Preview

Examples Of Transitions Into Power In Macbeth

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
186 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Examples Of Transitions Into Power In Macbeth
As Macbeth transitions into power, the mood of the story transitions from a content state to a state of horror due to Macbeth’s killing sprees that are motivated by none other than, greed and power. When he is planning to kill King Duncan, Macbeth is overwhelmed with worry and almost abandons the plan, but it takes Lady Macbeth to convince him to go through with it. After the murder, however, Macbeth’s loyal personality deteriorates and he blames the murder on the servants because he does not want to ruin his reputation and be dethroned from being king. Following King Duncan's death, Macbeth lets his power go to his head and no longer wants Lady Macbeth to convince him to murder someone because, he just does it out of ambition to continue

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Macbeth in the beginning of the play is a noble, humble and honourable person who, without question would sacrifice his life for the liberty of his King, Duncan. As the play progresses he attitude towards life in general changes completely, mainly due to the pressure that Lady Macbeth inflicts on him. However, Lady Macbeth has quite a surprising personality as she is not the stereotypical Elizabethan woman. Lady Macbeth is expected to be fragile, meek, innocent and comforting but in this unusual circumstance Lady Macbeth would very much rather “dashed the brains out” of an infant child. This is plain evidence to suggest that Lady Macbeth is of no stable condition. In addition to this surprising fact Lady Macbeth is cunning and bloodthirsty. She demands Macbeth in Act one, Scene Five to “look like th’innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t”. It is very common for a man to demand a female to pursue tasks but for a woman to demand a man, especially of something like sacrilege, is very unusual. This could mean two things, Macbeth is weak and is unable to depict his own decisions or/and that Macbeth is mentally deteriorating. Macbeth reason with Lady Macbeths orders in his soliloquy in Act one, Scene seven and from the things he…

    • 1055 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Unlike Macbeth, the knowledge of the prediction, makes Lady Macbeth confident in her husbands future, and her desire for the throne strengthens and so does her impatiences. She believed her husband’s nature was ‘too full o' th' milk of human kindness’ to assassinate his own monarch and interpreted it, is a weakness. The controlling, Lady Macbeth manipulated Macbeth into submission by stating ‘When you durst do it, then you are a man’ to emasculate his character. Without Lady Macbeth’s persuasive ability, Macbeth would have never undertaken the unlawful murder of King Duncan and the unethical rise to the crown. Lady Macbeth was unable to control Macbeth, as he continued the heinous crimes of ‘Murder most foul’ throughout his rule. Lady Macbeth realises that her ‘desire was got without content’ as the consequences of their murderous actions, where met with remorse and insanity. Overwhelmed with guilt, the audience is able to witness Lady Macbeth fade in to the background, as Macbeth’s overshadowing, corrupt rule, grows. Through his wife’s ambition, greed and manipulation Macbeth’s morals are destroyed and his downfall as a person and a monarch becomes…

    • 741 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Macbeth is a very power greedy person. It is not necessarily his own doing that he is such a ruthless person. It all started (Macbeth being power greedy) with the Three Witches predictions: "All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!/ All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of/ Cawdor!/ All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter." (1.3.50-54)<br><br>As soon as Macbeth learned of his future, he began to scheme on just exactly how he would fulfill these prophecies. That is when he decided that he would have to murder Duncan to fulfill the last prophecy. But that is when he had a change or heart. <br><br>The only problem with Macbeth deciding not to murder Duncan, is that all of a sudden Lady Macbeth became the power greedy one. This is when Lady Macbeth's scheming began. Although Macbeth had changed his mind and basically refused to murder Duncan, Lady Macbeth was able to eventually convince him to carry through with the plan. <br><br>Even though Macbeth was the one who executed the plan, Lady Macbeth was the mastermind behind the scheme. Her greed for power was the one major factor that possessed her to convince Macbeth of the plan and carry through with it. Macbeth murdered Duncan at Iverness, and became hysterical after doing so. As a result of Malcolm and Donalbain's suspicions resulting in their departure to England and Ireland Macbeth became king: this was the ultimate power that he and Lady Macbeth had as their goal (well, actually it was more of Lady Macbeth's goal), and now he eventually had received it. Nothing was going to take away this ultimate power from Macbeth, and he would do anything to keep it. Macbeth's ruthlessness results in him ordering three murderers to murder his best friend, Banquo. The power of being king has taken over Macbeth's life, and he is a victim of his own greed for power. He is a tyrant. Not only does Macbeth murder Banquo (not directly, of course), he also murders (actually he has people murder) Macbuffs family.…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    A signal was sent off in her mind after Macbeth sent her a letter informing his wife about prophesies that was spoken into his life and that now he was Thane of Cawdor. She begins to make a plan of her own way to help these prophecies become reality. “That which cries, “Thus thou must do,” if thou dost fear to do, than wishest should be undone.” (Act 1, Scene 5) She came up with the idea of killing Duncan in order for Macbeth to become king. When she heard that Duncan was coming to stay with them, it gave her more of a reason to kill him that very night. The thought of power became a psychological problem for both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. For Lady Macbeth to smile in the face of Duncan Knowing what she will be doing later on that night. When Macbeth finds out that Duncan has asked for him her begins to second guess about killing him. Lady Macbeth then questions Macbeth’s manhood by calling him a coward. “Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem.” (Act 1, Scene 7) From the looks of things Lady Macbeth is using social pressure to make sure her husband doesn’t back out from killing Duncan. This shows physical evidence of a mental problem. Lady Macbeth thinks that this is the best thing to do for them to make the prophecy fall into place but this is only a way of her trying to get her and her husband to the top. In today's society the mental disorder that Lady Macbeth is showing is…

    • 1093 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth's Mood Analysis

    • 148 Words
    • 1 Page

    In Shakespeares’ classic play The Tragedy of Macbeth, we see various contrasting emotions and moods of Macbeth. We learn that Macbeth’s character is very complex and double-sided throughout the scene that shows his two-sided feelings. The real question is to kill or not to kill King Duncan to gain the throne. This scene takes place in Act 1, Scene 7 in Inverness; Macbeth’s castle. Throughout the soliloquy, Macbeth evolves his moods towards the murder as his thoughts bounce back and forth. Macbeth’s personality is very influenced by his desires and motives. Macbeth is also very aware of possible flaws in his tentative plan. Macbeth’s thoughts and moods change through a variety of repetitions, euphemisms, lists and imagery. Therefore, as Macbeth…

    • 148 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aspects of power are deeply explored within Macbeth via the characters, and the allegorical meaning of the play. Shakespeare uses linguistic devices well, such as dramatic irony and symbolism to give the text more meaning and to give deeper thoughts into these aspects of power shown.…

    • 790 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Everyone in life yearns to be successful however, some people end up more so than others. This is due to the fact that if someone’s goal is unreasonably large then they might take drastic and, unmoral measures to achieve their goals of glory and power. Proven by their rise to power, characters who seek glory are doomed to fail, even when they, in the end, recognize their flaw…

    • 898 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    After Macbeth kills King Duncan he starts becoming and feeling more guilty, paranoid and even more greedy to keep his kinship and power. Immediately after killing Duncan,…

    • 1876 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth Power Analysis

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Throughout Act I in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the character Macbeth struggles with the Weird Sisters’ prophecy predicting his Scottish kingship. Macbeth believes the only way for him to rise to power is through murder. After contemplating whether or not to kill Duncan, the current king, Macbeth ultimately decides to follow through in order to gain status and power. As an audience member, I do not feel sympathy for Macbeth as he independently and consciously betrays his morals and noble duties.…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth needed to kill King Duncan in order to get closer to his goal of becoming King but was scared. Macbeth states, “[I]f th’ assassination/ Could trammel up the consequence and catch,/ With his surcease, success; that but this blow/ Might be the be-all and the end-all here,/ But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,/ We’d jump the life to come.” (1.7.2-7). Macbeth is weak and does not have the courage to commit murder. He fears all the consequences and problems that will arise if the King is murdered. A man that is weak and lacks courage shows a feminine quality according to the stereotypical gender roles. Furthermore, Macbeth feels guilty after killing King Duncan in his sleep. He states, “ Methought I heard a voice cry 'sleep no more!/ Macbeth does murder sleep', the innocent sleep,/ Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care,/ The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath,/ Balm of hurt minds,” (2.2.35-39). Macbeth kills King Duncan and he starts to hear voices in his head because of the guilt. Macbeth experiences a shock of hearing these voices as he realizes what he has done. Not to mention, he is weak and cannot control his actions after the murder as he fails to hide the evidence, the dagger. The stereotypical gender roles subvert as weakness is seen as a feminine quality. Then, Macbeth kills the family of Macduff by planning murders using his power. He states, “To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done:/ The castle of Macduff I will surprise/ Seize upon Fife, give to th’ edge o’th’ sword/ His wife, his babies, and all unfortunate souls/ That trace him in his line.” (4.1.149-153). Macbeth feels powerful and wants to take desperate actions. He uses his power as he wants to attack the castle of Macduff. The plan also includes murdering the family of Macduff. Macbeth gets the family killed and is showing signs of power during…

    • 1393 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Motif Of Power In Macbeth

    • 564 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Many people want to obtain power to satisfy their needs. Once the individual gains the power, they continue to strive to gain more without acknowledging the consequences until later. In William Shakespeare's Elizabethan tragedy Macbeth, the corruptive quality of power influences the individual to go against their nature in order to obtain power by any means necessary. Shakespeare utilizes the motif of blood to show that the steps taken to obtain power will not always yield favorable results and the consequences will stay with the individual.…

    • 564 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Loss Of Power In Macbeth

    • 876 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Macbeth, a 16th century play written by William Shakespeare tackles many relevant issues from the time, including: the role of a monarch, political violence, and the nature of power. Shakespeare uses the Macbeths’ turbulent relationship with power to express his own views on the topic of illegitimate monarchy. Illegitimate monarchy is when the throne is obtained through uncalled for regicide, specifically if the murdered King or Queen was considered to be a benevolent ruler. Shakespeare uses the graphic image of deceased infants to underscore the lengths the Macbeths will go to for power. The image often appears in the play when a significant event relating to the Macbeths’ attainment, preservation, or loss of power occurs. This is because…

    • 876 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth is told about a prophecy from three witches that he will become king. After hearing this Macbeth immediately to murder, “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, / Shakes so my single state of man, that function/Is smothered in surmise, and nothing it/ But what is not” (I.III.140-143). His ambition to become king kicks in due to Lady Macbeth, and he commits murder. This is just the first act of many that will overall change Macbeth’s attitude toward life. After the death of his wife, Macbeth’s ambition to become king just grows stronger and he kills Banquo and Macduff’s family. This ambition causes him to believe he is invincible, which leads to his over…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Corruption In Macbeth

    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages

    As a result, her desire for power allows her to be stronger, more remorseless, and more driven than Macbeth. In fact, she is fully aware of this when she declares that Macbeth is "art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it.” This is why Lady Macbeth acts not only as Macbeth's confidant, but his also his controller. Consumed by her desire to become Queen, Lady Macbeth herself plots the murder of Duncan and when Macbeth questions the idea of regicide, she manipulates him with her powerful soliloquies. This is done by condemning her husband’s biggest insecurity; his manhood. She states that Macbeth would be “so much more the man” if he were to follow through with the plan. Lady Macbeth even points out that she herself would even kill her own baby as a means to reach her goals. This drives Macbeth to the point where he is “settled and bend-up” to prove himself. Her condescending inspiration is the first to trigger a change in his morals and attitude. However, as Macbeth’s own ambition starts to flourish and facilitate an obsessive and power hungry killing spree, Lady Macbeth’s character changes as well. She becomes helpless and is reduced to a weak figure that sleepwalks and is constantly trying to wash nonexistent blood from her hands. This is because she is so overwhelmed by the guilt of her treachery that a…

    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Power In Macbeth

    • 1039 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Frank Herbert once said, "Power attracts the corruptible. Absolute power attracts the absolutely corruptible.” In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the title character seizes “absolute power”, making him “absolutely corruptible”, which ultimately led him to his eventual death. In the play, Macbeth, the title character, seizes absolute power over his people when he brutally kills the real king to be crowned the new king of Scotland. Achieving power in this way allows him to be consumed by guilt and fear at first, which then develops into violence and the demise of both him, his wife, and ultimately his reign. Through examining the consequences that both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth face after trying to achieve power, it is clear that wrongly seizing power…

    • 1039 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays