Examples Of Corruption Of Power In Macbeth

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 “Macbeth” William Shakespeare utilizes the tragic flaw of ambition in Macbeth to illustrate the theme “Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely” for the purpose of “Macbeth”. Macbeth’s first actions of ambition leading to his demise was being influenced by the 3 witches’ prophecies “All hail Macbeth! Hail to the Thane of Cawdor! All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!”

Once king Macbeth became power hungry and nearly evil. It was within his power to kill, and he took it without remorse. Similarly, the guards were given the power to boss around the prisoners. Said guards nearly immediately gave up their old personalities for the sake of power, simply to show how much power they had over them.

“Those who have true power share it, while those who hunger power abuse it. The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.” MacBeth worked his way into the world of power with his faithful wife Lady MacBeth, by scheming up plans of pure destruction. In result he became a heartless and conniving person who took advantage of everyone for his own personal gain. Not caring who he hurt in the process, his goal was to be on top.

Power can change people in a way that is bewildering. Power can make anyone so eager to control, that he or she will be determined to get it, no matter what obstacle stands in their way. The Shakespearean play, Macbeth is a prime example of how power impacts an individual. Throughout the play, Macbeth faces a constant struggle for power, and his thirst for power leads to many unjust, and corrupt decisions, also if an individual obtains power, over time that power will alter one’s personality negatively.

John Steinbeck once said, “Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts. Perhaps the fear of a loss is power.” This is evident in all corners of the world today, and it certainly has been for many centuries. Even throughout the 16th century, William Shakespeare wrote of this on more than one occasion, such as his through plays of Julius Caesar and Macbeth.

    Throughout the power corrupting play of Macbeth, I feel as if I have learned that it is important to control my own life. Throughout the play, Macbeth is controlled greatly by Lady Macbeth and the three witches. Macbeth's mistakes were all made by his own decisions, but his decisions were brought up by the witches, and pushed through by Lady Macbeth. I believe this story is a great way to show others to stand their ground, and to not let others control them or influence their decisions. I enjoyed the play, but found that the events were very predictable. After the three witches statements, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!”(1.3.49-51) I found that the witches give away that Macbeth was going to be the Thane of Glamis, the Thane of Cawdor, and the king.

Does power corrupt automatically? In Shakespeare's plays power corrupts seemingly easy, specifically in the play Macbeth. A play filled with treason, deceit and murder. A refreshing tale perfect for those enjoy a bit of drama. Macbeth is the main character in this play, stories of him being heroic and brave soon reached the ears of the king who named him thane of Crawford.

Macbeth reveals what people will go through to get what they want even if it means becoming corrupt and cruel. Macbeth written by William Shakespeare in 1606 is a play about a man named Macbeth and his wife wanting to become king and queen of Scotland. They will do whatever it takes to get what they want even if that means murder. This is one Shakespeare’s many tragic plays. Through the murder of Macduff's kids, Shakespeare explores the immorality that power gives.

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.

Does power corrupt automatically? Are all those in power corrupt? These are questions I will talk about and how these questions relate to Macbeth. A quote comes to mind when I think of these questions and it is “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Many people hear this quote as “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Act 1 Scene 5 shows how Lady Macbeth is a corrupt and manipulative person. When after talking to the messenger, Lady Macbeth calls spirits to “unsex”(1.5.48) her and to “make thick”(1.5.50) her blood. This shows how Lady Macbeth is willing to make herself more of a man and have no remorse on the of killing. On my collage, the picture on the left captures how Lady Macbeth is reading the letter and is asking spirits to “unsex” her and make her blood thicker. Later in the scene, Macbeth arrives, and Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth “Great Glamis, worthy Cawdor, Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter,” (1.5.62-63).

Macbeth shows that corruption can indeed be the leading force in a person’s madness. Macbeth went mad with the power that he had acquired. This theme of corruption and Macbeth’s strive for power correlates directly to modern society. Some people throughout the years have strived endeavoring for more power and hoping to rise up the ladder of success, whether it be political, monetary, or social. September 1st, 1939, the German country toiled for success as Adolf Hitler lead the country’s Third Reich in an attempt to rule all of Europe.

People who obtain power are very often at risk for corruption; the more power obtained by a person, the darker the consequences on themselves and their victims. In Macbeth - a tragedy by Shakespeare in which a Scottish Lord seizes the power of those above him through murder and falls into corruption - serves as a literary example of such a trend. Both power and corruption feed off of one another; once a substantial amount of power is acquired corruption often creates a drive for even more, similar to a snowball effect and functioning like a trap.

Conspiracy, corruption, death and a fanatical tyrant. Sounds like something straight out of a modern day movie thriller doesn’t it? Well actually it's not, it's just everyday occurrences in William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy Of Macbeth. (Still sound boring?).