Machiavellian Leadership In Macbeth

Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, applies the Machiavellian principles of how princes should properly conduct themselves which is directly applied through Duncan, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Malcolm.

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.

Machiavelli also agrees with Macbeth for he states that “For whereas in general the conspirator has to fear, before the execution of his plot, in this case he has also to fear the sequel to the crime; because on account of it he has the people for an enemy, and thus cannot hope for any success.”(Machiavelli) This quote also helps supports Machiavelli’s ideas on the thin line of being feared and hated. After Macbeth killed Duncan he started to lose himself and started to become extremely paranoid to the point that he could no longer trust anyone. Even his wife that helped convince him to kill Duncan in the first place. This eventually leads over to where he believes that his right hand man Banquo will betray him and kill him. So Macbeth has him killed instead so that way a prophecy he

" ...for how we live is so far removed from how we ought to live, that he who abandons what is done for what ought to be done, will rather learn to bring about his own ruin than his preservation".(Machiavelli 12) This is a quote from Machiavelli 's "The Prince". This is only one belief of Machiavelli, which, many great leaders have been known to use. Have you ever thought about a leader that possessed these qualities that was from a play? Shakespeare 's character Macbeth represents the Machiavellian idea that a ruler should appear well in public, be smart and strong, and do what is necessary to hold onto power. Shakespeare used imagery, and metaphors to portray Macbeth this way because, although he dies in the end, Macbeth still used

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.

Written in 1606 by Shakespeare, Macbeth is a prized tragedy that conveys Machiavellian principles to impress King James I. When the Virgin Queen died without a heir, James IV of Scotland, distant cousin of Elizabeth, was offered the throne. Even though, James was brought up as a Protestant, he wasn’t a very popular choice for monarch in England leading to many conspiracies that would kill the king and parliament. One example of such a scheme was the Gunpowder Plot, where Guy Fawkes and his men tried to blow up the government, but were betrayed, “and horribly tortured on the rack until they confessed. They were then executed in the most brutal fashion as a warning to other would-be traitors. Shakespeare's play Macbeth is to some extent a cautionary

While some other great political thinkers sat around and dreamed about their perfect little utopias in the clouds, notably Socrates and Plato, Machiavelli was analyzing the most powerful men of his day. He observed and recorded how men flocked the sheep to exactly where they were wanted by their shepherd. He watched as the wolves preyed on the sheep and noticed that there was no philosopher king around to prevent it. He accepted that we as humans are corrupt and that we can’t all be Marcus Aurelius, king of

In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth, a man who becomes mentally fulfilled with witches prophecies, goes against the great chain of being in order to get what he wants. With these prophecies, told to him by three witches, Macbeth goes on to act upon them by killing the existent king in order to become king himself. Once Macbeth commits the murder, he has officially gone against the great chain and becomes vulnerable to the rest of the prophecies told to him by the witches. Macbeth has a tough time trying to not mentally collapse throughout the tragedy and struggles to live with what he has committed. Shakespeare uses the great chain to show how disrupting the natural order of things, results in a consequence that could wind up having a negative influence on the person. The great chain of being is displayed in Macbeth when Macbeth kills Duncan, the king of Scotland, and the chain of their society becomes disrupted.

Every person possesses certain amounts of certain qualities to be a great leader. Some of those qualities are kindness, willingness and bravery. In Macbeth there are many characters in positions of power that may or may not withhold the qualities of a good leader. The king Duncan in my opinion withheld all the qualities to be a great leader. Macbeth on the other hand at one time had the qualities but then, when put into a position of power turned sour. Not very many people posses the qualities that are needed to be an amazing leader and can keep the qualities in a position of power. There are specific qualities for a good leader such as: honesty, loyalty, determined, motivational, dependable, self-controlled and broad

He then goes on to explain by way of instruction on how to take over a "free" state or republic and how to conquer and rule with the peoples loyalty and respect, with war and manipulation being a central topic throughout the text. Machiavelli speaks of the fate of

Machiavelli believes that princes need to learn to be bad in order to be good. According to the philosopher, an individual must develop the wisdom to strategically manipulate violence in order to achieve their aims. Machiavelli believes that one will be a leader so long as he or she hides malevolent

Machiavelli writes instructions on how one may gain and maintain power. The reader is provided with strategies that have been devised based on observation of the behaviors of various rulers and their varying

Niccolo Machiavelli, a Florence native, presented revolutionary ideas about leadership in his famous work “The Prince.” This sort of “how-to” handbook for rulers was written in a time when power was frequently changing hands, leaving nations in constant confusion (The Prince, 443). Machiavelli presented a way for these new leaders to maintain their power, encouraging such things as cruelty and fear as a means of governing the common people. This new concept was drastically opposed to the Christian ideals which had been taught for centuries. Despite its harshness, Machiavelli’s doctrine was accepted by many and has influenced some very popular men throughout history. One such person is none other than William Shakespeare. Multiple plays written by Shakespeare are stories of men in government who are either attempting to maintain their power or regain it. It is no wonder, then, why Shakespeare would refer to “The Prince” as a resource when writing these plays. One play in particular, “King Lear,” is evidence of Shakespeare’s acknowledgement of Machiavellian beliefs. Throughout this paly it may be witnessed how Machiavelli’s ideas on what a ruler should be were taken into account by the famous playwright, leading either to his characters’ success or downfall.

One can see many parallels when comparing Machiavelli's writing to powerful modern day leaders, more specifically Barrack Obama who is arguably the most powerful individual in the world at this time. All around his presidency, it has gotten clear that President Obama has gained numerous political techniques that are fundamentally the same to Machiavelli's plans, further supporting the way that Obama is a cutting edge Machiavellian ruler. This gets to be especially evident when one studies Obama's procedures and moves made concerning the matters depicted in the accompanying parts of Machiavelli's "The Prince"; How a Prince Should Keep His Word, On Generosity and Miserliness and in conclusion, On Cruelty and Mercy, and Whether It Is Better to Be Loved Than To Be Feared or the Contrary.

Nicoló Machiavelli’s The Prince highlights important aspects of successful leadership and power. The representations of gender and power in this text help to display the principles and guidelines that would make a leader successful in Machiavelli’s eyes. Throughout The Prince, Machiavelli implies that an individual with good morals will not obtain power, but rather that an individual who obtains power is assumed as morally upright by the people. One may wonder how a man whose reputation was a worshipper of the devil can have a profound impact on the individuals who live in this current generation; in this text, Machiavelli gives readers his advice on how to rise to power using history as evidence. Although Machiavelli’s The Prince was written in the 1500s, his work is still being read, praised and applied to this day, which suggests that his principles really are applicable to anyone. Machiavelli’s advice on power emphasizes that power is a game of deception, however an individual must master themselves before they can deceive. Through analyzing Machiavelli’s advice on power, one can see how the text contains nuances about power concepts which can aid individuals to attain power regardless of their gender.