The Macbeth Principle with Modern Day Leaders

1006 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: shakespeare's macbeth influence on leadership

In the play, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the concept I traced was fate and freewill. Macbeth was forced to choose between fate and freewill when he heard of the witches’ prophecy. This concept was interesting because you were tracing how Macbeth’s decisions would affect him later in the story, an example is when he kills Banquo and then later Banquo’s ghost comes to haunt him. These decisions would ultimately decide his future and shape his personality as a ruler. Macbeth choose free will and therefore became king through lying, cheating and murder, his rule as a king was similar to his upbringing as a king. I chose this topic because I thought it was interesting why modern day dictators were making their decisions, how their decisions got them to power, and how they are able to stay in power for extended periods of time. This relates to modern times because leaders today who gain power over totalitarian governments or inherit power through their relatives are inevitably harsher and more tyrannical rulers than those who get elected as leaders. Many leaders from all over the world are showing modern day parallels to Macbeth by gaining and keeping power through rigged elections and by executing or intimidating the opposition.

Part 2

Robert Mugabe

One real world dictator that emulates Macbeth’s tactics was Robert Mugabe, he was the Zimbabwean dictator that is currently using similar tactics that Macbeth used. . Mugabe was elected after he helped lead Zimbabwe to victory against Rhodesia. Although Mugabe called for free elections, he has been in power since 1980 and in 2008, he won his election by intimidating his opposition's supporters by attacking them and getting his men to send them threats. He barely won the vo...

... middle of paper ...

...or steps down or, the civilians of the country take action and overthrow the government just like many people have done in the past.Just as Malcolm overthrew Macbeth, these tyrants will be overthrown one day as well, and when they are overthrown the lives of millions of people will be improved.

Bibliography

Ioannidis, Alexandros. "Kim Jong-un Executes Family of Purged Uncle."RSS. Euro News, n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.

"Mugabe Rival Quits Election Race." BBC News. BBC, 22 June 2008. Web. 15 May 2014.

Nemtsova, Anna. “Putin’s Rigged Elections”The Daily Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.

Press, The Associated. "Zimbabwe Mass Grave Used as Political Propaganda." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 31 Mar. 2011. Web. 15 May 2014.

Withnall, Adam. "North Korea Elections." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.

Show More
Related

  • European Witch Hunts 1350-Present

    1339 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lewthwaite, Giblert. "South Africans go on witch hunts." Baltimore Sun 27 Sept. 1998: 1-2. Print.

    Read More

  • Macbeth's Desire For Power

    1584 Words  | 4 Pages

    Macbeth chooses the wrong path to accomplish his ambition. Killing Duncan is wrong and he knows it but can’t help himself. An example for dominance of power in addition to Macbeth can be presented in Brian De Palma’s movie Scarface. Al Pacino as Tony Montana creates excessive wealth from distributing cocaine because he thrives for power. As the movie progresses, the drugs make him crazy and he kills more and more people who die in violence followed by the main character. Similarly, Macbeth’s ambition for power becomes his weakness which finally brings tragedy to his character. He is a tragic hero because he can’t seem to help himself even though in the beginning he was good and was a hero in Scotland. Similarly to Dr. Mathur, Faith Nostbakken argues that “The witches do not completely determine Macbeth’s actions. If they did, Macbeth would simply be a victim rather than a tragic figure who suffers the consequences of his own choices. As he wades deeper and deeper into his own darkness, pulling the kingdom down with him, the weird sisters spur Macbeth to his own corruption…In the service of evil rather than good, they equivocate in their prophecies, encouraging destructive behavior.” (Understanding Macbeth

    Read More

  • Rights and Responsibilities of North Korean Citizens

    1176 Words  | 3 Pages

    Salter, Christopher L., and Charles F. Gritzner. "Introducing North Korea,." North Korea. 2nd ed. New York: Chelsea House, 2007. . Print.

    Read More

  • Dbq Essay On Macbeth

    844 Words  | 2 Pages

    Power can be used to a person’s benefit, but it also can bring about the corruption of a human’s character and moral foundations. Unfortunately, power is the key to the downfall of events that occur throughout Macbeth. When Macbeth is given prophecies about his future, he is skeptical at first. However once one of the prophecies is fulfilled, Macbeth becomes power hungry and he seeks to know the unknown. As he seeks the unknown, his mind begins to corrupt as he questions the extent to which he will go in order to gain the power that he desires so strongly. Eventually, Macbeth’s morals are defeated as his selfish desires silence all goodness. The corruption overtakes Macbeth and his behaviors are now purely controlled by his ambition to gain

    Read More

  • Macbeth: Fate vs Free Will

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fate vs Free Will is one of the most oft used literary techniques in writing. It is never more evident than in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. The major theme of the story Macbeth is whether or not the story is fueled by the free will of Macbeth, or by his fate. Are the events in Macbeth a result of his mentality and outlook on life, or were they going to happen no matter what? Almost every major event that takes place can be traced back to this question. It can be viewed in different ways, and most people have their own opinions. Dissecting this question is a part of what makes teaching Macbeth still have so much value to this day. But there is a clear answer to this question upon further dissection. The story of Macbeth is fueled by his free will, which he perceives to be a necessary part of achieving his fate.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Ambition For Power In Macbeth

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    The strive of an ambition for power can be very tempting, but one should be careful on how thirsty they get, because it could be just that power that they are striving for that could lead to their downfall. This is shown in William Shakespeare’s tragic play Macbeth. Macbeth is a brave kind hearted soldier who is loyal to his king until he meets three witches. They give him prophecies of the future and this embarks him on a path full of regrets. In Macbeth, Shakespeare develops the idea that when one is confronted with circumstances they can be affected in different ways.

    Read More

  • Power In Macbeth

    1950 Words  | 4 Pages

    The drastic measures for the attainment of power are necessary for any upcoming ruler to obtain what they desire. Macbeth had the right ambitions and aspirations when stepping up to rule Scotland, but unfortunately the increase in power increased his greed and paranoia which also painted a larger target upon his back. The people did not appreciate the means of how he obtained his power and especially did not appreciate the ways he kept and defended it. No evidence in the play exists to say Macbeth ruled as a tyrant one could speculate he was an excellent ruler like many that came before him but that would be a large speculation to make. Under the circumstances, Macbeth had great potential, but became corrupted and sank due to his greed, desires, and the opinion of his

    Read More

  • How Power Leads to Corruption in Macbeth

    1171 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it" [Lord Acton, British Historian]. It is human nature that the more power one desires the more corrupt actions they have to commit to attain power. Power is the ability to have control over people and/or things. People who are powerful can and in most cases will create an illusion of anything they want you to see about them. This illusion can make people blind to their true intentions. For instance police officers are looked at as good, we looked to them for our safety because they are here to "protect" us. Yet there are many reports of police brutality on innocent citizens. Even if a crime were to be committed there is no need for police to use violence of any sort unless action was taken on them. If no attempt of action was taken on an officer then the officer is abusing its power. Leading people to believe that police officers are corrupt meaning dishonorable, immoral, or not pure. In which case this idea of power leading to corruption is not only true but happens to those least expected to. In William Shakespeares' tragedy, Macbeth, the character Macbeth gains power by killing people and lying, he kills king Duncan out of greed, he kills his "best friends" Banquo out of fear, and then fails to realize that he is not invincible.

    Read More

  • Macbeth: What Is Being Said About Influence And Manipulation

    909 Words  | 2 Pages

    What are we as humans far more afraid of free choice or a forced decision? Manipulation and influence are presented in many ways through out the course of this book. This essay will be more of a comparative analysis between two novels The Tragedy Of Macbeth and Paradise Lost. Though influence may be a large section of our lives manipulation is what gets us to do things.

    Read More

  • Essay On Fate And Free Will In Macbeth

    769 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fate and free will, the beliefs that humans are either mere playthings to the universe or are in full control of their destinies. The tragic play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, has the ideas of fate and free will present throughout. The play opens on eleventh century Scotland, where the main character, Macbeth, meets with three witches who tell him that he is fated to become king. Macbeth decides to leave out chance, take matters into his own hands, and kill King Duncan. He soon becomes paranoid and sends orders to kill those he believes are a threat to his power. Although Macbeth was fated to become king, his downfall was caused by his own free will on the account of his choices to put faith in the witches, kill King Duncan, and kill the family of Macduff.

    Read More

  • Essay On Human Nature In Macbeth

    857 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shakespeare clearly explores the themes ‘Fate and Free Will’, and ‘Ambition’ within this tragedy. Shakespeare weaves these themes around the character of Macbeth, showing us the depth of his insight into human society. Macbeth fell victim to his interpretation of supernatural prophecies and the influence from his wife. His impatience for the throne led to his crimes, subsequent guilt and acknowledgement of his sins. Shakespeare presents Macbeth’s life to his audience as a moral tale, warning them how men should be careful how they regard the ideas of fortune and fate and how in the end, evil intents and actions bring with them their own punishment.

    Read More

  • Macbeth And Absolute Power Corrupts

    149 Words  | 1 Pages

    Lord Acton said the following,“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The quote shows how Macbeth develops in the play. Roman Polanski does a good job in bringing Macbeth to life. He shows how Macduff’s family is murdered, the witches surrounding Macbeth when he sees the apparitions, and how King Duncan dies.

    Read More

  • How Power Corrupts in Macbeth

    2635 Words  | 6 Pages

    It is in human nature that the more power one desires the more corrupt actions one must do to attain it. In Shakespeare’s tragedy of Macbeth, a Scottish noble's craving for power leads him to do terrible deeds that leads to his demise. Shakespeare shows that power corrupts by using Macbeth who corrupts under the thought of have power over others. Macbeth becomes corrupt under the thought of becoming king and gaining almost complete control over the people that he rules. Macbeth wants the power badly enough to do horrible deeds such as commit regicide. Lady Macbeth becomes very ambitious and allows herself to become seduced to the idea of becoming Queen. Her ruthlessness urges Macbeth to commit regicide by questioning his love for her and his own manhood.

    Read More

  • Abuse Of Power In Macbeth

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    William Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Macbeth is a tale set in the middle ages that demonstrates the corruption of political conquest and conspiracy. Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth, commence on a destructive path in pursuit of power and influence. Power within itself hinders a threshold of such an empowering embrace through a mentality manifested by a prideful and egomaniacal person such as Macbeth, considering he was never before in a position of power. While the play unfolds, there are many devices the author demonstrates to describe the applicability Macbeth feels to get a sense of what it’s like to be king. Shakespeare uses literary elements such as rhythm, tone, and imagery to present an image of unveiling bloodlust and abuse of power shown by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.

    Read More

  • Abuse of Power by Macbeth and President Obama

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    Macbeth abuses his own power by murdering and getting away with it, lying to his followers or ones who believe him, and bribing his servants. The first abuse in power is killing Duncan and getting away with it. Macbeth and his wife had planned to murder him in such a way where no one would believe that they had done it. “I have done the deed—didst thou not hear a noise?” (2.2.L14) This is Macbeth telling his wife that he...

    Read More

More about The Macbeth Principle with Modern Day Leaders

Open Document