Corruption Of Power In Macbeth

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“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men,” said Baron Acton. Humankind has always been drawn to power like a moth to a flame. It one of the greatest contributors to the world’s problems. People kill for it and people die for it, but they almost always go mad for it. In the classic play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, a good man is corrupted by a power-hungry wife, meddling witches, and an ever-burning desire to be king. Macbeth’s overall transformation is very noticeable throughout the entire story, but one of the earliest places we begin to watch for this is right after the three witches deliver their prophecy that he “shalt be King hereafter” (1.3.55). At the time, Macbeth does not seem to think much of it, saying, “If chance will have me King, why, / chance may crown me, / without my stir” (1.3.158-160). He makes it quite clear that he does not want to meddle, until Malcolm is named Prince of Cumberland. A switch is flipped in Macbeth and he quickly changes his tune. He states, “That is a / step / On which I must fall down, or else, o’erleap” (1.4.55-57). That is in stark contrast to his statement only one scene earlier. His jealous change is sudden and continues on through Macbeth. …show more content…
Through many different means, Lady Macbeth manages to convince and deceive on more than one occasion. When she hears of the divination, she becomes hell-bent on winning the crown for her husband. She presses for Macbeth to kill the king (1.7) and is ultimately the reason he goes through with it. The Lady seems to be more driven, more ruthless than Macbeth. Multiple times throughout the play, she says things like, “Are you a man?” (3.4.72). By insulting his manhood she is able constantly manipulate him, playing on his need to feel powerful. She is one of the main reasons Macbeth goes to the lengths that he

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