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Pursuit Of Power In Macbeth

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It is human nature to want power, to be at the top of the pyramid, to be king/queen, but that comes at a price as shown in Macbeth. In the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth will do anything to have absolute power and nothing stands in their way. From killing to going completely mad, they will become the next king and queen at all costs. The ambition and the want for power is so high that they kill many, they do whatever they can to be one step closer, and they go completely insane, all because they want that absolute power. Although killing is illegal, Macbeth sees no harm at all to killing King Duncan because he said that his son will be next in line for king. In Act 2 Scene 1 lines 64 and 65 Macbeth states, “Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell”. This showing that in his pursuit of power Macbeth will kill anyone and does not care where they end up, as long as they are dead. His ambition to be king is so high that while in this pursuit of power he will do whatever it takes to get to the top. But this comes back to haunt him when he realizes that King Duncan actually …show more content…

Well Lady Macbeth, who is dead set on having absolute power, disagrees with that. She convinces Macbeth to kill, to cover up the murders, and tries to convince him that these murders will get them to the top. Lady Macbeth calls upon the witches and states, “unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty” (Macbeth Act 1 Scene 5 lines 31 and 31). This shows that while in the pursuit of power, Lady Macbeth wanted it so much that she asked the witches to “unsex” her and make her more like man. But along with that you see the theme of gender roles are uncertain which ties into Lady Macbeth leading Macbeth in this pursuit of power, also giving him the ambition that she wants him to

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