Power In Macbeth And 1984

Power. What is it? When researching Power, words such as authority, control, direct, regulate, command and influence all appear. All these words are relevant, supporting the definition of “Power; the ability to influence and control the behaviour of people.” Power can come in many forms; a governments power over its citizens or an employer’s control over their employees. The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare and Novel 1984 by George Orwell are two texts written centuries apart, but similar as they both contain ideologies on this concept of power. Like the supernatural power of the witches in Macbeth, Institutional power seen in the totalitarian societies or how an excess of absolute social power leads to corruption.
Macbeth illustrations …show more content…
Both Macbeth and 1984 are examples of totalitarian societies. In Macbeth this is represented by his murder off Banquo. Deceit “Both of you know Banquo was your enemy.” is used to convince the murderers they are right to murder Banquo. This uniting followers against a common enemy, a pacification technique is a common indication of totalitarianism while also depicting of how Macbeth uses power to influence the behaviour of others. Also, in 1984 the use of propaganda imagery “posters that were plastered everywhere. The black mustachioed face gazed down from every commanding corner. …. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption said.” An allusion to the propaganda posters of world war two. This constant surveillance from a totalitarian government is used to control the behaviour of its people invading their privacy scaring them to submit to the government’s control through fear. While also having a brainwashing effect on people influencing their behaviour to suit ‘The Party’s’ views. These examples of institutional power, reveal that in both 1948 and Macbeth, the absolute power in totalitarian societies lead to influence and control of the behaviour of