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Wealth In Macbeth

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The rise to power and wealth in Elizabethan society has the power to corrupt even the most pure hearted. William Shakespeare portrays his thoughts on this social mechanism through his plays. The power hungry Lady Macbeth shows the lengths someone will go to achieve power, while Bassanio shows the hold that greed has among those who seek wealth. In addition to showing the corruption that the rise of wealth and power has, Shakespeare shows what happens to Hamlet when he questions these social norms. William Shakespeare’s views on the ascension of wealth and power in Elizabethan society can be seen throughout his works with the corruption of pure characters, what happens when someone questions the social mechanism of the rise to power, and lengths …show more content…

In the beginning, it is made clear that lady Macbeth is a devoted wife who lives to please her husband. Once the opportunity presents itself for Macbeth to rise to power, she becomes power hungry. Her craving for power drives her to corrupt Macbeth, a loyal general to the king, and further her quest for ascension. By showing audiences that a loyal servant to his king can kill him in order to rise to power, Shakespeare points out his views of the lengths people would go to climb the ladder of power. Shakespeare is mocking the way a ruler is chosen in Elizabethan society. Showing the corruption of such a noble fighter points out how broken the method of ascension truly is while also proving the influence of this social mechanism is what causes the rash behavior and corruption of such a pure character. At the time, it was acceptable to kill for your right to the throne. Shakespeare challenges what was considered a social norm of the time in order to show the grasp it holds on those who crave power and are willing to kill for it. Shakespeare accurately conveys his opinions on how broken this social mechanism is throughout Macbeth with the corruption of such a pure character who goes on to kill several people just to acquire and maintain power. The countless deaths are not only a plot device, but Shakespeare conveying his thoughts on the ascension …show more content…

While Hamlet is next in line to the throne after his father’s death, he seems to have no interest in taking the throne when his uncle claims it. Hamlet knows his uncle is to blame for his father’s death, but for a majority of the play he is unable to avenge his father. An Elizabethan audience would view this as cowardly, but it shows that Shakespeare questions if it is morally right to kill even if it is a social norm. Throughout Hamlet Shakespeare uses Hamlet’s desire to take the throne, or lack of, to convey his views of the rise to power. Shakespeare questions not only what drives people to kill for power, but why ,one they have that power, do they have the right to rule? By questioning these social norms it allows for Shakespeare to mock the rise to power in Elizabethan society. By making Hamlet not want to kill to ascend to the throne, Shakespeare creates something outside of what is expected. It is this what portrays Shakespeare’s idea that the system of ascension to power is broken in Elizabethan

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