Macbeth Power And Title Essay

From reading the play Macbeth and analyzing Macbeth’s character, it it apparent that power and titles do not have a close-knit relationship, but rather a very distant one. From beginning to end, as Macbeth gains more titles, there becomes a noticeable disconnection with his power. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth indisputably has a great deal of power, but he only has the title of the Thane of Glamis. The King and his noblemen look towards Macbeth and say, “For brave Macbeth--well he deserves that name…” (I, ii, 16). All look up to “noble Macbeth” (I, ii) and praise him for his superiority on the battlefield. Macbeth’s great virtue and worth at this point of the play lead him to be prosperous in power. Not only do the people of his country look up to him and afford him of his worth, but also the king sees him as his “worthiest cousin” (I, iv)
As of now,, Macbeth is rich in power and respect, and you would think that as he gains more of his titles, he would gain more power. This is not the case. As quick as Macbeth gains his new titles, he loses his power; hence causing a disconnection between his titles and power.
Once Macbeth is named Thane of Cawdor and later crowned King, there is a major change is his mood and behavior. Previous murders draw Lennox to say, “My former speeches have but hit your thoughts, which can interpret further: only, I say, things have been strangely borne…” People begin to lose trust and grow weary of Macbeth and his rule. Loss of respect and an unwavering suspicion crosses everyone’s mind. It is safe to say that at this point, Macbeth has lost his country and his people’s loyalty. Not only have people grown skeptical of Macbeth, but view him as an oppressor as well. As Macduff screams in agony, “Bleed, bleed, poor country! Great tyranny!”, the country of Dunsinane and everyone along with it scream as well. The people that once cherished Macbeth’s dignity, now label him as a tyrant and even wish to act against him in order to relieve their suffering country of his rule. The great power that he once had, has lessened exponentially as his people lose faith and even turn against
him. It is undeniable that from beginning to end, as Macbeth advances in his titles, he is receiving less and less power as the populace grows uncaring for his unfair tyranny. As Macbeth goes from fair and righteous in battle, to a careless and unwarranted King, his power dwindles and dwindles up until his much deserved murder. These uncorrelated changes create a very distant relationship between power and titles.