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Does Shakespeare Present Regarding The Pursuit Of A Passion?

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What Idea(s) Does Shakespeare Present Regarding the Pursuit of a Passion?
Immoral Pursuit
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18 states. This is precisely what happens to Macbeth when he pursues his selfish desire for power and advancement, which resulted him in destroying everything in his path. Throughout the play Macbeth, Shakespeare utilizes Macbeth to portray the idea that pursuing a passion in itself isn’t negative, but that ambition must be accompanied by a sense of humanity and virtue to prevent becoming corrupt. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Pursuing passions without wisdom and a moral compass will lead a person to their ruin, …show more content…

Rather than stopping at the thoughts of impulsion and staying attuned to his moral beliefs, Macbeth, after persuasion from his wife, follows through with the plan to murder Duncan. Lady Macbeth knows her husband, and knows that he had the desire to pursue what he wanted, yet he didn’t have a heart cruel enough to do so. “That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false… And that which rather thou dost fear to do,” Act 1 Scene 5. She repeatedly calls him out, and she causes him to grow weak in his morals, demasculinizing him in order to manipulate him. Macbeth gives in; however, once he is done, Macbeth feels overwhelmed with guilt. He can’t bear to think of what he’s done. “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand?” Macbeth thought he could never wash off what he had done, and that he didn’t deserve to live. He obsessed over what he’d done, convinced he would never sleep again. This began his overwhelming sense of paranoia and guilt, which he expresses in the quote “Whence is that knocking?-- How is't with me, when every noise appals me? What hands are here? Ha! they pluck out mine eyes!” from Act 2. Lady Macbeth encourages him to get stop feeling guilty and insists “These deeds must not be thought/ After these ways ; so, it will make us mad”. (II ii pg 45-46)” Macbeth’s feelings of …show more content…

Macbeth was altogether stable in his morality as the play commenced; he led himself with a stable sense of humanity and a stable psyche. As he was wavered by the witches and his wife, his desire for power and advancement was uncovered. During this section of the play we witness Macbeth’s mental decline as his morality slips away. Macbeth’s lack of virtue and endless thirst for power ultimately lead him to psychosis, and his out of touch nature gave him feelings of invincibility which lead him to his death. Shakespeare makes the statement that, to prevent downfalling from our own desires we must cling onto our ambition with a sense of humanity and

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