Essay/Term paper: Macbeth - power

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Shakespeare

There are many different types of power which a person

may have. Some of the time, however, the person in that

power is not the best person to be in that power. This is

especially true in William Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Throughout the course of the play, the Three Witches and

Lady Macbeth are the people with the most power over

Macbeth's life. The more power that a person has, the more

corrupt they become. Many different people in Macbeth

have power, and there are different ways to be powerful,

Usually, men are the ones who are outward and aggressive

about it, and women are more subdued about it. Lady

Macbeth has a great deal of power over Macbeth the

power which she holds over him, is the fact that she

possesses more of the "manly" quality than Macbeth himself

does. Because of this, Macbeth is ashamed of himself. As a

result of Macbeth's shame, he attempts to do everything in

his power to prove himself to Lady Macbeth. He is

attempting to prove himself to Lady Macbeth, because she

obviously has her doubts, "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). As a result

of Lady Macbeth's doubts and mocking, Macbeth finally

murders Duncan in a final attempt to prove himself to Lady

Macbeth. Although Lady Macbeth was successful at

convincing Macbeth to murder Duncan, the Three Witches

were the people who made it all possible. The Three

Witches hold the ultimate power. If the Three Witches had

indeed not informed Macbeth about what was to be, then be

would not have repeated the Three Witch's prophecies to

Lady Macbeth, "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of

Glamis!/ All hail, Macbeth!/ hail to thee, thane of/ Cawdor!/

All hail, Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter." (1,3,50-53).

In turn, if Lady Macbeth had not been informed about the

prophecies, she would have never expected Macbeth to

murder Duncan in a desperate attempt to fulfill the

prophecies. On the other hand, the Three Witches not only

gave Lady Macbeth the opportunity to alter Macbeth into

the tyrant which he now is the Three Witches also led

Macbeth to his downfall soon after Macbeth came into

power. How the Three Witches accomplished this, was they

made Macbeth feel over-confident, "Be lion- mettled,

proud, and take no care/ Who chafes, who frets, or where

conspirers are:/ Macbeth shall never vanquish'd be until/

Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill/ Shall come

against him." (4,1,98-102). In other words, the Three

Witches were able to bring Macbeth into power, but in

contrast to this, they were also able to take him out of it. The

only way that they were able to take him out of it, was by

deceit. While Macbeth was in this power, he had power

over the common people's lives, even though he used this

power ruthlessly, "Send out moe horses, skirr the country

round:/ Hang those that talk of fear." (5,3,40-41). He had

power over these common people, even though it was only

for a minuscule amount of time. What Shakespeare suggests

about power, is that the more power a person has, the more

corrupt they become. This is what Shakespeare attempted

to communicate to the readers throughout the entire play.

Macbeth changed from a man with high morales and values,

"We still have judgement here that we but teach/ Bloody

instructions, which being taught return/ To plague the

inventor." (1,7,8-10), to the merciless and over-confident

murderer which he now is, "I will not be afraid of death and

bane,/ Til Birnam forest come to Dunsinane." (5,3,68-69).

In conclusion, the Three Witches and Lady Macbeth were

the people with the most power over Macbeth's life. This is

especially true for the Three Witches. The more power that

Macbeth came into, the more corrupt he became.