The Theme Of Power In Shakespeare's Macbeth

Superior Essays
Power can transmute the way a character devolves and grows throughout a piece of literature. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth becomes power hungry and changed him into a demanding dictator. His need for power affects his relationship with other characters in the play. The other characters get to the point where they feel the only way to stop him is to slain him. The power changes Macbeth throughout the play to the point where he doesn’t even know who he has become. The theme of power throughout the play affects not only the plot, but also his relationship with Lady Macbeth and his desire to kill. The plot throughout the play Macbeth is impacted by the theme of power. An example of this is when Macbeth wants to kill Duncan so that he will be …show more content…
Macbeth had no intentions of being the king, “The Thane of Cawdor lives a prosperous gentleman, and to be king stands not within the prospect of belief” (Shakespeare 1.2.75-77). He didn’t even believe that he was good enough to be king. The witches are the ones that introduced him to the idea of being king through their prophecies. Lady Macbeth was not mentioned in the play until the witches’ prophecies were introduced. This shows that Lady Macbeth is power hungry as well as Macbeth. She convinces him to kill Duncan so he can be king. This will ultimately make her Queen of the land. Macbeth changes into a mean and dark spirited character throughout the play. At the end of the play Macbeth is willing to fight for his every last second of rule, ““I’ll fight till from my bones my flesh be hacked. Give me my armor... Send out more horses. Skirr the country round. Hang those that talk of fear. Give me mine armor” (Shakespeare 5.3.38-43). In the beginning of the play Macbeth was an innocent character that was scared of the witches, but at the end of the play he is a power driven maniac. He is willing to march straight into battle against a whole English army. He gets very hostile and demanding, which affects his relationship with Lady Macbeth. Macbeth gets very hostile and aggressive with Lady Macbeth till the point where she looses …show more content…
Macbeth wanting to spill blood and take lives is directly proportional to the power he endures. For example “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red” (Shakespeare 2.2.79-81). At the start of the play Macbeth is very innocent and without much power. He is scared to spill the blood of Duncan and murder of him. While towards the end of the play he has no thought to execute MacDuff’s family. For example “From this moment the very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand…The castle of Macduff I will surprise, seize upon his fire, give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword. His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line” (Shakespeare 4.1.164-173). He has no consideration that he is killing women and children to send a message to the fled Macduff. By the end of the play he kills to send messages, this is very powerful. Since he is the king of the land he feels he can do anything to keep his dynasty and rule going. Therefore the symbol of blood throughout the play of Macbeth is directly proportional to the power he feels over his

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