Power Portrayed within Macbeth
Discuss how aspects of power are explored within Macbeth
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.
Macbeth is portrayed throughout the play as an antihero, a noble and a valiant military man who’s affected by the power of knowledge and is drifted down a path of deceit and murder. The knowledge given to Macbeth from the witches "All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail Macbeth that shalt be the king hereafter!" This foreshadows how Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor, and king. The effect of this foreshadowing is to start Macbeth's ambition to achieve this honour, the knowledge presented to him causes this to end badly. A similar scene which portrays the symbolism of fate, is when the witches tell Macbeth ‘he cannot be killed by any man born of woman’, as this prophecy ends up becoming true, foreshadowing how Macbeth will die; it’s ironic that Macbeth believing himself to be invisible and undefeatable is what sets him on a tragic course which ultimately leads to his death.
The knowledge presented to Macbeth doesn’t just affect him, Lady Macbeth is also overwhelmed with the possibility of this. Once Macbeth is hailed Thane of Cawdor King Duncan declares one of his other followers the next in line to throne, as soon as Lady Macbeth hears the news she begins to scheme of ways this can be accomplished. “Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry ‘Hold, hold!’ ” so here we can see that she is planning to use the power of violence against King Duncan to gain what she wants for Macbeth. Lady Macbeth uses here influence over Macbeth to persuade him to take the violent route towards gaining
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.
Macbeth is portrayed throughout the play as an antihero, a noble and a valiant military man who’s affected by the power of knowledge and is drifted down a path of deceit and murder. The knowledge given to Macbeth from the witches "All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail Macbeth that shalt be the king hereafter!" This foreshadows how Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor, and king. The effect of this foreshadowing is to start Macbeth's ambition to achieve this honour, the knowledge presented to him causes this to end badly. A similar scene which portrays the symbolism of fate, is when the witches tell Macbeth ‘he cannot be killed by any man born of woman’, as this prophecy ends up becoming true, foreshadowing how Macbeth will die; it’s ironic that Macbeth believing himself to be invisible and undefeatable is what sets him on a tragic course which ultimately leads to his death.
The knowledge presented to Macbeth doesn’t just affect him, Lady Macbeth is also overwhelmed with the possibility of this. Once Macbeth is hailed Thane of Cawdor King Duncan declares one of his other followers the next in line to throne, as soon as Lady Macbeth hears the news she begins to scheme of ways this can be accomplished. “Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell, That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, To cry ‘Hold, hold!’ ” so here we can see that she is planning to use the power of violence against King Duncan to gain what she wants for Macbeth. Lady Macbeth uses here influence over Macbeth to persuade him to take the violent route towards gaining