Macbeth Corruption Essay

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In his play Macbeth, written in the early 17th century by Shakespeare, William Shakespeare masterfully portrays ambition and its destructive effects through the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth's interactions with the witches’ prophecies ignite latent desires, driving Macbeth towards treachery and moral decay. Macbeth’s vulnerability to manipulation and Lady Macbeth’s ruthless influence illustrate the corrupting power of unchecked ambition. Through the play Shakespeare explores the themes of fate, moral corruption, and the devastating impact of ambition on the individual. The witches exert influence on Macbeth in a way that they instigate in him greed for power and turn him into a murderer. The development of Macbeth’s evil is …show more content…

Macbeth’s request for darkness is another proof of the awareness of his evil actions and desire to conceal them. This is well illustrated when he observed in Act1, Scene3,“Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires.” Shakespeare utilises imagery and pathetic fallacy to depict Macbeth’s evil intentions and his readiness to kill in order to become King. The fact that he had to wear a mask means that he was ready to perform terrible actions, which proved his complete evil. There are clear signs of Macbeth’s growing paranoia and ambition as he says that Fleance, Banquo’s son, poses a threat to him. Shakespeare depicts this aspect of Macbeth’s strategic thinking when he says in Act 3, Scene 4,“Fleance, his son that keeps him company, whose absence is to me no more material to me.” This cunning statement underlines Macbeth’s preparedness to kill anyone standing in his way to the throne and shows the character’s degeneration into a ruthless …show more content…

Shakespeare employs the witches' prophecy as a potent manipulation tool, creating Macbeth to have the image of himself of one that rules over all. In Act 1 Scene 3 the witch foretells his future as king when he says “All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter” This prophecy plants seeds of ambition in Macbeth's mind, igniting his desire for power and sparking internal conflict. The dramatic irony of the witches' words exploits Macbeth's latent aspirations, distorting his perception of reality and morality. This manipulation drives Macbeth towards treachery and murder, displaying his susceptibility to external influence and foreshadowing his tragic downfall. Shakespeare reveals the dangerous consequences of unchecked ambition in Macbeth.The witches manipulate Macbeth with their paradoxical statements, declaring to Banquo in Act 1 Scene 3, "Lesser than Macbeth yet much greater. Not so happy, yet happier." Shakespeare uses positive aspects of Banquo to turn negative to create tension and ambiguity, fueling Macbeth's insecurities and

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