The Power Of Man In Macbeth

John Acton once said, “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The power of man is a topic that humankind has pondered about for a number of years. This idea is also discussed by one of the most famous playwrights in history: William Shakespeare. In various plays like “Romeo and Juliet” and “Hamlet”, Shakespeare makes us aware of the true power of man, and how too much of it can have serious drawbacks. However, a true depiction of such an idea is seen in “Macbeth”. In the play, the character Macbeth is culpable for the murder of his kinsman, king, and guest: Duncan, as evidenced by the use of literary features in acts two, three, and four.

The second act in Macbeth depicts Macbeth’s culpability by the means of personification. In scene one, Macbeth sees a dagger in front of his eyes. While the dagger appears to be real, he attempts to touch it and fails in doing so, saying “I have thee not, and yet I see thee still” (II, i, 36). He consequently remarks: “Mine eyes are made the fools o’th’other senses” (II, i, 44). In doing so, Macbeth implies that he lost control of what his eyes see. Unfortunately for Macbeth, his loss of visual awareness is what truly exhibits his culpability. Humans, accustomed to committing crimes, often lose their self-control and allow themselves to make harsh decisions without forethought. This quick, ignorant decision-making elicits a certain ruthlessness; hence, Macbeth ends up killing his own family member and king: Duncan. While