<p>Human beings can be quite ingenious. When crises occur, or can be sold even when they do not exist, there is a tendency by those who have or desire wealth and power to use them for political and economic purposes. Insofar as many of the top ranking politicians of today are guilty of this moral sin, Shakespeare’s characters of nearly 400 years ago are equally as guilty. In his famous play Macbeth, Shakespeare uses Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and the three witches to demonstrate how power can corrupt and destroy.</p>
<p>The plot of Macbeth becomes predictable when three witches, refereed to as the “weird sisters”, approach Macbeth and Banquo with a prophecy:</p>
<li> WITCH. All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!</li>
<li> WITCH. All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!</li>
<li> WITCH. All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereaftter! (1.3 50-55)</li>
</ol>
<p>After learning of his assumed good fortune, Macbeth holds the seed of power that will soon lead to his demise. Since the witches also implied that Banquet’s sons will someday be kings, there is now a silent tension between Macbeth and Banquo, for Macbeth must feel that Banquo would harm him in favor of his sons, and Banquo must be aware of this, if only because he surmises what Macbeth is thinking. Shortly after the murder of King Duncan, Macbeth, who is now the king, grows increasingly paranoid. This is proven when he says: “For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind;” (3.1 69). Shortly thereafter, seeing Banquo and his sons as a threat to his crown, Macbeth orders a hit on Banquo and Banquo’s son Fleance. Although Fleance manages to escape death, Banquo dies, a causality of a Macbeth’s powertrip.</p>
<p>To one not familiar with Macbeth, it would seem that Macbeth was solely responsible for the death of King Duncan. But this was not case. In fact, Lady Macbeth played an integral role in the murder of King Duncan, meticulously using her mental power over Macbeth to coerce him into committing the murder. When Macbeth declares that he no longer plans to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth vehemently attacks his manhood: “When you durst do it, then you were a man;” (1.7 55), and hence uses her power over Macbeth to corrupt him. Her deception does not stop there; she even devises a plan, intended for her husband to carry out, to kill King Duncan. Lady Macbeth’s power over Macbeth is unmistakable, and her propensity to use that power to corrupt Macbeth is undeniable.</p>
<p>The prophecy that the witches reveal at the beginning of Macbeth sets the table for the web of moral corruption which follows. In this respect, the witches are analogous to God; that is, all of the tragedies that follow are due to them, and they have the power to relieve the situation at any time. Unfortunately for Macbeth, the witches instead use their power to cause discord. This becomes apparent when the witches comply with an order from Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, to provide Macbeth with a false sense of security. “Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn / The pow’r of man, for none of women born / Shall harm” (4.1 89-91), Witch 2 says, in an attempt to unjustly ease Macbeth immediate worries. </p>
<p>Macbeth proves that power is a good friend to corruption, and this observation seems to include few exceptions. The abuse of power exhibited in Macbeth, which in return leads to corruption, starts at the top of the food chain, in this case the witches, and works its way down to the bottom, in this case Lady Macbeth. And as with real life, one does not have to use a microscope to see this trend.</p>
<p>P.S. THe rubric called for 5 quotes, but screw that! I have 4!~</p>