Power In Macbeth

  "I'll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked."  (Act 5, Scene 3).  Phrases as forceful as Macbeth's quote are not common day language, in fact, it is used except in times of intense emotion.  Although the diction of Macbeth's words are from the Elizabethan Age, it's message rings true and clear.  Macbeth clearly will oppose anything standing in the way of his passion.  Critics often debate over the what tragic flaw of Macbeth lead to his downfall.  Was it ambition or Lady Macbeth's influence?  Hardly so.  It was an obsession of power that Macbeth desired so much that led to his compulsive fixation and preoccupation of obtaining his desire by any and all means necessary.  Thus, he inevitably

One of the many timeless plays by William Shakespeare is Macbeth, a tragedy written in 1606, shortly after the attempted treasonous assassination of James 1, the current King of England at the time. James 1 was disliked due to his strive to unite England, and the place in which Shakespeare’s work took place, Scotland. Enkindled by these recent events, Macbeth, the protagonist, experiences power struggles in his relationships with other characters, which prove to be crucial to the outcome of the play. It is his relationships with Banquo, a fellow soldier; the Apparitions produced by the Witches, and Macduff, the Thane of Fife, that most significantly portray his internal strife.

“Nearly all men can stand the power of adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power” (Abraham Lincoln). Someone can come off as a good person until they are given power. When someone has power, they may abuse it or treat others unfairly. Giving someone power and seeing how they act can show their true character. Macbeth is the most responsible for the events that occur in the play because he misconstrued the witches prophecies and was overcome by greed.

Just as the character spectrum flows from hero to villain, Macbeth also gradually makes his way down the line. In the very beginning of the play (before making his appearance), Macbeth’s fellow Scots and lords praise him for his loyalty and noble deeds. Here, it is made clear that the public initially views him as a heroic figure who is loyal to Scotland; “for brave Macbeth, (well he deserves that name)”(9) Admittedly, Macbeth does unseam a man “from the nave to th’ chops”(9), however this is considered an act of valor in the service of his country and his king. However, Macbeth’s loyalties soon become questionable, as he plots to and then commits the murder of his honored king, Duncan. At this point, the audience

Power has the ability to manipulate and control whatever one desires; to do what one pleases to do without answering to authority. The power that corrupts the characters plays an extensive role throughout Shakespeare 's play. In Williams Shakespeare 's tragedy of Macbeth, a scottish noble craving for power leads to him to commit terrible actions that creates conflict between him and society. Shakespeare demonstrates Macbeth abuses power by using it negatively against other people. Lady Macbeth has a strong desire for her husband being in power which allows herself to make unsubstantial decisions. Lady Macbeth then uses manipulation against Macbeth in order to get Macbeth to be king. Macbeth also doesn 't realize how dangerous power is and how evil it can be, Macbeth takes power for granted and decides to kill anyone who gets in the way. He relies acting on impulse until he 's blinded by evil, he can’t think for himself. When people allow the dominance of desiring a power to control their actions, there will be consequences.

Initially, Macbeth’s ambition for power is subdued by his longing to hold onto his honor and dignity. Unfortunately, Macbeth lets go of his integrity and kills the unguarded Duncan and so in an attempt to keep the guilt of his deeds to himself, distances himself from not only his wife but also has one of his closest friends murdered. Finally, Macbeth’s thirst for power and greatness emptied him of everything he had; dignity, respect, and honor. Ultimately, motivation that is founded on selfish reasons leads one down a path that strippes one of everthing they have and so takes away any meaning to

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, manipulation is an effective device used throughout the play to achieve control and influence behaviour. In the play, Macbeth falls victim to this and becomes controlled like a puppet by his wife, Lady Macbeth, and the three witches. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth was a loyal and well-respected general, but, later, becomes a treacherous murderer, fulfilling his desires to become king. The puppeteers were pivotal in Macbeth’s eventual downfall in the tragedy and pulled the strings that led Macbeth to his self-destruction. However, Macbeth in himself was a mentally weak character, adding to the ease of manipulation. These factors proved fatal for Macbeth as his death unfolded at the end of the play and his reign diminished. Shakespeare takes on the underestimated power of control that manipulation plays on characters throughout the dramatic performance.

In the play Macbeth by Shakespeare I found at the beginning the character Macbeth was a portrayed as a noble, honest and brave man. As said by the captain in the second scene, ‘For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that title’ (I.2.16). This gives the audience an indication that Macbeth was highly respected by the king’s men and the king himself. His desire for power grew throughout the play from when he had his first encounter with the witches.

Throughout reading the play, Macbeth changes a lot from being a man of loyalty and honesty, to a man of whom is power hungry and greedy. This shows how the more power you receive the more power you want; which in many cases, such as this one leads to destruction. Many of the choices that Macbeth made were influenced by the power that he had, and this power began to take over him. This then lead to greed and destruction of not only others, but himself as well.

Shakespeare is one of the most influential and famous playwrights of modern times. A major reason his work is loved by so many is because of his insightfulness into the human mind, and one of Shakespeare’s greatest works demonstrating this is Macbeth. This famous play is about nobleman and military man Macbeth and how his tragic choices lead to his inevitable demise. The first and most trying choice that Macbeth has to make is whether or not to kill Duncan, the king of Scotland. Macbeth has to make this decision while being pulled in different directions by two conflicting forces. The force pulling him away from murder is his loyalty and humanity towards Duncan. The other force pulling him towards murder is his loyalty towards Lady Macbeth

In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the main character’s goal is to become the king. Macbeth seeks to gain as much power as he possibly can and this ultimately leads to his demise. He hears the prophecy of the witches and becomes so obsessed with fulfilling the prophecy because it states that he will eventually become king. Having this information, Macbeth goes out of his way to force the prophecy to come true. He becomes so power hungry that he tries to force fate leaving him with an undeniable guilt for his actions, the loss of love from the people who once loved him, and a harsh death in the end.

In The Tragedy of Macbeth, the most prevailing theme is the shift in power in the relationships of the central character. The main character of the play, Macbeth, experiences a shift in control of his relationships as he gains more 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.

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.

After obtaining kingship through the murder of King Duncan; we start to perceive Macbeth’s behaviour to completely change; from a man full of moral awareness, to one whom goes against the morals and reality of life. Macbeth’s behaviour has significantly changed or been altered from the beginning of the play right to the end. Initially, Macbeth attained a well-behaved and loyal demeanour, in which is indicative through the manner in which he honours King Duncan; "The service and the loyalty I owe, In doing it, pays itself." (I.iv)