Desire For Power In Macbeth

Human nature, the dictation of an individual’s actions, is controlled by two majors force of loyalty and ambition. The play Macbeth, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, revolves around the story of Macbeth and his rise from the thane of Cawdor to the King of Scotland through multiple bloody murders. His malevolent acts lead him to be hated by many, prompting a revolt that ends his reign. Initially, Macbeth was shown to be loyal follower, never thinking to do anything that would contrast his allegiance to the king. Upon hearing a prophecy of his future to become king, a spark of ambition ignited within Macbeth that drove him to commit foul acts in order to gain kingship. Macbeth’s loyal characteristics and ambitions could not coexist, and as one fought for control against the other, Macbeth delved further into darkness culminating in his fall and death. Throughout the play of Macbeth, Shakespeare depicts that it is human nature to struggle with the balance of one’s own obligations as well as the desires and ambitions that drives them; he presents this struggle as impossible to overcome, with it eventually leading one’s self to the brink of insanity.

It is obvious that Macbeth has ambition, as most people who are in power do. In fact, ambition is often a necessary quality of people in such high standing as Macbeth is. However, Macbeth’s ambition does not just drive him to do great things. It in fact controls him

Macbeth's destiny and his lust for power, confirmed by the Three Witches and Lady Macbeth, leads to destruction. Every act that Macbeth commits effects the kingdom as a whole. Macbeth's indecisiveness and his understanding of success cause this destruction. This lust for power leads Macbeth, as it would all men, to an evil that exist in everyone. It is his destiny to fail.

In this world, one of the strongest human drives seems to be the desire for power. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Thane Macbeth seeks to gain power over Scotland. Through Macbeth’s search for power, he must choose between what is morally right or his inner motives. Macbeth gains power over others through the murders of King Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff’s entire family along with his servants. After each murder, Macbeth becomes more confident in his search to gain power.

Seeking power is exhilarating but it can be someone’s undoing. The hunt for power can oftentimes lead to different external and internal consequences, which can also depend on the person or environment. Shakespeare’s Macbeth focuses on a character who eventually becomes obsessed with the pursuit of power, and trying to control the power that he already has. His power affects him and everyone around him. This act of trying to collect as much power as possible will ruin him, ultimately being his downfall. The real life example of Vladimir Putin showcases that he and people around him have also suffered the the consequences evident in Macbeth. Many times, the pursuit of power will lead to psychological impacts such as feeling fear and guilt which can show on the outside as delusion and insanity.

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a tragedy in which the main characters are obsessed by the desire for power. Macbeth’s aspiration for power blinds him to the ethical implications of his dreadful acts. The more that Shakespeare’s Macbeth represses his murderous feelings, the more he is haunted by them. By analyzing his hallucinations it is possible to trace his deteriorating mental state and the trajectory of his ultimate fall. Throughout the play Macbeth is never satisfied with himself. He feels the need to keep committing crime in order to keep what he wants most: his kingship. The harder Macbeth tries to change his fate the more he tends to run into his fate. His ambition and struggle for power was Macbeth’s tragic flaw in the play.

No sane person goes on a killing spree, and it is greed for power that drives Macbeth to the murders of many. In the story, Macbeth begins as the Thane of Glamis. He is already a large contributor in battle and this leads him to success early on in the plot. However, he doesn’t realize that he wants more power until he is told prophecies by three witches, and his wife- Lady Macbeth manipulates him. In the prophecies, he is told that he will become Thane of Cawdor, and then King. Macbeth is named Thane of Cawdor by King Duncan after the battle in the beginning of the story, so part of the prophecy comes true right away. It is not until Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth about the prophecies through a letter, that Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to kill King Duncan to obtain the throne. King Duncan is Macbeth’s first murder to begin his reign for power. He is now throned King, but his greed for power doesn’t stop there. Macbeth kills anyone who he feels threatens his title as King. He has loyal companion Banquo killed because he feels Banquo might know that he killed King Duncan-if Banquo told others, this would lead to the de-throning of Macbeth as king- taking away his power. Insanity in Macbeth truly shines through when he kills Banquo, because of their close relationship. Banquo was nothing but loyal to Macbeth throughout the story. As the plot thickens, the witches continue to tell prophecies to Macbeth. One of them being that he should fear Macduff. Macbeth then kills Macduff’s family as he fears Macduff will somehow dethrone him. As people who were once loyal to Macbeth betray him, Macbeth continues to strive for power as king, until he is defeated by Macduff. Ultimately, Macbeth begins the story as a noble, respected Thane, but his ambition and greed for power as King/staying King leads him to insanity full of murder and deception, until his death.

Macbeth informs his wife Lady Macbeth of the previous events through a letter. She is ecstatic when realising one of the predictions from the witches has already come true. She sets her mind on obtaining the throne for her husband by any means necessary. Lady Macbeth also has a strong desire for power but can only gain this through her husband. She becomes the driving force behind the wicked deed of murdering the King. She summons upon evil spirits to make sure nothing will stand in the way of her plan:

In Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, destruction is wrought when ambition goes rampant by moral constraints. “Macbeth” amplifies the fight amidst good vs evil, analyzing the psychological effects of King Duncan's murder. This tragedy concerned the plunge of a great man (King) from his position of nobility to humility on behalf of his ambitious pride. This pride causes the downfall of Macbeth that triggers a series of deaths down the line. Ambition is the driving force of the play.

As we finished reading and analyzing the story of Macbeth, we have found out his ambition which is the pursuit of power. Macbeth's ambition led him to his own downfall and have done things that is out of his characteristics. Macbeth's ambition represents a universal human pursuit of power because they will do anything to an extent to obtain power, they can be encouraged by someone to take action to get what they desire, and it can lead them to their own "downfall".

Throughout Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, it demonstrated that when power is influenced by personal ambition, it leads to downfall and characters start to realize power signifies nothing. Almost every character introduced into this play has used their ambition to try to gain power or has used their power to get where they are right now. Macbeth’s actions were guided by what the witches predicted for him, and when that word went around, Lady Macbeth was controlled by the thought of power too. The thoughts of power created conflicts throughout the book, starting with the murder of King Duncan, all the way to the murder of Macbeth. When actions are used to steal power, it leads to a destructive future.

A continuous desire for power is a common idea in literature, but the immoral ways of obtaining that power can destroy the goodness in people. For instance, in the tragedy Macbeth, William Shakespeare introduces Macbeth, and how his desire for power corrupted him. Initially Macbeth was a loyal warrior who lived and served for his king,; however, after being named Thane of Cawdor, he wanted more power. As a result, Macbeth kills his king and begins his descent into madness on his quest for power. Thus, to show how Shakespeare illuminates the consequences obtained by the immoral actions taken to get power.

Power is something one can find in all aspects of life. Whether in a relationship between two people or over an entire country, many people hold power in their lives. What is done with that power is up to the person who holds it and can be a strong reflection of their character. Too many people in positions of power become so wrapped up in wanting total control, that they lose sight of what is right and wrong. In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, power is demonstrated many ways through many different characters. Power and ambition greatly affects the choices people make everyday.

The desire for power is a natural trait; however, how one goes about obtaining that power determines whether or not one will be led to their own demise or succeed in obtaining that power. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the eponymous character is led to his downfall by his desire for power. Macbeth kills his king to satisfy his selfish desire for power. After Macbeth becomes king, he is fearful of the idea that he will be dethroned and does whatever it takes to maintain power. Shakespeare contrasts the extreme avariciousness of the eponymous character with the humility and loyalty of his rivals in order to reinforce that these are positive characteristics needed to obtain power.

No wildfire burns without ignition, and no misdeed comes about with the perpetrator alone at fault. There are always others who had an impactful effect. This is demonstrated in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, where an extensive cast of characters are developed through their roles in the titular character’s road to condemnation. Macbeth’s quest for power came to fruition through the temptation and support of other characters, demonstrating that without others, he would not have met his downfall.