Preview

Why Is Authority Important In Macbeth

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
302 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Why Is Authority Important In Macbeth
I generally believe that authority is appropriate to an extent. In fact, it is necessary for a society to function. It depends on who holds the higher position. The biggest concern about authority is having a tyrant that oppresses the public in fear. Several in high positions abuse their power for their own benefit, such as Macbeth. However, one should not generalize that all authorities are evil. The greatest factor is the individual themselves. There are at least two types: a righteous leader and a tyrant. Under good authority, peace and decisions would be maintained. Through careful decisions, conflicts would resolve without creating a larger problem within the public. Although decision-making is necessary, the authority in question should be fully committed. …show more content…
Moreover, he or she wants the best for the people rather than forcing them to automatically agree with the decisions. Additionally, he or she does not demand respect. Rather, the public would respect him or her based on his or her character. Under a tyrant’s rule, only the brave are more likely to revolt against unfair laws. However, the public’s rebellion would soon lead to consequences such as severe punishment or death. Additionally, people would soon become afraid of speaking their mind, fearing that the tyrant would come after them. Although I am somewhat supportive of authority, I often find myself questioning their position. In other words, I realized that if the public blindly obeys authority figures without conscience, then they all are setting themselves for a tragedy. Having authority is necessary, yet the ability of questioning creates a power balance between the authority figure and the people. It is up to the public to take action if they are not satisfied with their authority

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    AP GOV. The wave

    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Authority is not evil because there is always structure needed. We need laws and rules so people can be safe. If there is no structure then society would be filled with chaos. It would be hard for people to leave their houses because it would not be as safe to go out as it is today. The authority that is needed is the kind that will help and protect…

    • 756 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dbq Absolute Government

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A monarch's authority to govern should be absolute because then there would be less conflict between differing parties. In Document 3, Bossuet writes that the prince need render no account to anyone for the orders he gives. Instead of having to discuss why a decision was made or discussing what decisions should be made, an absolute ruler can make a decision and no one would question him. John Locke believes that if the commands of a prince were opposed it would unhinge and overturn all politics, and instead of government and order, leave nothing but anarchy and confusion (Document 4). Differing parties are not only government officials but also the people being governed. In an absolute government the people should not oppose the ruler. Bousett believes men must obey princes as they obey justice itself, without which there can be no order or purpose in things (Document 3). The authority of a monarch should be absolute because there would be less conflict between differing…

    • 695 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

    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

    For as long as an authority has existed, there have been those who have challenged it, rebelled against it, and even refused to acknowledge it. Institutions that hold great power have composed what is right and wrong to those under their control. However, when an individual’s personal convictions come into conflict with authorities established morality, punishments often follow. Voltaire was correct in his assertion that “it is dangerous to be right” because there are many consequences, especially when authorities can become easily corruptible. People in power want to keep their position.…

    • 461 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Authority maintains order in our world, and every day we see figures who possess an insightful understanding of the responsibility to hold authority. Shakespeare’s’ play King Lear, and Golding’s novel Lord of the flies, explore the concept of authority to maintain order in society, whilst, representing insight as a necessity of an authoritative figure.…

    • 749 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Guilt is a very strong, uncomfortable feeling that is often a result of one’s own actions. In the play, Macbeth, the author William Shakespeare uses character development to demonstrate how guilt can be self-destructive and ultimately lead to a negative impact on an individual’s mental stability. Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and Macduff all suffer from a guilty conscience which affects them in different ways but ultimately causes them to behave irrationally. A person’s guilt and disgrace has the power to drive them to insanity and sometimes self-destruction.…

    • 1215 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    macbeth: influence

    • 1157 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth; Many people throughout the play attempt to manipulate others in order to fit their own needs and desires. prime example of this is with Lady Macbeth. She uses her influence with her husband to convince to murder King Duncan. A second, and major, example of manipulation in Macbeth is with the three witches. They give the prophecy to Macbeth, knowing that he and his wife will plan to murder King Duncan in order to fulfill it. The play encounters influence and manipulation from Lady Macbeth and the three weird sisters. Do to those characters questions begin to stir up. Such as who was the cause for everything Macbeth did? Would there be a play without neither of the characters? In opinion there would not be a play without neither of Lady Macbeth or the three witches. Thus, stating that Macbeth would have never became a Tyrant.…

    • 1157 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Role Of Honor In Macbeth

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Throughout the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses diction to convey a change in not only his characters but their environments and other character’s points of view. The varying uses of honor allow Shakespeare to introduce motifs about Macbeth’s changing character throughout the play. In the start of the play, Macbeth is an innocent thane, yet by the end, he is a merciless king who becomes obsessed with his possible power. The honor represents his valiancy at first even though by the end, honor becomes worthless because Macbeth has abused it and has lost any trust from his people.…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Regardless, leaders who crave power and desire superiority agree to weaken and terrorize people threatening their power. Equally, in Shakespeare's Macbeth, the witches tell Macbeth to be cautious of Macduff, "Beware Macduff, Beware the Thane Fife!" (125). Macbeth believes Macduff is his personal enemy that will take his power away from him. The fear of loosing the battle with England infuriates Macbeth to kill everyone close to him like Lady Macduff, his children, and his castle. To the point, Macbeth is consumed with fear of what he has done, which causes him to be sleep deprived and ravaged with guilt. He kills innocent people just to obtain more power and takes the opportunity to take down those in his way. A person who sees something that…

    • 238 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    What is ambition? Ambition is a strong desire to do something and requires hard work and determination. Do people need ambition to be successful? Many people believe they do need ambition to be successful. Ambition is a beneficial force that helps people strive to do their best.…

    • 461 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Macbeth: Controlling idea

    • 331 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Glory built on selfish acts is shame and guilt. In William Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” the main character Macbeth comes in between an indecisive situation. In the song Best Thing I never had by Beyonce she says “What goes around comes back around”. Here she expresses the term “karma”. Karma is like cause and effect, if you wish someone bad, later on what you wished to someone else could happen to you. This quote relates to Macbeth case because, if he decides to kill king Duncan he will feel fulfillment but he will have guilt in the back of his mind. Also, as the story develops Macbeth could go insane thinking about his malicious act. In the soliloquy he talks about seeing this dagger. He said “ A dagger of the mind, a false creation, proceeding from the neat-oppressed brain? I see thee yet in form as palpable as this which now I draw”( act2, scene 1, page 2). In this quote Macbeth is imagining/hallucinating the crime in which he is thinking about committing. Macbeth doesn’t look at it as a crime. He just wants to reach and gain absolute power the wrong way. If he is already thinking about killing, he would do anything outside the law to get what he wants. Through the soliloquy he shows a lot of ambition. He doesn’t know if the crime is real but, he is striving to reach his goal of being the new king. Macbeth doesn’t care about losing his reputation on being brave and honorable. So, as the play develops Macbeth is going to feel guilt and confusion. The guilt he is going to possess is going to make him vulnerable and at some point in the play he is going to speak out the truth. Overall, victory doesn’t feel the same when you do false play to try and get something. At some point you will speak out the truth and confess to your crime.…

    • 331 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Every aspect of life needs to have control, whether that is a set of laws or a leader. Life needs rules to function and work. However, power is also a dangerous thing. Power only works for the good in the hands of the good. Power has to have limits or else you end up with dictators like Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin. Both leaders were very affective in their methods, but they had radical ideas that hurt millions of people in the process.…

    • 1039 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Macbeth Justification

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In this production I am acting as Lady Macbeth, she is often portrayed as an ambitious and deceitful woman whose obsessive behaviour for power leads her to her own destruction. In this scene, Act 5 scene 1, Lady Macbeth enters carrying a light unaware of the doctor or the gentlewans presence. I decided to use an old fashion candle as my light and kept my gaze straight ahead in an attempt to capture the gaze of the audience. Throughout this entrance I keep my facial expressions tedious to illustrate her discomfort, how she has become detached of this world. I dull my voice to make it seem as if I am in a hypnotic state, then as Lady Macbeth continues to fidget with her hands I raise my voice to seem as if I am in distress. I changed the tone of my voice to fit the characters emotions as I say “Fei, my lord, fie! A soldier and afeard?” I make my voice almost angry as if I can’t believe he can be afraid when he is a solider and meant to be brave. I continue to end my lines with a guilty voice as I talk about the innocent dead King Duncan. My voice remains unchanged as I talk of the thanes wife who was also murdered. I begin to shake as I look down to my invisible blood stained hands. I have to continue walking, shaking and rubbing my hands while the gentlewoman and doctor quietly talk about my sanity. My character starts to loose herself in her anxiety and cry’s desperately because of her guilt. I continue passing and shaking till my next line were I begin talking to my husband. I change to my voice to a more panicked tone as I try to reassure him that we are safe and cannot be caught because Banquo is dead. I continue to look at my husband till I hear a knocking; I change my facial expression to a worried look. I quicken my speech as I frantically try to lead Macbeth away so we can return to our bed before anyone finds us. I end the scene clinging to my husband’s invisible hand while we hurry to our room.…

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Public (reaction) opinions of leaders is vital as this can choose how effective their rule is, being lenient on those who commit crimes or showing off compassion here and there can make those who follow to simply disobey them knowing that any consequences they do will not be met with harsh punishment. As an example of what it is to be an effective “ruler”, people of authority, like one’s own parents can have this effect of balance between “cruelty” and clemency. For example if a child disobeys their parents for stealing things, the parent can remove their privileges and “fear related to a threatening request” (Smith, Martin, McMahon, and Nursten 660) can…

    • 1211 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays