Right from the start everyone is born with a clean slate. Some choose to keep that clean slate going, while some choose otherwise. In this world there are people who do good and serve the people around them with loyalty and honor. There are also people who are good to start but then slowly turn into an evil monster themselves. Macbeth a young and very respected warrior hero is pressured into doing things he isn't fond of. But as time goes on things change and intentions shift. It starts off with Macbeth being forced into murder by his wife, but as the story continues the changed Macbeth emerges and causes pure evil within the kingdom. Macbeth by Willam Shakespeare shows us that almost always the strive for power can turn even the most innocent people into corrupt ones.
Power can be a uncontrollable drug. It can make you do some of the wildest things, and although we know it's wrong, the light at the end of the tunnel being all the power in the world can make the good seem bad. "Is there enough water in the oceans to wash my hands of this blood? No! More Likely my hands will stain the vast green seas blood-red."(2.2.73) At this time Duncan was king and his heir was his son. But, Macbeth's wife pressured and mocked Macbeth about not being capable of any manly tasks and held Macbeth accountable to being a coward. Macbeth was seen as a girl and someone who was scared of such evil, and so Macbeth tried to prove himself to his wife by killing Duncan. "See there – look! There! Now what do you say? [to the ghost] Why, what do I care? If you can nod, speak too! If graves and tombs will send back those we bury, we'd better feed our corpses to the vultures."(3.4.117) This comes right after Macbeth murders Banquo his best friend on his own terms – although inside he feels the guilt and knows what he did was wrong. Macbeth still has some human within himself but, the glimpse of power numbs his senses and makes him start to change into a corrupt and evil person. When he attempted to prove himself worthy to his wife that feeling of power slowly turned his morality. Power can change a person from good to bad.
Once a glimpse of something great is revealed, the weak stray from the path of innocence and join the path of the corrupt and evil, because the weak have so much power it can get uncontrollable. "If you are lying, you'll hang alive on the next tree till you die of hunger!"(5.5.193) Once power was given to Macbeth he forever changed. Killing became an everyday thing and lives were taken as a joke. To take a life all it took was a few words, it was as easy so smashing an ant. Before he was king Macbeth couldn't even look at a dead body. Then after the drug power came into play everything changed. "[Macduff enters, with Macbeth's head on a pole]"(5.7.203) Sometimes the weak can't control the power that is given to them. Macbeth couldn't control his powers that he gained and in doing so got himself killed. From good and innocent Macbeth became wicked and cruel.
You will always have a choice. Some keep there good streak going while some crash and burn. Macbeth crashed and burned the moment power was introduced and put right in front of him. William Shakespeare shows us that almost always the road of power leads from innocence to corruptness. Macbeth lost his humanity as the story went on and changed from the innocent human who couldn't even look at a dead body, to someone who caused dead bodies.
No comments:
Post a Comment