Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely Macbeth

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Recommended: Concerning the art of persuasion

Pliego, 1
Arianna Pliego
Ms. Emily Brown
English 12A
October 19, 2017
The Art of Persuasion The concept of power in Shakespeare’s, Macbeth, is described by Lord Acton as, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely". However, rarely is the idea of power in real life so easily categorized. In reality, power in of itself is not the source of an individual’s corruption since it does not possess any qualities that would overwhelm the one being influenced. Instead, I believe corruption of an individual is more telling of human nature than of the “corrupting ability” of power. It is my belief that power alone is not enough to skew our moral compass, instead I propose that weakness of character was already present, power does not corrupt, and that power only serves to reveal someone’s true nature. …show more content…

This was clearly substantiated with Macbeth's unfiltered personality and negative desires, which led to his corrupt behavior. Macbeth's corrupt nature and lack of morals were initially demonstrated when he and Banquo met the three witches who foretold Macbeth's fortune as a future king. However, Macbeth realized that the present king was surely an obstacle to his crown. As a result, Macbeth's depraved nature and murderous ambition are awoken as evidenced of his thoughts, "My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man That function is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is but what is not" (Shakespeare Act 1, Scene 3). Macbeth's dark human nature was exposed long before his rise to

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