Shakespeare's Macbeth-The Great Chain Of Being

In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, there is a definite focus on power and who may hold that power. The protagonist and namesake of Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, is the one who seeks more power and does what he can to keep that power once he finally attains it. Macbeth’s struggle however, opens to a much bigger idea that was accepted during the Elizabethan Era - The Great Chain of Being. Shakespeare uses this play and this idea of social order that the Great Chain of Being is to give meaning to Macbeth, that one shouldn’t be too ambitious, what is should not be changed, or else chaos ensues.

During the Elizabethan Era, The Great Chain of Being was the social law that was accepted by the Elizabethans. It was a strict social order that was believed

to have been declared by God, and dictated over people’s lives. One should be happy with their status and should not seek a higher social status than what they’ve been born with or seek any more power than they have. If one were to seek any more than what they have, then chaos would ensue as they are going against God’s order. This chaos is believed to go as far as natural disasters.
Such happens in Macbeth, uncontrollable storms and earthquakes occur after Macbeth takes action to secure more power for himself. Macbeth is already a high nobleman who is well respected, but once the witches feed into the idea that he can become more - become a king - then he purposely takes action into his own hands and kills King Duncan. After doing so, chaos does ensue, there are storms and earthquakes and both he and his wife Lady Macbeth turn mad as the days go by, seeing ghosts or unwashable, bloody stains.
Shakespeare uses this disorder and chaos to convey to his audience during the Elizabethan Era, when Macbeth was performed, that The Great Chain of Being has its meaning and needs to be maintained. If it were to be disrupted, then God’s wrath will befall on man and will continue to do so until order is once again restored. Macbeth is his example of such, everything falls apart and continues to do so until Malcolm and Macduff overthrow Macbeth themselves when Macduff finally kills him. This idea of The Great Chain of Being was of great importance to the Elizabethans so seeing the act of someone actually destroying that order, and the chaos that occurs after it, only strengthens the belief behind that social order. The relief the audience feels when Macbeth is finally killed, only serves to enhance Shakespeare’s meaning for this play: there is a God given order for a reason, one shouldn’t manipulate it.