Macbeth
Demi Hassan
Mr.Sobolewski
Period 1
September, 25, 2013 “Power Hungry”
Imagine a nice big cake at a birthday party, and the birthday boy or girl will do anything to get that slice. Power in the tragedy Macbeth by William Shakespeare is like that cake, people are hungry for power and will go out of their wits to gain and or maintain it. Power in Macbeth is gained through violence, betrayal, and of course prophecies. Power is gained through violence because Macbeth murders people so he can have his place in royalty. Betrayal is a way power is gained because Macbeth betrays his closest friend Banquo as well as the King Duncan. And power is maintained as well as gained through the witches prophecies because they all turned out to be true.
In the play Macbeth power is gained and cultivated through acts of violence. There are three murders that Macbeth does in order to get and keep his place on the throne. The first violent murder that Macbeth does is kill Duncan who was the King of Scotland. After the witches prophesies that Macbeth will be future king of Scotland, Duncan’s murders is the only way for Macbeth to gain more power. Macbeth subconsciously realizes this as soon as the three witches foretell he will be king and his thoughts immediately jump to murder.
“If good, why do I yield to that suggestion/ Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair/ And make my seated heart knock at my ribs/ Against the use of nature?/ Present fears are less than horrible imaginings./ My thought whose murder whose murder yet is but fantastical/ Shakes so my single state of man” (I.iii.148-152).
Macbeth is under the full influence of the witches and he perhaps has no say in the matter. And once Duncan has proclaimed the heir to the throne Macbeth consciously thinks about the murder of Duncan Macbeth exerts all the power in his body to perform the killing of Duncan and feels as though although his heart will know what
Mr.Sobolewski
Period 1
September, 25, 2013 “Power Hungry”
Imagine a nice big cake at a birthday party, and the birthday boy or girl will do anything to get that slice. Power in the tragedy Macbeth by William Shakespeare is like that cake, people are hungry for power and will go out of their wits to gain and or maintain it. Power in Macbeth is gained through violence, betrayal, and of course prophecies. Power is gained through violence because Macbeth murders people so he can have his place in royalty. Betrayal is a way power is gained because Macbeth betrays his closest friend Banquo as well as the King Duncan. And power is maintained as well as gained through the witches prophecies because they all turned out to be true.
In the play Macbeth power is gained and cultivated through acts of violence. There are three murders that Macbeth does in order to get and keep his place on the throne. The first violent murder that Macbeth does is kill Duncan who was the King of Scotland. After the witches prophesies that Macbeth will be future king of Scotland, Duncan’s murders is the only way for Macbeth to gain more power. Macbeth subconsciously realizes this as soon as the three witches foretell he will be king and his thoughts immediately jump to murder.
“If good, why do I yield to that suggestion/ Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair/ And make my seated heart knock at my ribs/ Against the use of nature?/ Present fears are less than horrible imaginings./ My thought whose murder whose murder yet is but fantastical/ Shakes so my single state of man” (I.iii.148-152).
Macbeth is under the full influence of the witches and he perhaps has no say in the matter. And once Duncan has proclaimed the heir to the throne Macbeth consciously thinks about the murder of Duncan Macbeth exerts all the power in his body to perform the killing of Duncan and feels as though although his heart will know what