Macbeth's Abuse Of Power

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.

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth was and remains a literary masterpiece that tells the story of corrupted power, the fall of a kingdom, and the destruction of countless innocent lives. This theme is not specific to Shakespeare’s play, however; it is perhaps one of the most common seen throughout the course of literary and real-life history. Two of the best examples of abused power are seen through Adolf Hitler and Macbeth - their rise to power, complete control of a country, and destructive rule mirror each other nearly exactly, and ruined the lives of countless families. Although one is fiction and the other real, both men left a horrendous legacy that will never be forgotten.

Does obtaining or coming into power automatically corrupt the person who has the power? There are many people who think that power will eventually and always corrupt a person, and there are also others who believe power doesn't corrupt someone at all and it's just who they really were all along, however, I personally think that power does corrupt people some of the time, and actually has many different factors attributing to whether or not the person becomes corrupted. I think that the argument that power can never corrupt is completely invalid because if that were true, then terms like 'mad with power' or 'power-trip' would not exist, so these terms existing and being used proves that power can make a person become corrupt at least some of the time.

Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, is a tragic tale about a Scottish general corrupted by power and greed. Throughout the play, the audience traces the disintegration of Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth has a profound influence on the play, as it is her highly ambitious and controlling nature that influences Macbeth to make the decisions that lead to his downfall. Lady Macbeth also says various of lines, that depending on the way the reader interprets them, can help the reader better understand the complexity of Shakespeare’s characters. A particular scene in act III serves as evidence to the beginning of the decline of power for Macbeth and his wife. The lines in this scene may subtly foreshadow either the dissertation of Macbeth’s allies, or the beginnings of Lady Macbeth loosing her mind.

Power gives people the ability to control and influence. It is held and used in many ways, significant and insignificant, for justice, mercy or desire. Because of its ability to give people what they want, power tempts people into doing the unthinkable in order to acquire it. Power itself is uncorrupted, only tainted and weaponised by those who hold it. In Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ and Suzanne Collins’ ‘Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part Two, manipulation and suggestion are shown to corrupt power and contribute to its use in the name of evil. Through a comparison of literary devices in ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Mockingjay Part Two’, humanity’s corruption of power will be explored and unveiled

Because of the corrupting influence of power, Macbeth does anything to accomplish what he believes means to be a man by killing King Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff’s family.

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely" is the best-known quotation of the 19th century by the British politician Lord Acton. The Power that is exerted by an individual who has risen to a post of authority is one the most important themes of Shakespeare's Macbeth. This theme also plays a significant role in the very popular tv show “House of Cards.”. Frank Underwood and Macbeth display similar characteristics that demonstrate their corruption in their pursuit of power. Power can be good and bad depending on whose hands it falls into.

Despite his fearless character in battle, Macbeth is concerned by the prophecies of the Witches, and his thoughts remain confused, both before, during, and after his murder of King Duncan. When Duncan announces that he intends the kingdom to pass to his son Malcolm, Macbeth appears frustrated. When he is about to commit the murder, he undergoes terrible pangs of conscience. Macbeth is at his most human and considerate when his masculinity is ridiculed and degraded by his wife. However, Macbeth has resolved himself into a far more stereotypical villain and asserts his manliness over that of his wife. His ambition now begins to spur him toward further horrible deeds, and he starts to disregard and even to challenge fate. Nevertheless, the newfound resolve causes Macbeth to move onward.

In death,some find grief, but others find power. With acclaimed power, those who wield it, will surely be corrupted. In Macbeth, Shakespeare makes it apparent power corrupts everyone. Power is the very focal point in Macbeth, and it all started with the tale of the three witches.

Power is nothing to be handled lightly. As the lessons of history have shown, power can be implemented for the benefit of the subjects or for the personal furthering of the ruler. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, the main character is used as the antithesis of an exemplar for those in power over others. The perils of power are demonstrated by the actions of Macbeth through his rise to kingship, his time of ruling, and his fall.

Tragedy of Macbeth, a play written by William Shakespeare, power plays a role that causes a person to have evil intentions and starts to destroy them. Shakespeare reveals this through Macbeth many times throughout the play. Firstly, the witches tell Macbeth that he will be king. They don’t mention anything about murder or when he will be king, but just that he will be king in the future. Macbeth starts to have ideas of killing King Duncan because he wants to seize power and become king.

With significant events, a person's ideas and wishes in their lives become altered due to new evidence leading towards a different destiny. In the play “Macbeth,” Shakespeare steadily and effectively expands the perceptions on the theme of power corrupting one's ability to control their destiny. The central theme of Macbeth not being able to control his actions because his darkest ambitions are played with by the witches, thus causing Macbeth to become compelled by ambition and pursued the throne of Scotland creating drastic effects on his ability to determine for himself what he will become. Macbeth's ambition is guided by the significant event of meeting the three witches, who symbolize the themes of appearance and reality. Macbeth also experienced difficulties with the prophecies because they are based on greed, power and resentment of others in power. Guilt drove Macbeth mad and eventually led to his demise because his ability to determine his destiny was unstable. Due to the events taking such an effect

Complicated consequences result from the abuse of power that is central in William Shakespeare’s play ’Macbeth’ following immoral manipulation. Macbeth was written in 1606 during the reign of King James I and was used as a warning to potential threats of the King. It is a form of praise and admiration towards the King by Shakespeare as those who immorally seize power will ultimately possess a destroyed fate. Through analysing the text, we can see that abuse of power through supernatural manipulation on human nature is evident therefore guilt and delusions are consequences of that power abuse.

The desire to rule can rule over people. In The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare the desire for political power alters the character of Macbeth. After battle, Macbeth shows his loyalty to King Duncan by saying, “...our duties/ Are to your throne and state children and servants,” (1.4.24-25). Macbeth’s personality leads him to be respectful and faithful to the throne. Macbeth’s loyal personality shifts as he gains a desire for political power. Macbeth’s change in personality starts with his murder of Macbeth, but we see that his original personality still causes him to have guilt. His subconscious punishes him when Macbeth hears whispers that “Glamis has murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor/ Shall sleep no more.” (2.2.40-41). Macbeth’s

Macbeth remains relevant because ambition and hunger for power leads to violence even today. Most wars or conflicts are caused when one group sees another in between the first group and power or gain. Macbeth, once he learns that the witches’ prophecies have some credibility, almost immediately says “If good, why do I yield to that suggestion [of killing Duncan] whose horrid image doth unfix my hair” (1.3.147-148). Macbeth realizes that there is a good chance that he must kill Duncan to gain control of the crown. He goes from a loyal general to an assassin almost immediately. Once Macbeth realizes he has an opportunity for the crown, he is consumed by the chance at power. Initially, Macbeth realizes that if the prophecy is true, he could just wait and eventually become king saying “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown