Examples Of Abuse Of Power In Macbeth

Macbeth, a highly revered Thane, was a huge war hero and feels that this is who he is meant to be. Upon returning from war, he meets 3 witches who start his prey drive towards the other members of the kingdom. Our witches reveal that Macbeth will become Thane of a second region, but will not just stop at being a Thane. He will one day be king. Macbeth reveals this to his wife, who quickly becomes the force behind the madness. She insists that the only way for Macbeth to become king is to murder the current king who just so happens to be coming to stay with the Macbeth’s that very night. It is here that Macbeth turns himself into a force of direct suffering.

In the story of Macbeth by Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth kills King Duncan out of his own greed. Macbeth had wanted so desperately to be king, that nothing would stop him. Macbeth is solely guilty of killing King Duncan, with everything going against him and very little going for him. He had the choice not the kill Duncan, but still went through with it because of stories told by witches, his wife talking him into it, and his thirst to be king.

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth was and remains a literary masterpiece that tells the story of corrupted power, the fall of a kingdom, and the destruction of countless innocent lives. This theme is not specific to Shakespeare’s play, however; it is perhaps one of the most common seen throughout the course of literary and real-life history. Two of the best examples of abused power are seen through Adolf Hitler and Macbeth - their rise to power, complete control of a country, and destructive rule mirror each other nearly exactly, and ruined the lives of countless families. Although one is fiction and the other real, both men left a horrendous legacy that will never be forgotten.

Initially, Macbeth’s ambition for power is subdued by his longing to hold onto his honor and dignity. Unfortunately, Macbeth lets go of his integrity and kills the unguarded Duncan and so in an attempt to keep the guilt of his deeds to himself, distances himself from not only his wife but also has one of his closest friends murdered. Finally, Macbeth’s thirst for power and greatness emptied him of everything he had; dignity, respect, and honor. Ultimately, motivation that is founded on selfish reasons leads one down a path that strippes one of everthing they have and so takes away any meaning to

When Lady Macbeth learns from her husband that he has been phopchiesized to be King of Scotland, she begins a plot to kill King Duncan so that she may become Queen. She ask Macbeth to join her in this planned crime and plost to blame the murder on the guards. Lady Macbeth considers nothing of Duncan’s life or those of the guard’s. She has let the possibility of acquiring power, convince her into persuading her husband into kill a personal friend and ally of theirs. She brushes off this foul deed with the famous quote “What’s done is done”.

“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.

Lady Macbeth tells her husband that for the plan to succeed, he needs to be very courageous and take a chance. Lady Macbeth demonstrates how she will be there for him and the two of them will stick together and face any problems together. Although Lady Macbeth would like to kill Duncan herself, she cannot “as he resembl[es] [her] father”(2.2.12-13) because she can not commit the murder herself, she must convince Macbeth. Overall, Lady Macbeths persistent behaviour brings her husband steps closer to the murder of king

Power is explored during this extract and is referenced by Shakespeare through both the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and how they lose and gain power in different parts of the play, especially in relation to their mental states at different parts of the play.

Acton—was an English Catholic historian, politician, and writer. he was the only son out of the

MacBeth and Lady MacBeth plotted to kill King Duncan so they could take the throne of Scotland. At the time, they just wanted more status and wealth. However, this came with a price. The once happy couple became enveloped in guilt. MacBeth became mad, and he displayed a constant paranoia. MacBeth continued to murder in an attempt to cover his tracks and secure his position as King. He did not let his guilt overrule his greed for power. MacBeth could not rest, and was even said to have “murdered sleep.” Lady MacBeth initially tried to control her husband’s strange behavior, but eventually she became mad as well. Lady MacBeth could not rest either. She would sleepwalk and mumble strange things. Lady MacBeth had influenced MacBeth’s

Macbeth’s ambitious ways takes over his whole inner self throughout his time of first wanting to be king. Macbeth was thought to be a great leader and war hero before he was king. Macbeth was hatched an idea by three suspicious witches in whom he had never come in contact with before. They told him that he would one day become King of Scotland. After the witches disappeared, he got to think a lot about what they told him and pondered the words they spoke. Macbeth sends a letter to his wife about his feelings of what he had heard. When Macbeth returned back to his castle his wife wanted to lead him down a dark path and feed his ambition. Macbeth decides he wants to go after the crown after consulting his wife. "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself, and falls on th'other...." (Act I, scene vii) This shows that Macbeth’s only reason to kill Duncan is for his ambition. Macbeth ends up killing Duncan. The way Macbeth killed Duncan made it a great crime scene. Macbeth still

In William Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Macbeth, there had to have been some kind of motive or power to influence the actions and murders that occurred throughout the scenes of the play. In this play, many people were lied to and convinced that the murders were caused from natural causes or by somebody else, leading all suspicion off Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, when in fact all of them were executed by the new king Macbeth himself. Throughout the whole play, I believe who holds the most power to influence the action of others is Macbeth himself, along with his Lady who was by his side through all of this ambitious journey. Macbeth holds the most power to influence the actions of others because he managed to convince everybody to look past all the murders that are happening and serve and cater him as new king without any suspicion or fingers pointed at him.

Before he kills Duncan, Macbeth is plagued by worry and almost aborts the crime. (I, vii,34-39) It takes Lady Macbeth’s persuasion to eventually get Macbeth to kill Duncan. After the murder, however, her she starts to slowly lose here strong power-hungry attitude. Macbeth goes between fits of quick actions, in which he plots a series of murders to secure his throne, and moments of terrible guilt (as when Banquo’s ghost appears) (III, iii).

At night, in the kings’ palace at Dunsinane, a doctor and a gentlewoman discuss Lady Macbeth’s strange habit of sleepwalking. Suddenly Lady Macbeth enters in a trance with a candle in her hand. Bemoaning the murders of Duncan Lady Macduff and Banquo she tries to wash off imaginary bloodstains from her hands all the while speaking of the terrible things she knows she pressed her husband to do. She leaves and the doctor and gentlewoman marvel at her descent into madness. Her belief that nothing can wash away the blood on her hands is an ironic reversal of her earlier claim to Macbeth that "little water clears us of this deed”. In England Macduff is informed by Ross that his "castle is surprised wife and babes savagely slaughtered". When this news of his family’s execution reaches him Macduff is stricken with grief and vows revenge. Prince Malcolm Duncan s son has succeeded in raising an army in England and Macduff joins him as he rides to Scotland to challenge Macbeth s forces. The invasion has the support of the Scottish nobles who are appalled and frightened by Macbeth’s tyrannical and murderous behavior. Malcolm leads an army along with Macduff and Englishmen Siward, the Earl of Northumberland, against Dunsinane Castle. While encamped in Birnam Wood the soldiers are ordered to cut down and carry tree limbs to camouflage their numbers. Before Macbeth’s opponents arrive, he receives news that Lady Macbeth has killed herself causing him to sink into a deep and pessimistic despair and deliver his "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" soliloquy. Though he reflects on the brevity and meaninglessness of life he nevertheless awaits the English and fortifies Dunsinane. He is certain that the witches’ prophecies guarantee his invincibility but is struck with fear when he learns that the English army is advancing on Dunsinane shielded with boughs cut

Lady Macbeth brings out Macbeth’s tragic flaw when she proposes the idea of killing King Duncan and he states, “I have no spur . . . but only vaulting ambition” (1.7.25-27). Once King Duncan has been murdered, this flaw is revealed because his actions reflect on his ambition to stay king. Macbeth begins by planning on killing Banquo and his son because the witches told Banquo “thou shalt get kings, thought thou be none” (1.3.68). Macbeth must kill Banquo and his son, so no one will have the opportunity to take the crown away from him. When Macbeth sends murderers to kill them, Fleance can get away while Banquo is brutally attacked; however, luckily for Macbeth, Fleance is never heard from again. When Macbeth goes to visit the witches again and the first apparition tells him to “beware Macduff” (4.1.71-72), he then realizes he must eliminate any other obstacle that could potentially keep him from staying king. He says he will “give to th’edge o’th’sword his wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls” (4.1.150-151) just to ensure his throne. By doing these horrible deeds, Macbeth proves he is willing to go above and beyond to remain king until his