"Utilitarian Destruction"
Humans are inherently selfish, the moment a human is born they exist solely to meet their own needs. As a human grows they challenge this selfish instinct and, hopefully, begin to value selflessness. But what happens when this selfishness motivates our actions? What happens when those actions turn violent? To what extent is selflessness a justification for violence? These questions help to shape an age old utilitarian argument. This debate can be seen within Shakespear's play Macbeth. Through utilitarian ideas Macbeth distinguishes the line between legitimate and illegitimate use of force and effectively characterizes Macbeth as a monster.
Violence as a concept is highly controversial. Because violence is an ever-present force within the world, society as a whole is incessant upon finding situations in which it may be acceptable. The infatuation with the justification of violence is not a new concept, it spans generations and is constantly evolving. One way that society has approached this idea is the utilitarian rational. This idea was theorized early on by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill (Anderson, 2004). Simply put, the idea of utilitarianism is the idea that the route that does the greatest good for the greatest number of people is the most ethical. This can be exemplified by the situation commonly presented during Marine training, the Trolley Dilemma. The scenario states: A trolley was on a set course to hit and kill 5 people on a track.
It is easy to blame someone for what you do, but it is very hard to accept the consequences that this can unchained. Throughout human history, there has been a believe of a mythical force that some call god, others fate and others universal order. But all of the eras, humans have believed in a superior force; and they think that the reason they exist is to feel secure. Personally, I’m a catholic that believes in god, but I think god gave us humans the most precious gift, Decision. This Decision power making can be a humongous advantage or a problem depending of how you use it. The negative trait of a decision is the consequences you get for it. In Macbeth from Shakespeare, Macbeth is predicted by some witches that he will be king. Macbeth after
“The practice of violence, like all action, changes the world, but the most probable change is to a more violent world” (Arendt pg 80). Violence is contagious, like a disease, which will destroy nations and our morals as human beings. Each individual has his or her own definition of violence and when it is acceptable or ethical to use it. Martin Luther King Jr., Walter Benjamin, and Hannah Arendt are among the many that wrote about the different facets of violence, in what cases it is ethical, the role we as individuals play in this violent society and the political aspects behind our violence.
In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the main character, Macbeth, is a brave and loyal subject to the King of Scotland, but as the play progresses, his character begins to change drastically. Evil and unnatural powers, as well as his own passion to become king, take over his better half and eventually lead to his downfall. The three main factors that intertwine with one another that contribute to Macbeth’s tragic end are the prophecies told by the three witches, Lady Macbeth’s influence, and finally, Macbeth’s excessive passion and ambition which drove his desire to become king to the utmost extreme. The prophecy told by the three witches was what triggers the other factors that contribute to Macbeth s downfall. In the first act, the witches
“...it's true that some of the most terrible things in the works are done by people who think, genuinely think, that they're doing it for the best” (Terry Pratchett). In Shakespeare’s play, The Scottish Play, Macbeth is driven by selfish desires to take his fate into his own hands and go to extremes to obtain the title of King of Scotland. At the start of his pursuit for power his actions are planned and his first murder has real meaning behind it. Next, Macbeth targets the man who will father future kings. Finally, Macbeth becomes so paranoid and overcome with guilt that he has innocent women and children murdered. What starts as selfish ambition can quickly grow into an all consuming force, causing one to abandon one's honor, lose friends
Sacrificing one’s well being for personal gain is a mutual theme found in Macbeth and Into the Wild. In Macbeth, Macbeth has made his
Mahatma Gandhi believed that all the world’s problems can be solved without violence. But, is that the case in our world or in the world created by Shakespeare in the play Macbeth? Shakespeare’s Macbeth exhibits both honourable and dishonourable violence. Macbeth is told that he will become King and does whatever it takes to gain and keep the throne until his eventual downfall. There are numerous occurrences of violence throughout the play; there are circumstances where violence can be distinguished to be honourable and there are also circumstances where violence can be distinguished to be dishonourable. To distinguish violence as honourable or dishonourable, one would have to examine the cause and outcome.
In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, the main character, Macbeth, is a brave and loyal subject to the King of Scotland, but as the play progresses, his character begins to change drastically. Evil and unnatural powers, as well as his own passion to become king, take over his better half and eventually lead to his downfall. The three main factors that intertwine with one another that contribute to Macbeth's tragic end are the prophecies told by the three witches, Lady Macbeth's influence, and finally, Macbeth's excessive passion and ambition which drove his desire to become king to the utmost extreme. The prophecy told by the three witches was what triggers the other factors that contribute to Macbeth s downfall. In the first act, the witches
In the beginning of the play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth is merely a nobleman and a Scottish general in King Duncan's army. Macbeth later becomes the deserving Thane of Glamis and Cawdor and the undeserving King of Scotland (Dominic 255). In the beginning Macbeth is a man with good intentions and a good heart; sometimes he just has a hard time following his good instincts and heart. Macbeth's ambition and the persuasion of his wife lead him to commit several horrible deeds. Macbeth is brave, good-hearted, disobeying, easily persuaded, overly-ambitious, and literal-minded and unimaginative (Scott 281).
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
We see in the play Macbeth that when the motivation to succeed in life becomes overpowering, other people may easily influence one and elements and one may decide on wrongful actions to achieve a goal. Some of the influences on Macbeth include the witches and the apparitions, Lady Macbeth, and lastly Macbeth's own insecurities and misguided attempts to control his future.
William Shakespeare's tragic play Macbeth presents the fizzled drive of an ambitious husband and wife. This essay is the story of their destructive ambition.
In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth was a well-respected man of noble birth, but his fortune was reversed after he turned to darkness. He plummeted endlessly into a chasm of evil until his corrupt life was ended on the edge of Macduff's blade. Whose actions opened up the path of darkness to Macbeth? Whose actions led to Macbeth's demise? The answer is threefold. The weird sisters set Macbeth's fate into motion. Lady Macbeth goaded her husband towards the acts of evil that doomed him. Macbeth himself made the choices that cemented his dreadful end. The weird sisters, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth himself all served to bring about Macbeth's downfall.
From the start of the play it seems already as if Macbeth is under the
Many of people have heard the tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare. The story revolves on a sequence of misfortunate events that take place when Macbeth makes immoral decisions to be king. In the play, Shakespeare shows how power can cause corruption in a human’s brain. Macbeth himself was not a very confident person, though he had a kind soul to begin with, he was easily influenced and gullible. Through the prophecies of the evil beings, an insignificant seed was planted in Macbeth. That spark of wealth and fortune caused the tyrant within him to awake. Which eventually lead to his fatal death. His ambition lead him to murder, go insane and become very superstitious.
In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth, a once honored and valiant Thane, abandons all virtue after three meddling witches prophesize his ascent to the Scottish throne. Consumed by his ambition and encouraged by his malevolent wife, Macbeth sets forth on a downward spiral of murderous treason and tyranny that subsequently leads to his own demise. This Shakespearean tragedy explores betrayal, manipulation and the blood lust that adjoins a relentless climb for power. Hovering behind the narrative are various supernatural forces and visions that seem to be present during each terrible act. Subsequently, a question prevails whether Macbeth’s downfall is result of his own flaw or if these forces possess a vice-like hold over