Power: the ability to influence the behavior of others. We have leaders like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barack Obama. These three individuals have done their share to change things for us, in the time that we’re living in now. They showed humanity the greatest life lessons known in history. But sometimes power can be taken to another direction. Macbeth by William Shakespeare sets the example of how receiving more power can corrupt a person’s mind, wanting to do whatever it takes to maintain it.
In Macbeth, Macbeth gets corrupted by the greed for power. The way Macbeth himself get corrupted, is very clear. For example in the beginning, Macbeth seems like the sort of person who wouldn’t commit the act of murder, since he has a conscience. This is because Lady Macbeth is the one that manipulates Macbeth to commit the crime at first. Macbeth has his doubts, but Lady Macbeth urges him to do it. “What if we should fail?” (1. 7. 59) “...screw up your courage to the uttermost, And we won’t fail”(1. 7. 60-61). People that influence us aren’t always a good influence, as sometimes all they do is just get you into more trouble. Lady Macbeth then goes on to explain the plan and reassures Macbeth by saying “Who would dare to take it otherwise since we shall grieve and lament his death so loudly?”(1. 7. 77-9). Macbeth was unsure about this and needed reassurance to go through with it. Being pressured into doing certain things can get us thinking about what we’re actually capable of doing. Macbeth was just getting started, as he didn’t know the power he actually had with him.
Lady Macbeth’s attitude towards power is kinda similar to Macbeth’s. At the beginning, when Lady Macbeth reads the letter from her husband telling her about the witches, she would be willing to risk anything to see Macbeth reign as king. Take it as if you were famous for example. You’ll do whatever it takes to keep you with the A-List celebrities. It’s the same for Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Her opinion about murder is that if it helps her to get what she wants, she’s in on it. Lady Macbeth’s purpose for murder proves that she’s been successful in getting rid of her own emotions, as she lies effortlessly. An example is her welcoming speech when the king arrives at their castle, showing that all she wants is power and nothing else. Power can get to someone’s head, but if they can control it, there’s nothing wrong with a little power. Other things should matter besides just having power, because you can lose it if you don’t use it wisely.
Macduff opposes Macbeth because he knows what is right from wrong. Macduff never wants the crown for himself. His desire is to see the rightful king on the throne. Because Macduff isn’t very clever with words, he does not voice his disapproval but by his absence. He refuses to attend Macbeth’s crowning or put in an appearance at Macbeth’s feast just to keep up appearances. Macduff’s honesty is revealed when he is tested by Malcom in Act 4, Scene 3. When Macduff hears of the murder of his wife and children, he handles it maturely. He then converts his pain into righteous revenge. He’s the example of what we should be doing when we have power. We shouldn’t just want our power, but we can acknowledge it from time to time.
All in all power is something that we can all agree that it’s a privilege to have. Using it wisely will cause you to actually gain the power you already have, as others will see that you now know how to deal with certain things. Letting the power get to your head will cause you to do the exact opposite, as you will lose power and will be left with none. Macbeth started off knowing how to manage with power, but slowly got out of control, ending with him dead. Lady Macbeth wasn’t any better than him, as she commits suicide even before Macbeth dies himself. Macbeth by William Shakespeare will teach you that if power isn’t used wisely, doing whatever it takes to maintain it won’t be enough to get it back.
