Power And Prosperity In Macbeth

Power and prosperity are two things that all people desire. Whether they be wealthy seeking more wealth, or impoverished looking for a way out, many people will do whatever they need in order to achieve their goals. However, the danger behind this, is that if determination or ambition goes along unchecked, then it can result in a pathway of destruction. In William Shakespeare’s, Macbeth, there is a lesson to be learned about how one should go about achieving goals, and then how one should be cognizant of his or her actions along the way. The main idea surrounding this play, is that the hunger for power that Macbeth craves comes from the idea that was planted into his head by the witches. The witches can clearly be seen as malicious in their

Macbeth’s psyche throughout the play begins to develop a very schizophrenic way of functioning, which is simply based off of the surroundings Macbeth experiences. Macbeth’s efforts to achieve and secure his power are committed blindly, and this is simply seen through his ruthless acts of murder. Beginning with the murder of Duncan, Macbeth commits the murder without a second thought, but prior to it he falls into a hallucination where he looks upon a dagger which provokes the murder in the first place. Further on in the play, once he achieves the throne, Macbeth looks back on Banquo’s fortune and recalls that his offspring was alleged to have had the throne in the future. To prevent this, Macbeth orders to have both Banquo and his son murdered. Soon after at a dinner party, Macbeth claims to see the “ghost” of Banquo, and since he is entranced by it, Macbeth starts to talk about the secret acts of he and his wife out loud. Lady Macbeth shuts down the party and begins to show worry about her husband. This worry, along with her hidden acts, start to take a toll on her well-being as well as damage her own psyche. Meanwhile, Macbeth must combat the opposing forces of Macduff and Malcom, but since he is so caught up in the upcoming battle, he loses sight of his wife’s health. Lady Macbeth has been losing proper functioning skills, to the point where she is sleep walking, having visions, and acting out of character, and these all lead up to her unspecified death. This tragic loss completely breaks Macbeth and all his internal defenses. By the time of battle, Macbeth does not see the “point” in fighting anymore, this vulnerability leads to his execution by Macduff. By having this unhealthy mindset, with no sign of mercy, Macbeth lashes out over paranoia, and with