Corruption of Power in Shakespeare's Macbeth

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragic plays. It is considered a tragedy because the main character has a tragic flaw, and this is the cause of his downfall. One major reason for his downfall is how corrupted he becomes due to the power he has. Shakespeare utilizes the aspect of corruption of power in Macbeth.

William Shakespeare was born April 23, 1564. Ironically, it is on the same date, just 52 years later that he dies. William had 6 other siblings, of which he was the third oldest. Their names were Joan, Margaret, Gilbert, Joan, Anne, Richard, and Edmund. The first Joan, Margaret, and Anne all died when they were very young. The Shakespeares lived in Stratford, England for the first 20 years of his life, where his father was a key part in the community. William Shakespeare’s father, John Shakespeare, was a member of the yeoman class. His mother Mary Arden was of the gentry, a higher social class. At this time it was normal for a woman to marry beneath her social ranking, and for a man to marry someone higher than him (Boyce, “Shakespeare…”).

William most likely attended the Stratford Grammar School, however there are no records of his time their. This was a very good school and because his father was an official of Stratford, it was free for all of the Shakespeare children. While in school, Shakespeare mostly studied Latin, and Latin authors. Ovid, Livy, and Virgil can all be traced from some of his works. One of the textbooks used in his day is seen in a couple of his plays, one of which is The Merry Wives of Windsor. After leaving school at age 15, Shakespeare went off to find a job to help pay off his family’s financial issues. There were many jobs in which he could have been employed, shown in his vast backgr...

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... or academic abilities, or any other social status issues. Even though Macbeth was written in the early 17th century, its morals are still applicable today.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold, ed. “Macbeth.” Bloom’s Literature. Facts on File, Inc. Web. 27 Jan.

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Boyce, Charles. “Shakespearean Tragedy.” Bloom’s Literature. Facts on File, Inc. Web. 2

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--------. “Shakespeare, William.” Bloom’s Literature. Facts on File, Inc. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.

Knights, L.C. “Macbeth: A Lust for Power.” Bloom’s Literature. Facts on File, Inc. Web. 5 Feb. 2014.

Nelson, Cassandra. “Ambition in Macbeth.” Bloom’s Literature. Facts on File, Inc. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.

Ribner, Irving. “Evil.” Shakespeare for Students. Ed. Mark Scott. Detriot: Gale Research, 1992. 245. Print.

Scott, Mark, ed. “Principal Topics.” Shakespeare for Students. Detriot: Gale Research, 1992. 236. Print.