Essay On Absolute Power In Macbeth

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In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the theme of absolute power corrupting people is shown throughout the story. Macbeth, originally believed to be a trusted leader in the battlefield, changed throughout the story because of his craving for the power to be an absolute ruler with absolute power. Lady Macbeth also becomes corrupt in the search of gaining more power. The theme of absolute power corrupting people can relate to the world today as many great leaders change once they are at the top, often doing things morally or lawfully wrong. Many people in history have craved absolute power and did immoral and illegal things to rise above others. A modern example of this would be the president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe. Mugabe was once a hero after the Zimbabwe civil war and was cheered on by citizens, but now the only way he stays in power after forcing the country into an 80 percent unemployment rate is by rigging the votes in his favor. Many leaders become corrupt in different ways but for the same reason, absolute power.
In the beginning of the story, Macbeth was an innocent general from the war and was introduced to King Duncan by a wounded soldier who talked of Macbeth’s valour in the battlefield. “For brave Macbeth, well he deserves that name, disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution, like valor’s minion carved out his passage, till he faced the slave; Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, till he unseamed him from the nave to th' chops, and fixed his head upon our battlements.” (Act 1 Scene 2 Line 17-26) is how the wounded soldier described Macbeth and how he fought for King Duncan in the civil war, which shows his loyalty and trustworthiness to the king. This is still around the ti...

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...told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” (Act 5 Scene 5 Lines 17-29) is what Macbeth says when he hears the news that Lady Macbeth is dead. The quote talks about his feelings of how life is to him now, with his thoughts of how everyone dies eventually and how life is rather pointless. Macbeths want for having power changed him so far from what he was at the beginning to where the death of his wife does not even bother him.
In conclusion, the quest for absolute power corrupts both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in the end. Macbeth changed into what people never thought would happen, a dishonorable man, and a dishonorable king. This need for more power is what slowly suffocated Macbeth until he was eventually slain by Macduff. Absolute power will continue to grasp and control people like Macbeth forever unless we all learn from our mistakes and past.

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