The Corrupting Force Of Power In Macbeth

Personal power has the capability to be essential to greatness, and is also able to destroy a person nature. In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, ambition takes a toll on destruction of power that goes unchecked. It is mostly displayed in the one of the main characters, Macbeth. Macbeth is a prime example throughout this play of the horrible effects that ambition can have on someone who lacks a strong character. However, some people feel that Macbeth is an evil person, but he is badly qualified for the consequences of time mentally. Throughout this play ambition is displayed as a dangerous quality and triggers a series of deaths.

On the morning of my sixteenth birthday I woke up so excited for the new freedom and power I was yet to experience. I planned on getting my license today and I had been waiting for so long to start driving.Over the years the question of ultimate power being corrupting has been contemplated. The answer is yes ultimate power is corrupting. It has been shown throughout history since time can tell many leaders and big figures become corrupt when given the opportunity of having a lot of power. The play “Macbeth” by Shakespeare accurately represents what happens when one is given power. Another example is Adolf Hitler and what he did when given ultimate power over Germany.

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.

In the play The Tragedy of Macbeth by Shakespeare the corruption of power and unchecked ambition causes many characters to get themselves into trouble. Macbeth runs into the witches on his way home from war. The witches give both Macbeth and Banquo's prophecies about what their future will look like. This motivates Macbeth through power and greed which causes him to do things he would not normally do. Avarice also influences Macbeth and other characters to become corrupt throughout the play. The power Macbeth gains throughout the play changes his motives, and his ambition increases causing him to do irrational things.

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.

In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, power is something that everyone craves, but, for Macbeth, power makes him woeful. Macbeth shows how terrible he is when more opportunities of power are introduced to him. Several bad reflections are, Macbeth kills his king Duncan to become the king of Scotland, appointing people to kill his best friend Banquo and his son Fleance to shatter their prophecy and executing Macduff’s family because Macduff fled to England to liberate Scotland from Macbeth.

As defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary, power is the “possession of control, authority, or influence over others”. Power is frankly quite powerful when held in the hands of one person. It can cause a divide amongst families, countries, or even society for that matter. What really lies behind the true meaning of power is how it affects people, either negatively or positively. This ultimately causes people to feel differently depending on what is put into place by the one who holds the authority. Power can always be corrupt in many types of ways, but it can be more harmful to some than others and therefore does not affect everyone equally.

Power is the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events. When people have too much power it can lead to corruption. Macbeth’s power as king led to the corruption of Scotland and his downfall. He was given to much power which he acquired himself by killing Duncan because he believed he would be a better ruler. No one stopped him because they didn’t know the horrible deeds he done for sure and were scared to speak out in the fear of their lives. Too much power went to Macbeth’s head that he was paranoid that someone was out to take his crown away. He had many executed and left Scotland in a fearful state that was much different than when Duncan ruled. Macbeth did not see anything wrong because the only thing that mattered was him being and staying king. Macbeth’s political power as king made him jealous and led to the corruption of himself and Scotland that often ended in murders, therefore, emphasizing that too much power is a destructive,

Power corrupts the weak minded into doing deeds that are immoral. This is a run on theme in Shakespeare's “The Tragedy of Macbeth”, where both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth take the opportunity to seize the throne of King Duncan by murdering him in his sleep. As a result, while Macbeth was able to take the throne, the power he gained corrupted both him and Lady Macbeth, leading to their ultimate demise.

A History of Corrupted Power Looking down the long chain of history in the past, it shows the many situations and events that show an example of power or fame corrupting someone. From Ivan the Terrible to more recent examples such as Ryan Lochte, power can cause people to want to do awful or wrongful acts that they believe could increase their power or gain more attention. The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a strong example of how power can corrupt people. The tragic play portrays how power corrupts a person through death, guilt, and devastating self-losses. Corruption of power has been and will always be a known conflict or issue in the world today.

Unchecked power and dogged ambition can have dangerous consequences, as shown in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Macbeth’s two main characters best communicate the play’s central theme of self-destruction as a result of overwhelming desire. Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth desire political power, but have different methods of going about it. As the play progresses, both characters allow their desire for power to override morality and honor, and end up destroying their own lives, along with the lives of their countrymen.

In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, one of the major themes is that power leads to bad decisions and ultimately corruption.. The hero starts of as a brave and trustworthy man then he slowly morphs into a dark and twisted tyrant. During the course of the book the characters take risks and continually take actions that they would normally not do, especially if the chance of power was not in the picture. Darkness follows follows macbeth while his power gets greater and it makes him create worse situation. Every action taken to get power only leads to bad consequences.

Through out the Act 3 in the play Macbeth Shakespeare’s characterization of Macbeth compared his the inner thought to his action, further explained the theme of corruption of power. After Macbeth invites Banquo to the banquet, he showed his deepest fear “in his royalty of nature reigns” (III. i. 54). He recalled the prophecies, “upon my head they placed a fruitless crown and put a barren scepter in my grip” (III. i. 66-67) and simply decides “rather than so, come fate into the list”(III. i. 76). Macbeth’s soliloquy reflects his fear to his royal friend Banquo and how he wants to murder him in order to change the prophecy.

The opportunities that come with power often lead to corruption. Lord Acton once said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely”. As one’s power increases, their sense of morality lessens. This is due to the dominance one is given when they are in a position of authority, making them greedy and more likely to become fraudulent. People get addicted to power and crave what comes with it. Many will go to great lengths to keep their power. For example, in Shakespeare’s play, “Macbeth”, the main character, Macbeth, ends up killing those around him and even dies in hopes to keep his power alive. Humans want to have more and more power. Those with complete authority are more likely to abuse their power and become corrupt.

In the text Macbeth by William Shakespeare the main character Macbeth gets corrupted by the avarice for power. When Macbeth realises that king Duncan is an obstacle, preventing him from being the king, he decides to obtain his power dishonestly. “Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires”, Macbeth plots to murder the king to acquire power. After feeling the tingle of power, he becomes determined to keep it and acts brutally. He does not hesitate to murder his best friend to secure his and his future generations position as the king. “Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown and a barren scepter in my grip, Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand, No son of mine succeeding. If’t be so, For Banquo’s issue have