Loss Of Power In Macbeth

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Macbeth is quite possibly one of Shakespeare’s most famous and well known tragedy; the play details the title character’s struggles with prophecy of becoming king and his eventual descent into madness and evil, as well as the deterioration of Scotland and the natural order. This play dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of unbridled ambition on those who obsessively seek power. However, Shakespeare touches upon numerous other themes throughout this play, such as guilt, fate, violence, and the natural order, just to name a few; his expert and clever use of motifs throughout the story emphasize many of these themes. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the upset of the natural word, the repeated mentions of hallucinations, and the …show more content…

fate respectively. During the time Macbeth was written, many people believed in the concept of the “Great Chain of Being”—a hierarchical structure of creation, thought to have been decreed by God; the murder of King Duncan creates a ripple effect and the chain of being only continues to become more disrupted throughout the play, shown through the upset of nature which is repeatedly mentioned. It was understood back in Shakespeare’s time that if even one thing is changed in the “Great Chain of Being”, the entire chain would begin to deteriorate and crumble, creating chaos and leaving the world in ruin. This idea is established early on in the play and is reiterated by Macduff after King Duncan is found dead in Macbeth’s home: “Confusion now hath made his masterpiece. / Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope / The Lord’s anointed temple, and stole thence / The life o’ th’ building!” (II. iii. 61-64). In the “Great Chain of Being”, it was believed that God had placed himself at the very top of the hierarchy, followed by angels, kings, clergy, commonfolk, and

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