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Discussing about power and corruption, a British Lord Acton wrote “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” People who argue that “power tends to corrupt” have three main arguments: human has a strong desire for power, power negatively affects one’s mind, and person with absolute power is beyond everything; which will be proved through Macbeth by William Shakespeare. First and foremost, power-hungry is inside human since it is believed to make lives better. I am one, my liege,/ Whom the vile blows and buffets of the world/ Hath so incens’d that I am reckless what I do/ To spite the world. (III.i.111-114) Two Murderers are people without power (even to control their life). In the quote, readers can see that they are so powerless that they are willing to do whatever Macbeth wants (even if it is morally wrong) to have a better life. Power …show more content…
allows people to control their lives. Nevertheless, not only the one with no power seeking for power, but powerful people also want more power since they believe power makes a happier life. Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, and his wife are powerful people, and having a good life, but they still want to have the power of King and Queen. The Macbeth think that by being King and Queen, they would be very happy. Ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep/ In the affliction of these terrible dreams/ That shake us nightly. Better be with the dead,/ Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent to peace,/ Than on the torture of the mind to lie/ In restless ecstasy. (III.ii.18-26) The Macbeth used to think that they will have happiness when they become King and Queen. However, they realize that while the dead king peacefully rest in his grave, they have to deal with the troublesome consequences of their deed. The delusion that power brings happiness makes people crave for more power. In other word, power magnifies the desire for power. There are big differences in Macbeth before and after he becomes Thane of Cawdor. He said “The Prince of Cumberland: that is a step/ On which I must fall down, or o’erleap,” (I.v.48-49) and “Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor:/The greatest is behind.” (I.iii.115-16). Before being Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth is Thane of Glamis and warrior of Scotland, he does not think of anything else, and he even doubts the Witches’ Prophecies. Nonetheless, when he becomes Thane of Cawdor, he starts believing the witches and acts to become King. He thinks Prince of Cumberland is his obstacle he has to “o’verleap.” The power from being Thane of Cawdor activates his desire to have a greater power of being king. In a word, power-hungry is inside everyone and it is magnified by the delusion that power brings happiness and by power itself. Moreover, power adversely changes one’s mind. When a person achieves power, he will feel more secured, well being, and have respect from other people; however, he also looks down on people. Before Macbeth becomes King of Scotland, he and Banquo have an equal status. Then when Macbeth becomes King, Banquo shows a lot of respect and royalty to his King. Let your highness/ Command upon me, to the which my duties/ Are with a most indissoluble tie/ Forever knit (III.i.16-19) Macbeth generally has more esteem from Banquo and other people. However, showing less respect to other people, leader appears to corrupt. When a position of a person rises, his arrogance also increases. After becoming King, Macbeth shows extremely disrespect to the witches. He “conjure” the Witches to answer him in uncompromising language: He matches their power with a powerful curse of his own, demanding to have an answer even if it requires the unleashing of all the elements of air, water, and earth; even if all the universe "tumble" into ruin. I conjure you by that which you profess— Howe'er you come to know it—answer me./ Though you untie the winds and let them fight/ Their heads to their foundations, though the treasure/ Of nature’s germens tumble all together,/ Even till destruction sicken, answer me/ To what I ask you.
(IV.i.49-60) There is a saying that goes, “with great power comes great responsibilities.” However, most people, when having great power, forget their responsibilities to use power to benefit people, and only focus on their personalized power, which is used for personal gain. Importantly, personalized power and socialized power are not exclusive. Unfortunately, the problem is that when personalized power dominates, leader’s action will cost his followers’ expense. Macbeth is King of Scotland, his responsibility is to protect, support people of Scotland. Yet, his lust to keep his crown drives him to be a “killing machine.” The castle of Macduff I will surprise,/ Seize upon Fife, give to th' edge o' th' sword/ His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls/ That trace him in his line. No boasting like a fool./ This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool.
(IV.ii.149-155) To achieve his goal, he kills people whom his duty is to protect. Macbeth should have protected his King, Duncan, instead of murdering him; Macbeth should have protected his people, Banquo and Macduff’s family, instead of killing them. Ultimately, power exerts a negative impact on people’s mind; the more people possess power, the more they focus on their own egocentric desires and the less able they are to see others' perspectives. Lastly, absolute power corrupts absolutely because absolute power acclaims a person as the greatest of all, therefore they are immune to criticism; and personal morality will not stand up when they are absolved of criticism. Macbeth turns to be a tyrant because no one criticizes him, no one stops him. Lennox can drive Macbeth back in the right direction instead of just following Macbeth’s command. Lennox reports to Macbeth “'Tis two or three, my lord, that bring you word/ Macduff is fled to England.” (IV.ii.140-52) If Macbeth did not have an absolute power of a King, Lennox could have saved Macduff’s family from being murdered. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good man to do nothing.” And when “the evil” possesses the mighty power, there is no way but to follow him. The doctor says “(aside) Were I from Dunsinane away and clear,/ Profit again should hardly draw me here.” (V.iv.62-63). When Macbeth becomes a tyrant, his people has no choice but to serve him. Absolute power corrupts absolutely because most people can no longer set their morals objectively when in the face of total praise and a complete lack of accountability. If the world affirms everything they think all while praising how perfect they are, then they will likely see themselves as gods among men. Most people, without accountability to check them or any powerful critic to threaten them, will fall into this narcissistic spiral. In conclusion, human always have a strong desire for power, but power has adverse impact on characteristics of the one who has that power, and when it comes to absolute power, the absolution of the power absolutely make a person corrupt. “Great men are almost always bad men, the more power one possesses, the more corrupt one is.
“With great power comes great responsibility”, a quote that has been repeated over the ages and said to every person of power. Yet we ask ourselves from time to time, who among us deserves to rule and bear such a burden upon their shoulders? Well, Shakespeare in his play Macbeth reveals to us a message about power, its implications and consequences on human beings, and offers an answer to our question above. When people come into a position of power the definition of power is altered and changed according to their perspective, where they believe that every decision that they take and do which hurts others and may even result in their demise is not of their responsibility, they would believe that what they are doing is the right thing no matter what it is and even if it is to others morally repugnant. And such people would do anything to remain in that position withholding power causing them into doing horrible things such as murder, deception, lying, bribery, coning and stealing.
Power is a very interesting thing to hold. Many good-natured men have been destroyed by power and turned away from their morals as a result. When giving a man absolute power, it’s ingrained in the human brain to take it to a new level. This ideal is present in every type of government, regardless of whether it’s a dictatorship or a government supported by autonomy. Modern day government suffers from this power hungry greed.
In William Shakespeare Macbeth the composer emphasizes the controlling force that power possesses over another being. Shakespeare utilizes many types of powers in different contexts, such as domestic power, supernatural power and the power of the natural order within Elizabethan society. The composer employs these powers within the text to not illustrate but also highlight their controlling and possessive influence on the central figures within the text. The play climax’s around the protagonist dealing with the consequences of his actions in succumbing to external pressures and an inner hunger for ambition and power. In perusing such desires he gets killed epitomising the rigidity to the natural order in which all citizens during the Elizabethan era must conform to.
In Shakespeare’s novel Macbeth, the theme of ambition for power and the corruption that comes along with it, is seen through the main character Macbeth. Macbeth first gains power at the beginning of the book, but as he rises higher up in the ranks, he begins to become more controlled by his newfound power in an effort to become the king of Scotland. As his power grew his corruption did as well, killing anybody who threatened his path to become king. This would lead to the eventual death of him, his wife and countless others. By analyzing the way Macbeth is under the influence of unrestrained ambition for power, it is clear that an unhealthy urge for power can lead to serious and devastating consequences for not only himself but the people around
This can be seen through the character Macbeth and in many ways in modern society. Through the play ‘Macbeth’ the character Macbeth is corrupted by power and greed causing him to assassinate the king, Duncan, in order to achieve his goals. In contemporary society some people will destroy the careers and lives of others for their own gain. Power can lead to some people becoming so hungry for dominance and influence that they may not make rational decisions. Macbeth shows how power can affect one’s sense of security, as it forces him to pay professional assassins to kill his friends Banquo and Macduff in order to ‘secure’ the crown for
Power is a corrupting entity, which is a part of our human condition as we show
American author Edward Abbey concludes “Power is always dangerous. Power attracts the worst and corrupts the best.” This quote means that with power comes corruption. Many people are trusted with power, and we don’t know what they will do with it. Many of the respected people in our nation and world have some amount of power. However many of the respected people lose their popularity and respect, because they abuse their power, as sheriff hadley does in, A Ranger Rides to Town, by Louis L’Amour. People use their power to gain respect of others and when they abuse their power they are punished for it. Not only do people abuse their power and don’t do their jobs properly, but also these people are punished.
Power can have the persuasive action in undoing the moral ethics of one’s character. This can be seen throughout history, such as World War II and proven by the actions of Napoleon in the allegory, Animal Farm, by George Orwell. As Lord Acton said “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In history what was viewed as a villain or wrong doer is never the same as the perception. A leader does not begin wanting to do wrong, they start with the best intentions, but power is a tricky thing, showcased in Animal Farm as Utopian ideals but with failed practices.
Man's power tends to corrupt relatively quickly. This fact has been shown in J.R.R.Tolkien's book entitled, The Fellowship of the Ring. It is not power that corrupts man, though. Pride does. In the Bible it says that pride comes from destruction. This was how Boromir's downfall came to be. Power will make a man aggressive. Man will believe that he deserves power. Power will ultimately kill a man.
What makes power so desirable? The struggle to have the most power has been going on since the beginning of time. We all want power because whoever is in control can usually gain or accomplish whatever he or she wants, whether it is positive or negative. Sometimes, those that acquire power use it for the benefit all. Tragically, others use the control they attain only for their own gain, hurting others in the process. Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, delivers the horrifying consequences that can occur when power lands in the hands of the wrong people.
In the tragedy of Macbeth, WIlliam Shakespeare shows the struggles of power, jealousy built by others, and the truth behind a guilty mind. When Macbeth and Lady Macbeth learn of the prophecies of him being king made out by the Witches, he sets out to do everything he can to make them possible. In doing so he kills King Duncan, hires murderers to kill Duncan’s sons, along with Macduff’s family, and Banquo. When Macduff learns of the killings he runs to England to inform Malcolm and to build an army to fight against the uprising traitor Macbeth. After the battle is done and Macbeth is dead Malcolm is finally crowned rightful king.The actions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth lay out the overall theme of the play. Power corrupts by showing true character,
Power can lead to either great things or a tragic ruin. Sadly, it is more often that power leads to a dark, desolate place. Many leaders are easily corrupted by the power they are granted. When power falls into the wrong hands, then disaster is just around the corner. The corrupted leaders typically don’t last long in their position and bring themselves down quickly. People tend to take advantage of the power because they are given power overnight and don’t know the best way to handle it. The lust for power is where the corruption begins. Throughout history, it is clear that when one gains power for the wrong reasons, they don’t use the power wisely. Power corrupts is a theme clearly seen in The Tragedy of Macbeth, Hamlet, and Animal Farm.
John Acton’s quote about power corrupting people is greatly supported by present, historical, fiction and non fictional characters. Absolute power does corrupt absolutely. Many publicly recognized figures use their power to take away from others. Corruption is the misuse of public power for private gain. Those who are corrupt are morally broken and make poor decisions that deviate away from what the public accepts as correct. (Corruption) Those in leadership positions always take advantage of those under them in some way, further proving that power corrupts.
Trust and corruption - two characteristics that rest on opposite sides of the spectrum. One can bring people closer together, the other will certainly drive those same people apart. Shakespeare’s Macbeth displays examples of trust and corruption and shows how what affected us four hundred years ago, still happens today.
To become powerful, is to become corrupt and The Tragedy of Macbeth is a prime example. In William Shakespeare's tragic tale, a young noblemen soon becomes corrupt when he is given the opportunity to become king. His need for power and safety drives him to corruption, ultimately killing off anyone who stands in his path: innocent or not. Throughout the play, many characters portray the impact power has on a relationship: Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, Banquo and Macbeth, Macduff and Macbeth and many more. While all these characters were affected by power in the play, Banquo and Macbeth's relationship best demonstrates the effect of power. By examining the effect that power can have on relationships in The Tragedy of Macbeth, it is clear that Banquo and Macbeth's relationship represent best what the impact of power on friendship can be like. This ultimately illustrates that the need for power can drive people to take extreme measures in capturing that power.