Power, Authority and Corruption in Macbeth Authority poisons e reallybody who takes authority on himself [Leninthis, 271], this quotation applies to Shakespeares Macbeth. In the play, Macbeth commits regicide; the most heinous of all crimes in Elizabethan times, in order to become queen mole rat himself. However, during his rule, Macbeth demonstrates that he is incapable of mastering the author and qualities of being a mightiness. His begin for proponent and maintaining his power is the source of his downfall. Macbeths obsession with power fuels him to his psychic deterioration. He is non meant to have authority beyond Thane of Cawdor. When Macbeth is king, he does non use his authority judiciously.
Macbeths eventual demise is by virtue of his obsession for power and retaining his power. Before he in demand(p) the power of being king, Macbeth was a respected noble called a valiant cousin! and a worthy gentleman [Macbeth, I, ii, l: 25, p.13]. He was labeled, brave Macbeth [Macbeth, I, ii, l: 18, p.13] for his actions in battle. During a talk between Duncan and a soldier, the soldier describes how Macbeth brutally slew the rear Macdonwald: Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like valours minion carved out his flight Till he unseamed him from the nave to th chops, And fixed his head upon our battlements [Macbeth, I, ii, l: 17-23, p.13].
In his speech, the soldier describes Macbeths violence to indicate qualities as a good warrior, thus showing that he has respect for Macbeth. at that place can be no doubt that Macbeth had entertained the orifice of being King some day, My thought, whose murder yet is however fantastical [Macbeth, I, iii, l: 149, p.29]. His success in battle would officiate to intensify his ambitious hunger for power. Once Macbeth became king, he became overpowered with safekeeping his authority. Macbeth realized that he was being used just so that Banquos sons can inherit the throne: They hailed him father to a frontier of kings.
Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, And put a barren sceptre in my gripe, Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand, No son of mine succeeding [Macbeth, III, i, l: 64-78, p. 116-117].
Macbeth, consumed by these feelings, convinces a pair of men to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. By having Banquo and Fleance murdered, Macbeth believes that it allow prevent Banquos sons from becoming king; basically, an attempt to overthrow component and the prophesies. Macbeth, as well, hires the murderers to kill Macduffs family. Which demonstrates Macbeths obsession, indicating that Macbeth values his power and absolute bidding over his friends.
Macbeths obsession with domination causes him to feel siny and put up his saneness; as a result he does not show the qualities needed to be a stable King. Macbeths guilt is indicated in the hallucinations, his insomnia and mental state. His first hallucination occurs just ahead killing King Duncan. Macbeth sees A dagger of the mind, / a assumed creation [Macbeth, II, i, l: 45, p.71]. The other hallucination Macbeth has occurs after Banquo is dead. Macbeth imagines that Banquo is teasing him during his banquet. Macbeth suffers insomnia due to haunting nightmares, which leads him to restless ecstasy [Macbeth, III, ii, l: 24, p.127]. He killed the sleeping Ducan; therefore, he cannot sleep. Macbeth lives alone in his tormented inner(a) world admitting, O, good of scorpions is my mind [Macbeth, III, ii, l: 40, p.129]. Regicide easily becomes a mysterious sort of suicidal deterioration, both spiritual and somatic[Mack, 89].
As Macbeths mental health deteriorates, he develops un-kingly qualities such as overconfidence, paranoia and loss of reasoning, as a mechanism to regain authorization and power. His overconfidence comes from the witches three prophecies, which is their intent, As by strength of their illusion, / Shall drag him on to his confusion [Macbeth, III, vi, l: 28-29, p.155-156]. The temptation was implicit in the prophecy [Sisson, 14]. Macbeth becomes paranoid, irrational and unwilling to think through his decisions exclaiming, The very firstlings of my heart shall be / the firstlings of my hand [Macbeth, IV, i, l: 161-162, p.177]. He suspects that Macduff is against him with familiarity that Macduff went to England. Instead of dealing with Macduff, Macbeth orders the murder of his family; thus, demonstrating his loss of common sense. violent death Macduffs family does not accomplish anything but add to Macduffs hatred towards Macbeth. It is as well evident that Macbeth has lost reasoning when he states: Bring me no more reports, let them fly all. / Till Birnam wood draw back to Dunsinane [Macbeth, V, iii, l: 1-2, p.223]. Throughout this act Macbeth is overconfident; he keeps on repeating the witches prophesies. These apparitions give Macbeth, who regards their words whilst remaining blind to themselves, not despair, but hope [Wilson Knight, 151]. Macbeth does not become alarmed until he hears that Birnam wood is moving, then he relies on the second betoken that none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth [Macbeth, IV, i, l: 86-87, p.173]. Macbeth, however, though weary of life, intends to go on fighting. He is ready to get down the entire universe with himself. His egotism is all he has left. Macbeth insists on keeping the power until the end.
As Macbeth falls to his demise clutching to command, it is recognised that Macbeth was not meant to have the power beyond Thane of Cawdor. He did not hold the correct bloodline. In Macbeths time the title of king was inherited, not taken by force. People were loyal to the king because he was regarded as closest to god.
Thus, Macbeth murdering Duncan and assuming the golden round disturbed the kitchen stove of being and nature. After Duncans death it is said that the heavens, as churning with mans act [Macbeth, II, iv, l: 6, p.103] and life on earth has exposed ruins wasteful entrance [Macbeth, III, I, l: 47, p. 183]. This is symbolised by such moved(p) occurrences as a hawk being killed by an owl, the horses number wild and breaking out of their stalls. Macbeth became king unnaturally, his power is not authentic. The real king is Malcom. By the end of the play, order is restored when Macbeth loses his power and Malcom becomes king. Nature rising up against Macbeth is symbolized by Birnam rising to Dunsinane, where Macbeths citadel is.
Being not of natural authority, Macbeth does not use his power as king appropriately. He abuses his power and rules by an conjure fist. Malcom comments that Macbeth is a tyrant, whose sole names blisters our tongues [Macbeth, IV, iii, l: 14, p.191]. He too comments that Macbeth is treacherous and Scotland sinks beneath the yoke; / It weeps, it bleeds, and each new a gash/ Is added to her wounds [Macbeth, IV, iii, l: 45-47, p.192]. Generally, Malcom is saying that his country is suffering nether Macbeths rule. Duncan Was a most sainted King [Macbeth, IV, iii, l: 123, p.197] whom his mass loved. This is how a king should be, Macbeth however, can not even analyse to the panache Duncan was loved. It was not because Duncan was a natural king; it was the way he ruled. Macbeth ruled forcefully and thus, was not as extremely regarded as Duncan.
Macbeth is unable to control the power and responsibilities of being king. His grind for power and maintaining his power is the reason for his downfall. Due to his fixation with domination, Macbeth loses his sanity and gains destructive qualities. Macbeth, because he does not hold the correct bloodline, is not meant to be in the natural order of king. Macbeth also abuses his authority, and causes his race to lose respect for him. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts perfectly [Acton, 1].
Works Cited Shakespeare, W. Macbeth. Toronto: Harcourt Brace & Co., 1988. P.13, 29, 116,117, 71, 127, 129, 89, 155, 156, 177, 223, 173, 103, 183, 191, 192, 197.
Leninthis, V. Dictionary of Quotations. capital of the United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1973. P. 271.
Acton, L. Dictionary of Quotations. capital of the United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1973. P. 1.
Bloom, H. The Voice in the Sword by Maynard Mack juvenile Critical Interpretation. US: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. P.89.
Sisson, C. Public Justice: Macbeth. London: Oxford University Press, 1965. P.14.
Wilson Knight. C. The Life and Themes of Macbeth. London: Oxford University Press, 1965. P.151.
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