Power: The Most Corrupted In Shakespeare's Macbeth

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Lord Acton’s 19th century words of wisdom were never more true than in the pages of Shakespeare's Macbeth tragedy. The corruption of power is one of the major and overarching themes of this play, Shakespeare uses charter dialogue and actions to flawlessly portray the corrupting grip that power wields. He shows just how cruel this kingdom of corruption can get. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are by far the most corrupted by power as their blood soaked pursuit of total authority clearly shows. Aggressive and abusive behavior forces the pair to the extremes, ultimately making the capricious decisions to usurp the throne by assassinating King Duncan.

Macbeth gets his first taste of
This is a clear depiction of the corruption controlling Macbeth, power has twisted his mind and he will murder an entire innocent family to keep his power safe. MacBeth is only in pursuit of his self interest and this decision could seal his fate. Basically, he is willing to play Russian Roulette to hang on to the throne for a few more years.

Now let’s examine Lady MacBeth “As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem...” (1.7.41-43). Here Lady MacBeth is branding MacBeth a coward for hesitating and not having the courage to kill Duncan. The prospect of power corrupted Lady Macbeth, making it easy for her to manipulate MacBeth into committing the treasons act. But wait, isn’t Lady MacBeth just crazy or deranged? “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!—One, two. Why, then, ’tis time to do ’t. Hell is murky!” (5.1.25-26) the Lady cried trying to remove a blood stain that wasn’t there. It’s obvious that Lady MacBeth ultimately lost her sanity, but this a direct cause of the corruption of power. Lady MacBeth couldn’t accept the reality of the immoral acts she commissioned and it left her