Essay On Corruption In Macbeth - 1109 Words

With Power Comes Corruption â€Å"All power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.† is a quote from Lord John Dalberg-Acton, explaining that any amount of power can corrupt the mind, but absolute power will take over. This is represented throughout history: in politics, monarchies and times like the french revolution. Many writers have used this theme in their works. One work that includes this theme is William Shakespeares Macbeth. The play Macbeth follows Macbeth, a brave warrior as he gains power from his deeds both good and bad. By killing the Duncan, the former king, Macbeth rises to power and takes control of his country. With every bit of power that the Macbeth’s gain, they become more and more corrupt. Simply†¦show more content†¦Despite their knowledge of whats wrong and right they go along with their plans anyways because of their driving force of corruption and greed. Although Macbeth commits the murder, Lady Macbeth shows that she has just as many dark and corrupt thoughts as him. The one who comes up with the murder plan is Lady Macbeth, directly after she learns about the prophecy. After Macbeth informs her of the king’s overnight stay, Lady Macbeth’s first words are â€Å"O, never/ Shall sun that morrow see!† (1. 5. 67-68) as her plan to kill the king is already being put into motion. If Lady Macbeth had not made the plans Macbeth may not have gone through with the murder. Lady macbeth becomes a driving, manipulative force to Macbeth. She justifies why killing Duncan is good and shames him into committing horrible deeds. When Macbeth tries to refuse she says â€Å"When you durst do it, then you were a man;/ And, to be more than what you were, you would/ Be so much more the man.† (1. 7. 54-56), challenging his masculinity. In the end, Lady Macbeth isnt the only one who’s mind becomes corrupted, she drags Macbeth down with her. Finally, Lady Macbeth pretends that the guilt doesn’t really bother her, she simply tells her husband that he is weak. She tries hide her corruption through lies and by putting Macbeth down, but in the end she falters, realises her guilt and drives herself insane. When Macbeth gains more power, hisShow MoreRelatedMacbeth Corruption Essay1091 Words   |  5 Pagessomething bad enough, the lines between right and wrong tend to blur. In William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Macbeth,† the relationship between ambition and corruption is explored. Firstly, Macbeth’s inability to control his urges to know his fate leads him to listen to The Weird Sister’s prophecies, which eventually causes his unhealthy desire for power. Next, Lady Macbeth’s strong ambition to kill the King leads to a corruption of her mental state and behavioural standards. Lastly, Macbeth’s aspiration to rule ScotlandRead More Corruption and Power in Macbeth Essay754 Words   |  4 Pagesnature. In the drama Macbeth by Willi am Shakespeare, the main character, Macbeth, becomes corrupt through power that he gains. The play shows that even someone who starts out like Macbeth and does not crave power, will do terrible things to gain authority and power. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The play begins with the characters King Duncan and Malcolm talking about a â€Å"good and hardy soldier† (Act I: ii: 4). This man they are talking about is the stories protagonist, Macbeth. Macbeth is a good soldierRead MoreCorruption and Power in Macbeth Essay775 Words   |  4 Pagespersons nature. In the drama Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character, Macbeth, becomes corrupt through power that he gains. The play shows that even someone who starts out like Macbeth and does not crave power, will do terrible things to gain authority and power. The play begins with the characters King Duncan and Malcolm talking about a good and hardy soldier (Act I: ii: 4). This man they are talking about is the stories protagonist, Macbeth. Macbeth is a good soldier who is devotedRead MoreMacbeth Power And Corruption Essay786 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare we see how easily power and ambition can corrupt as Macbeth learns of his ‘fate’ to be the next king and, in an effort to speed up the wait commits regicide and murders the king. Macbeth’s turn in the play works well with the Lord Acton quote â€Å"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.† In the beginning of the play we see that Macbeth is the Thane of Glamis and so has power but is also humble, but when the witches tell him he willRead More Corruption and Ambition in Macbeth Essay examples2125 Words   |  9 PagesThe Power of Corruption and Unbridled Ambition in Macbeth Very few producers of art can actually let their works claim the appellation classic. For to create a piece of work - literature, art, or poetry, that stands the test of time, that proves the authors premise relevant not just in the period when he created it, but also in the generations that follow, is not an easy task. The works of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) have, more than once, proved worthy of the title classic. NotRead MoreEssay Power and Corruption in Macbeth by William Shakespeare3354 Words   |  14 Pagesits tragic outcomes, power is a very prominent theme in literature, specifically warning people of the consequences of power. Many authors discuss how power influences people. Throughout every time period, there is some mention of the danger and corruption that comes with power. This topic that comes up again and again is very intriguing. It’s almost as if the lust for power is inborn in humans. Even though these works of fiction try to warn people who pur sue power, they do not listen and choose toRead More powmac Power and Corruption in Macbeth Essay examples1905 Words   |  8 PagesPower and Corruption in Macbeth      Ã‚  Ã‚   Authority poisons everybody who takes authority upon himself (Vladimir Ilyich Lenin). This could easily be a comment on the story of Macbeth where an apparently respected Scottish couple have the opportunity to seize the highest authority, take it, and in doing so, poison themselves and their country. In Macbeth, the plays theme is the strife created by the wrongful seizure of power and the corruption of morals of those who acquire power by evilRead MoreCharacterization Of Macbeth1276 Words   |  6 Pages But with this answer comes another question: why would Shakespeare name the main character Macbeth when his monarchs were Elizabeth I and James I? What message was he trying to send by using the name of Macbeth, the king of Scotland in 1040? In Jonathan Goldberg’s essay â€Å"Speculations: Macbeth and source† in Jean E Howard’s anthology on Shakespeare, Goldberg explains how the King Duncan in the play is a reflection of the real life Duncan I from Scotland in the 1030s when Scotland was going throughRead MoreMacbeth by William Shakespeare1293 Words   |  5 PagesThe play, â€Å"Macbeth† is one of William Shakespeare’s tragic plays written approximately in 1606. The play centres on Macbeth who is a general in King Duncan’s army. Upon returning from a successful battle, Macbeth is confronted by three witches who claim they know the future. The three witches tell Macbeth that he will be the future King. The events that occur after this encounter between Macbeth and the witches are what makes this play a tragedy. This essay will focus on the treatment of gender inRead MoreMacbeth was doomed by fate or by a flaw in his character.847 Words   |  3 PagesESSAY: In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, it is very controversial whether or not Macbeth was doomed by fate or by a flaw in his character. It could be argued that Macbeth was doomed both by fate and by a flaw in his character. On one hand, the role of the witches influence could be regarded as a major external force that exploited Macbeth s character flaws. However, on the other hand, Macbeth s ambitious nature and greed for power was the flaw in his character that ultimately led to