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The Corrupting Force Of Power In Macbeth

Decent Essays

Personal power has the ability to be essential to greatness, and at the same time is able to destroy a person’s nature. Macbeth’s actions corrupted and destroyed himself throughout the play.

Macbeth’s destructive choices propelled the actions forward because his thirst or desire for power corrupted his character and destroyed himself in the process. William Shakespeare’s destructive play, Folger Shakespeare Library “Macbeth”, reveals the corrupting force of power through its complex characters and interactions. In the beginning of the play, the corrupting force of power is revealed when Macbeth is transfixed by the prophecies of the weird sisters. As the play unfolds and the plot becomes more complicated, the corrupting force of power is further revealed as Macbeth hires henchmen to murder his most loyal confidant, Banquo. As the play comes to a close, the corrupting force of power is refined by Macbeth’s impulsive charge of Macduff and the English forces. Although Macbeth was considered to be brave and noble because of his valor on the battlefield, he made a destructive decision to kill the king which will have grave …show more content…

In act one, scene three, lines 49-51, the play states “First Witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis! Second Witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! Third Witch: All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!”. The quotation means that Macbeth knows that they will not tell him everything he wants to know. Banquo notes that they have twice told Macbeth of his rise to power. Here, Macbeth shows his susceptibility to corruption in pursuit of power. Corrupting forces of power falls in line with these quotations because the witches are telling Macbeth that he is going to be king. Although Macbeth started off as brave and noble, he transformed into consumed and

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