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Role Of Power In Macbeth

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The representation of power has changed over time due to the manifestation of power and how people wield it. Power, according to the Oxford dictionary is the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events. The quote by Lord Acton is an observation that a person's sense of morality lessens as his or her power increases. William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth unravels the complex relationship between love and ambition. The antagonists of the play are the three witches, who symbolise the theme appearance and reality. Exemplification of power has been prominent throughout history, from moral use through to immoral. The development of power has been evident in other literary sources; for instance, Martin Luther …show more content…

Macbeth is a tragedy that plays out a savage dichotomy between the head and the heart. Throughout the course of the play, Macbeth the dichotomy within Macbeth’s character by falling from the lofty hearts of a pure and loyal warrior to a murderous savage determined to fulfil the prophecy delivered to him by supernatural powers. The witches influence on how Macbeth made his decisions played a crucial part in contributing to his eventual destruction. They planted the seed of evil in Macbeth’s head that grew to dominate his mind. “Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor: The greatest is behind.” Due to the outside influence from the witches, he thinks that it is his destiny and that he must do everything to fulfil it; Lady Macbeth’s constant harassment pushed Macbeth to commit all evil. “When you durst do it, then you were a man; and, to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man.” Through his own ambitions, the ambition of his wife and the witches’ prophecies, Macbeth caused his own destruction and downfall. Ambition and power are something sought by many people, however, intentions of different people are

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