take power from him. Consequently, he simply desires to remain in his position of power for as long as possible. However, because of this immense feeling of guilt, nothing else troubles him. As a result, due to his incessant reminders of guilt, he is unable to recognize the genuine threat of Macduff, facing his downfall as his power dies with him. Although Macbeth develops guilt over the course of the plot, he finds ways to justify his actions, hoping to morally explain the purpose of

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When the story begins, Macbeth truly is a “peerless kinsman” to the king (1.4.66); however, as the story progresses others refer to him in this way only because they are oblivious to his true desire” (Balwan 3). As Balwan states, Macbeth has as significant change due to the so call “power” of being king. While Macbeth transitions to a new form of character, he isolates himself from Lady Macbeth. As the power increases, Macbeth is determined to kill.

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The play entitled Macbeth by William Shakespeare portrays Macbeth, a loyal and brave thane to the king. When a prophecy reveals he will become king, Macbeth is overcome with ambition and greed. Convinced of this prophecy and the encouragement from his wife, he is able to kill the king and take the throne. Although Macbeth was able to obtain the throne, he was was overwhelmed by power and guilt leading to internal conflict, which suggests that success is not desirable through cheating and corruption and ultimately cost more than its actually worth, Macbeth`s reckless pursuit of killing and becoming the king is representative of the power he has and what he is able to do with the power he's gained; therefore. His relentless ambition for king reveals the guilt behind power.

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Macbeth's desire to "make assurance double sure" by having Macduff killed reveals his paranoia and his willingness to use violence to maintain his power. Macbeth believes that by eliminating all possible threats to his reign, he will be able to sleep peacefully and without fear. However, this ultimately leads to his downfall, as his violent actions bring about his own demise. Additionally, as declared in Document E, "I bear a charmed life, which must not yield to one of woman born. " This augments Macbeth's character flaw of overconfidence because despite the many warnings and signs that his reign is coming to an end, Macbeth remains overconfident and complacent.

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Instead, it tears Macbeth and his wife apart, as he slowly descends into madness, haunted by visions born of his misdeeds. Lady Macbeth, consumed by guilt, takes her own life. Macbeth finds himself trapped in a vicious cycle of violence, compelled to commit further atrocities – the murders of Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff's family – to cover his tracks and maintain his ill-gotten power. This downward spiral of dire consequences and poor decisions ultimately alienates him from all he once held dear, transforming the once-honored warrior into a dishonorable tyrant, despised by his subjects until his inevitable demise. The play demonstrates that morality and ethics serve as the best countermeasures to keep ambition in check.

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Despite the influence of Lady Macbeth and the witches' prophecies, Shakespeare depicts Macbeth as he is in control of his own destiny, satiating his desire for power through his wicked deeds and interactions. Oftentimes, one's behavior is fueled by their true motives regardless of outside manipulation. Such is seen by the measures that Macbeth comes up with and carries out, as his hunger to gain and maintain his power pushes him forward. Prior to the murder of Duncan, Macbeth thinks that “whiles [he] threat, [Duncan] lives. Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives”, and he decides to “go, and it is done” (Shakespeare Act 2.1 73/75).

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Macbeth 's Bloody Ambition “In the end, cowards are those who follow the dark side.” (Yoda). In William Shakespeare 's play Macbeth the character Macbeth feeds into his own ambition to become King, after he had this encounter with three witches and they told him, his so called destiny. Macbeth is a coward because he didn 't fight his temptation to be King, he fell for the Dark Side because he did great evil to get there. In order to become king he murders some of the closest people to him.

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Macbeth’s mental deterioration is displayed throughout the play at the witches first appearance, the dinner party with Banquo’s ghost, and the moment he orders Macduff’s family to be killed. Since the witches spark Macbeth’s ambition, it causes him to mentally deteriorate faster because ambition is his tragic flaw. When he is told by the witches that he “shalt be king hereafter,” he starts to have thoughts of murdering Duncan and his sons (I.iii.53). Macbeth’s ideas of murder heighten when he hears that Malcolm will be the heir to the throne.

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While most characters in Shakespeare’s Macbeth tend to stay static and have the same values as they did at the beginning of the play, Macbeth deteriorates because of his greedy and selfish nature into an abyss of gluttony. The reason behind this can be attributed to the witches, who predicted for both Macbeth and Banquo’s son to take the throne in Scotland. This put the greedy thought of power into Macbeth’s malignant mind. Macbeth begins the play as a well-off guy who is loyal and well-liked, but as greed and the urge to obtain power get pounded into his head by his wife, he slowly dwindles and he eventually becomes a savage that will do anything to maintain his power.

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Shakespeare presents Macbeth as a powerful person, but to what extent is he truly powerful? The play's writer made him a deeply complicated character showing an internal conflict between power-hungry ambitions and his mental ability to commit the actions to achieve his ambition. In the play of Macbeth, Shakespeare uses his character to portray the universal truth that dark desires to take more power will end up taking the power you already had. At the beginning of the play Macbeth is presented as a mighty warrior who leads his country to a victory over the traitor Macdonwald, at this point of the play he shows his great loyalty and respect to the kingdom he served we can see this in the quote ‘Till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops, And fixed his head upon our battlements’ the quote further presents his status as a great warrior and violent man who is not affected by the brutal killings he is

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This is first apparent when he has Macduff’s entire family murdered. He appears to feel no remorse over slaughtering innocent children in order to weaken Macduff. Later, his loss of empathy is solidified when he shows no sadness over Lady Macbeth’s suicide saying, “She should have died hereafter” (5.5.16). He begins to see life as meaningless, a mere “walking shadow” (5.5.23) that signifies nothing. At this point, Macbeth has succumbed to his crimes and appears to no longer feel emotion or fear, as seen when he states, “I have almost forgot the taste of fears” (5.5.9).

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1385 Words | 6 Pages

Consequently, he simply desires to remain in his position of power for as long as possible. However, because of this immense feeling of guilt, nothing else troubles him. As a result, due to his incessant reminders of guilt, he is unable to recognize the genuine threat of Macduff, facing his downfall as his power dies with him. Although Macbeth develops guilt over the course of the plot, he finds ways to justify his actions, hoping to morally explain the purpose of

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5-7). In this instance, Macbeth shows that he can feel guilt, and he exhibits this by demonstrating that he does not desire to end the life of a man whose family was already victimized at his hands. Guilt is the one thing throughout the entire play that stops Macbeth dead in his tracks and causes him to take a moment to consider his present and future courses of action. Although Macbeth was lead to commit murder by the witches’ manipulative predictions of the future, he is the one who ultimately makes the choices that prove that he is in control of his actions, even when his actions cause him to be filled with

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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

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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.

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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.

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