Ultimate Power Is Corrupted In Macbeth By William Shakespeare

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.

     Personal power has the ability to be essential to greatness, and at the same time is able to destroy a person’s nature. In the drama Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character, Macbeth, becomes corrupt through power that he gains. The play shows that even someone who starts out like Macbeth and does not crave power, will do terrible things to gain authority and power.

I must fall down or else o'erleap/ for in my way it lies" (1. 4.

It is in human nature that the more power one desires the more corrupt actions one must do to attain it. In Shakespeare’s tragedy of Macbeth, a Scottish noble's craving for power leads him to do terrible deeds that leads to his demise. Shakespeare shows that power corrupts by using Macbeth who corrupts under the thought of have power over others. Macbeth becomes corrupt under the thought of becoming king and gaining almost complete control over the people that he rules. Macbeth wants the power badly enough to do horrible deeds such as commit regicide. Lady Macbeth becomes very ambitious and allows herself to become seduced to the

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.

Personal power has the ability to be essential to greatness, and at the same time is able to destroy a person’s nature. William Shakespeare’s destructive play, Folger Shakespeare Library “Macbeth”, reveals the corrupting force of power through its complex characters and interactions. The play shows that even someone who starts out like Macbeth and does not crave power, will do terrible things to gain authority and power.

“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.

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

The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare shows the change in people when power gets in the way. While he was gaining fame and power Macbeth, also was losing his happiness and satisfaction. According to Macbeth “To be thus is nothing/But to be safety thus”. This shows that he thinks that to be the king is nothing if he is not safe and happy; but the more he is receiving the less he feels. This leads him to commit more immoral acts which obscure the clarity of his thought and does not make him realize the real destruction he is going to cause himself. His feelings get in the way of how he perceives the world around him which is changing rapidly. The power that Macbeth achieves through negative means prevents him from thinking clearly, and

“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” (John Dalberg-Acton) Power always leads to corruption, especially in the story of Macbeth. The main character, Macbeth, becomes more and more corrupt as the story continues. He gets his first taste of power when he becomes The Thane of Cawdor, he then begins murdering to become king, and finally begins murdering people so he can keep his power.

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.

Macbeth, by Shakespeare is a play about a husband and wife who conspire and subsequently take over as King and Queen of Scotland. The word “more” was used extensively throughout the novel, and a pattern quickly developed, where it was used consistently in regard to need for power and regret after hasty actions. This sequence began immediately after Macbeth heard the witches’ prophecy about him becoming King. He realized what he could be with that power, and decided to achieve that by any means possible, even murdering his trusting boss, King Duncan, and friend, Banquo. Consequently, after the prophecy had been achieved, Macbeth had risen to power, and destroyed Banquo, he needed to know what else he could do and become by returning to the witches.

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.

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 the story Macbeth by William Shakespeare, power is a major theme. No one is truly born corrupt; power emphasizes certain human morals. Some could be good such as doing what is best for someone’s interest, or caring for someone; others could be horrendous such as selfishness, or performing unethical actions such as cheating to get to a certain position in life. In MacBeth however, three distinct characters stand out the most: MacBeth, Lady MacBeth and MacDuff.