A successful leader is one that brings prosperity to a region while upkeeping good morals. They must seek to better the state of the region and keep the interests of the people in mind. Two works of literature that illustrate this theme of what makes a good leader are The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli and Macbeth by William Shakespeare. In The Prince, Machiavelli uses rulers of past and present to illustrate qualities necessary in a good leader. In Macbeth, Macbeth, a valiant war hero, becomes king of Scotland through immoral means and suffers greatly due to his unchecked ambition. Using the blueprint laid out by Machiavelli in The Prince, the conclusion that Macbeth does not illustrate qualities needed to be a successful prince can be reached.
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He often acts rashly, without thinking of the repercussions of his actions. Machiavelli also states that a good prince must “be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves.” (Machiavelli 18) Macbeth is neither; he allows himself to get caught up in the Witches’ snare and is terrified by the biggest wolf of all: the threat of losing power. To survive and prosper, a ruler must be skilled at deception or he’ll be easily deceived by those who only carry their own interests at heart. Macbeth is too easily controlled by the people around him, especially the women. He allows the words and actions of Lady Macbeth and the Witches to control his rule. The Witches prophesy that Macbeth will be king of Scotland. This prompts him to inform his wife, Lady Macbeth, who convinces him that the only method of action is to kill King Duncan. His death will make Macbeth king. Macbeth chooses to tell Lady Macbeth about the Witches’ prophesy and she is the catalyst for Duncan’s murder. Since she is the dominant force in their relationship, he often relies on her to make the decisions and this dynamic is why he fully believes that the only way to obtain power is by killing
He often acts rashly, without thinking of the repercussions of his actions. Machiavelli also states that a good prince must “be a fox to discover the snares and a lion to terrify the wolves.” (Machiavelli 18) Macbeth is neither; he allows himself to get caught up in the Witches’ snare and is terrified by the biggest wolf of all: the threat of losing power. To survive and prosper, a ruler must be skilled at deception or he’ll be easily deceived by those who only carry their own interests at heart. Macbeth is too easily controlled by the people around him, especially the women. He allows the words and actions of Lady Macbeth and the Witches to control his rule. The Witches prophesy that Macbeth will be king of Scotland. This prompts him to inform his wife, Lady Macbeth, who convinces him that the only method of action is to kill King Duncan. His death will make Macbeth king. Macbeth chooses to tell Lady Macbeth about the Witches’ prophesy and she is the catalyst for Duncan’s murder. Since she is the dominant force in their relationship, he often relies on her to make the decisions and this dynamic is why he fully believes that the only way to obtain power is by killing