Constructive And Destructive Power In William Shakespeare's Macbeth

When somebody gains power in society, they often use it for either good or evil. Leaders of today’s world, artists, and even literary characters who wield enormous power have used it for either constructive or destructive purposes. Constructive power is when a person benefits a society (promoting a cause, helping people in need, bringing attention to an issue, etc.) Destructive power is when a person either does harm to a society out of hatred or just to benefit themselves (committing genocide, acting out of greed, promoting hate, etc.) Literary characters such as Macbeth used their power for personal gain and ultimately did harm to those they led. Musicians such as System of a Down brought attention to fans about issues that needed to be addressed at the time. Political leaders who wield power could be put into two categories, the tyrant and the mature leader. People who have great power could use it constructively for the benefit of a society, or destructively for the benefit of themselves.
There are many ways somebody with power would use it for destructive purposes
One of which is getting rid of people who are a threat to their power. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Banquo is becoming suspicious of how Macbeth gained power. Because of this, Macbeth hires murderers to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance. Macbeth …show more content…
Use of constructive power usually results in helping out citizens of a nation rather than just the people in power. Destructive power results in leaders of a nation becoming more focused on staying in power and having control over their subjects rather than the needs of their citizens. Tyrannical leaders like Macbeth are concerned about whether or not people are trying to overthrow them and if their subjects are obedient to them. Mature leaders are more concerned about the welfare of their citizens and not if they will remain in power