The Problem of Power in Shakespeare's Macbeth

Macbeth is crowned King, and the prophecy has been fulfilled. Macbeth’s reign as King is one of violence and destruction, and he is overcome with guilt. He kills a lord named Macduff’s family because he finds out he has gone to England to help one of the sons. Macduff comes back to Scotland and slays Macbeth, and King Duncan’s eldest son becomes King. Some might argue that Macbeth was a victim of fate and circumstance, but it was of his own free will that he decided to murder King Duncan, and go on a reign of terror as King.

She begins to feel weak when she is guilty of persuading her husband to kill King Duncan. Macduff is dynamic because he is a loyal Scotsman that turns against his king in the end. Macduff is determined to kill Macbeth after finding out Macbeth caused his family’s death. Macbeth is dynamic because he begins as a loyal man but changes by adapting evil ways. Once he becomes king he kills anyone that gets in the way of his power.

Macbeth then kills his close friend Banquo and attempted to kill Banquo’s son, based on fears that Banquo’s son will become king. Macbeth brings forth murderers and states, “ Know That it was he, in the times past, which held you So under fortune, which you thought had been Our innocent self…. So is he mine, and in such bloody distance That every minute of his being thrusts Against my near’st of life. And though I could With barefaced power sweep him from my sight.” Macbeth deceives the Murderers and tells them that Banquo is to blame for their misfortune. He then convinces them that Banquo is the enemy and he must be killed.

As a result of his insecurity of his lack of manliness, Macbeth’s soul couldn’t be cleansed again. Macbeth proved to his wife that he was a “man” but the consequence of murdering the king was the beginning of the corruption of Macbeth’s soul because of the sense of power he had. Macbeth saw his actions as justifiable because he was motivated by his self-interest. Although Lady Macbeth pushed Macbeth to abuse his powers, it was ultimately his own doing because he had a choice to go or not go along with it. Macbeth decided to go through with his plan to kill Duncan, “I am settled, and bend up/Each corporal agent to this terrible feat/Away, and mock the time with fairest show/False face must hide what the false heart doth know” (1.7.92-96).

Impotence of Macbeth Throughout the play of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is supposed to be a likeable character until he kills the king. By committing this heinous act, Macbeth instantly becomes a villain and continues to commit murderous acts, all stemming from his first terrible mistake. One of his motives consists of choosing power over integrity, therefore he kills the king. Another reason why Macbeth is a villain is because he continued to kill innocent people to hide his doings. Lastly, since Macbeth is a villain and murderer, he deserves to be condemned and disdained.

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a play that deals with the consequences of a man relinquishing his morals in order to achieve his ambitions. A thane, Macbeth, murders his king in hopes of becoming king himself. From this point on Macbeth is plagued with a variety of difficulties in response to his decision to murder King Duncan. However, Macbeth is often portrayed as being a victim to his circumstances. His wife, or the witches who foresee him becoming king often take the blame for being the catalyst of Macbeth’s troubles and therefore are often portrayed as villainous.

/ Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell / that summons thee to heaven or to hell"(II.i.62-64). Macbeth's selfish and evil desires have grown; he kills his own king in order to obtain the crown; this is no act of a heroic general but a selfish cold-hearted man. "Oh, yet I do repent me of my fury, / that I did kill them"(II.iii.99-100). Macbeth slaughters these two men to conceal his actions and to remove suspicion from him; Macbeth's evil spirit is growing; he must commit more evil crimes in order to cover up his others. In addition to the beginnig, Blood Imagery is very important in the middle of the play.

He is manipulated by Lady Macbeth to commit the murder of King Duncan, and Macbeth feels extreme remorse after the murder. Originally Macbeth was wavering with committing the murder. That scene contains the following quote “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man.” In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is seen as a brave and great nobleman, however, when Macbeth receives news that there is a chance for him to rise to great power he conspires to murder the current king to gain the

The expedition of my violent love..." (2.3.111-112) This was the only done to destroy and thoughts that may have targeted Macbeth that he could have killed the king. The greediness for power and the witches prophesies have made Macbeth a very disturbed man. Believing in everthing that the witches say, Macbeth hires three murders to kill both Banquo and his son. By having them killed no one shall be in line to take the crown away from Macbeth. Macbeth then hears that Macduff is pondering on ways to seek revenge so Macbeth plans for death of Macduff's family.

The role reversal of husband and wife is represented in the belittling of Macbeth, his own “retribution” for being incompetent to carry out the plans exactly. Macbeth, after murdering Duncan and implying that his sons had their hands in the act, becomes king. This is his reward for betraying the trust that the late king had put in him so faithfully... ... middle of paper ... ...s life. I found it very interesting that Macbeth died so young, because of the fact that he wanted so much to have power forever. My theory of this play is such that, when Macbeth takes fate into his own hands as early on as Act 2 (the killing of Duncan), he consigns himself to an early death.