Macbeth Thematic
Project: Power
Thematic Statement
The tragedy “Macbeth”, written by William Shakespeare, shows the negativity of corrupt
power by demonstrating that power gained at the expense of the lives and well-being of
others cannot be enjoyed for fear and paranoia of the inevitable consequences of one’s
actions.
Act I
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How both Macbeth and Banquo react to the witches’ prophecies of power
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Macbeth wants to hear more and is intrigued with the idea of gaining power, but Banquo is more cautious
and realizes the responsibilities/consequences that come with power
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“Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more:... Or why upon this blasted heath you stop our way with
such prophetic greetings? Speak, I charge you.” (Macbeth, Act I, Scene III).
Macbeth fears that Malcolm’s new honor as Duncan’s heir is a threat to his ascension; he is power hungry and thus
decides to dispose of him.
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“That is a step on which I must fall down , or else o’erleap…”
The second that Lady Macbeth reads her husband’s letter, she is already imagining herself as the queen of Scotland
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“... fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direct cruelty!”
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This introduces contrast as we continue on to her eventual demise.
Banquo cautions Macbeth to think before reacting to his prophecy; power isn’t worth betrayal.
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“But ‘tis strange: and oftentimes, to win us our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with
honest trifles, to betray’s in deepest consequence.”
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Banquo can sense Macbeth’s growing lust for power and is warning him of the consequences that
would follow sinful actions.
Act I Quote Analysis
The quote highlighted in the previous slide shows that Banquo has a concern on how
Macbeth views power. This connects to the theme in the sense that Banquo believes that
Macbeth may be seduced or changed by the power the witches prophesied. Banquo knows
the human desire to have more power can lead them to do things they wouldn’t do
otherwise, and also that he will suffer greatly from the paranoia he will feel by default, so
because he cares for Macbeth, he cautions him with this quote and reveals the theme before
the action of the play goes to demonstrate it. Banquo even uses the words “betray” and
“consequences”, which ties to our theme that power can manipulate someone to betray
others just in order to “secure” it.
Act II
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Malcolm and Donalbain both flee to not only keep power but to escape people that may try to
take their lives to acquire power. They realize how power corrupts people.
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“To Ireland, I; our separated fortune shall keep us both the safer. Where we are there’s
daggers in men’s smiles; near the blood, the nearer bloody” (Donalbain lines 132-135).
The unnatural things that happened the night of KIng Duncan’s death symbolizes the
unnatural shift in power after Macbeth murdered him. Signs that Macbeth’s power is wrongly
acquired.
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Owl killed a falcon
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Horses eating each other
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“A falcon, tow’ring in her pride of place, was by a mousing owl hawked at and
killed…” (scene 4 lines 12 - 13) “And Duncan’s horses-... ‘Tis said they eat each
other.” (scene 4 lines 14, 17).
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During this time, it was believed that kings had a Divine Right from God/a higher
being to rule. When Macbeth murdered King Duncan, the shift of the power was
against God’s intentions, hence why these unnatural things happened.
Scone is the election of a new king which is the physical form of shifting power.
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“He is already named, and gone to Scone to be invested” (Macduff lines 31-32 in
Scene IV).
Act II Quote Analysis
Not only was this shift of power present, the fact that it was considered unnatural shows
that Macbeth is willing to betray and hurt others just to secure power. Even though Macbeth
is close to King Duncan, he has been seduced by Lady Macbeth and the feeling of
power-lust itself to go forth with the plan to kill King Duncan to force upon an unnatural
shift in power. Even though Shakespeare wrote this hundreds of years ago, this trait is still
evident in society today. People are willing to hurt others just to gain power in jobs,
companies, teams, court, etc. People are willing to gain power even if it is considered
unnatural and it harms others, not thinking about how it will affect those people and later
themselves..
Act III
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Macbeth has a growing fear that Banquo knows that he killed Duncan as well as that
Banquo’s sons will take over his power because he has a male heir and Macbeth doesn’t. This
leads to Macbeth getting murderers to kill Banquo and his son through manipulation and
bribing. He is so paranoid that he feels he has to do everything in his power to cover his
tracks.
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“Both of you know Banquo was your enemy” (lines 113-114 in scene I).
The power between the relationship of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth shifts, as Macbeth is now
the one taking charge and Lady Macbeth is worried about his actions.
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Not telling Lady Macbeth about his plans/future actions.
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“Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck,...” (scene 3 line 45).
Macbeth starts to lose his sanity which is a side effect of being paranoid. The reason he is
paranoid is because of him trying to keep the power he now has as king.
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He sees the ghost of Banquo and starts to yell at them.
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“Prithee, see there! Behold! Look! Lo! How say you? How, what care I?...” (scene
4 lines 68 - 69).
Act III Quote Analysis
As seen in Macbeth, there have been many examples throughout history of humans losing
sanity and well-being because of guilt over power. Whether it is over the fear of not gaining
power or paranoia that they will lose the power that they have gained, humans tend to
change. Just like how Macbeth saw Banquo’s ghost and started yelling at it, people
sometimes get haunted over physical or metaphorical guilt usually because of an unethical
action to gain power. Napoleon, depicted in the artwork later on, acts in a controversial way
when him and his wife are coronated into kingship. He physically takes the crown from the
Pope so that he can put it on her himself. This action, which is against the norm of what a
king should have done then, shows that Napoleon, just like Macbeth, is paranoid that he may
lose the power he earned because of others around him. Just like Napoleon feared the
Pope’s power, Macbeth feared Banquo’s power. This causes Macbeth to murder Banquo,
which eventually leads to Macbeth losing his sanity. Power, throughout history, has been
evident to change humans, usually for the worst.
Act IV
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The three apparitions at the beginning of the act help to ensure Macbeth that he will keep his power
and he should stop killing because he is afraid he will lose it.
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“...none of a woman born shall harm Macbeth” (Macbeth scene I lines 80-81).
Act IV also explains the intentions of why Macduff goes to England. He is going to find Malcolm and
gather forces to fight against Macbeth whose power has made him a tyrant.
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“Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself; within my sword’s length set him” (Macduff
scene III lines 233 - 234).
The army, led by general Siward, that Malcolm has gathered is made of “ten thousand soldiers” (lines
134 - 135) is powerful because of the sheer number of soldiers. Using that big of a number not only
provides a fear factor using pathos, but states a fact that shows how powerful their side is.
Macbeth hires murderers to kill Macduff’s family because he fled to England.
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“But yet I’ll make assurance double sure, and take a bond of fate. (Macduff) shalt not live…”
(Act 4, lines 83-84)
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Like with the previous murders, he kills them over power. He is afraid that Macduff will
plan something against him while his is in England, so he decides to attack Macduff’s
family in support of keeping power.
Act IV Quote Analysis
The highlighted quote from Act IV makes it clear that Macbeth has become so paranoid that
a simple prophecy from witches he had trusted for so long was no longer enough- he elects
to try to kill Macduff to make “double sure” that he provides no threat to his reign. He is now
too deep into his power ruse to take chances on loose ends like Macduff; he has turned into
an anxious mess unable to trust anybody. This happens to anybody with lots of power- they
become nervous all of the time. Powerful but cruel figures throughout history have also
assassinated those around them so that they didn’t pose a threat to their power they’d
become paranoid about keeping, like dictator Ivan the Terrible who killed his own son.
Act V
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The main event in Act V is the actual battle itself between Malcolm and Macbeth, along with
their respective sides. War, including this one, tends to be a struggle for power between two
opposing forces.
While Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking/talking, she confesses unconsciously that her and
Macbeth killed three people in order to gain power
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“Out damned spot! Out I say!” (scene 1 line 31).
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“The Thane of Fife had a wife. Where is she now? What, will these hands ne’er be
clean?” (scene 1 lines 37 - 38)
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“I tell you yet again, Banquo’s buried. He cannot come out on ‘s grave.” (scene 1 lines
54 - 55).
When Macbeth dies, Malcolm takes over as King. The death of Macbeth and the defeat of his
side physically shows him losing the power he wrongly possessed..
Macbeth starts to fear for his power after the woods seem to be moving towards Dunsinane.
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“The wood began to move.” “Liar and slave!” (scene 5 lines 34 - 35).
Act V Quote Analysis
The highlighted quote shows how Lady Macbeth has become almost insane because of
these murders that her and Macbeth committed. Just like others throughout the course of
history, humans tend to lose their sanity because of guilt over harsh actions to others. These
harsh actions are usually motivated and fed by the want for power. Power has caused
people to betray others close to them; not only in Macbeth and other tragedies by
Shakespeare, but over the course of hundreds of years. It is still evident today that people
feel guilt after achieving power unjustly. Just like Macbeth and Lady Macbeth had guilt over
these murders which causes them to become paranoid and insane, humans tend to follow
this theme that unjust actions for power lead them to become paranoid and insane almost,
which eventually will lead to their downfall.
Song
Everybody Wants to Rule the WorldTears for Fears
Welcome to your life
There's no turning back
Even while we sleep
We will find you
Acting on your best behaviour
Turn your back on mother nature
Everybody wants to rule the world
It's my own design
It's my own remorse
Help me to decide
Help me make the most
Of freedom and of pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world
There's a room where the light won't find
you
Holding hands while the walls come
tumbling down
When they do I'll be right behind you
So glad we've almost made it
So sad they had to fade it
Everybody wants to rule the world
I can't stand this indecision
Married with a lack of vision
Everybody wants to rule the world
Say that you'll never never never never
need it
One headline why believe it ?
Everybody wants to rule the world
All for freedom and for pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world
Analysis of Song
The song “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears very closely links to the theme of
power in Macbeth. For example, the song conveys the idea that Macbeth’s rule will be definite can be
found in the line “Nothing ever lasts forever”. People who gain power in a sinister way aren’t meant to
have it at all- it was only through cruel murders that violated the nature of righteous power that Macbeth
found himself on the throne. The song says, “It’s my own design”, relating to Macbeth’s killing of King
Duncan by his own will in search of corrupt power, followed by “It’s my own remorse”, which in turn can
be applied to the fear, sleeplessness, and paranoia that plagues him after he does the deed, the same
problem faced by nearly anybody who commits a heinous crime. Macbeth and later Lady Macbeth both
violate their own moral codes in different ways- Macbeth killing the benevolent king he’d served so long
and Lady Macbeth with the death of a wife and her children. They “turn (their) back on Mother Nature”,
violating the human social rule that exists in every society (both at the time of the play and now) against
murder, which leads to stifling guilt and paranoia. Later in the song are the words “So glad we almost
made it/ So sad they had to fade it”, which points to Macbeth’s inevitable downfall after his quick and
deceivingly simple rise to power. Those who wait to gain power in a good and lawful way could have
“made it”, reigned long, but those who secure power in a wrong way due to the lives of people like
Duncan being destroyed have power taken from them.
Poem
Desired Result | A Social Justice Poem by Guy Farmer
It doesn’t really
Matter to them
What they say or do
As long as it forces
The desired result,
Kindness and compassion
Are not even part of
The deliberative process,
Only calculations to
Grab and retain power.
Analysis of Poem/Textual Evidence
“Desired Result” by Guy Farmer is a short poem about the extents people will go to to retain
power and glory. The poem strongly correlates to the actions of Macbeth in a sense that
Macbeth would do anything to be recognized as glorious. In the poem, Guy Farmer says “It
doesn’t really matter to them what they say or do,” which relates to how Macbeth murdered
all those people, and didn’t really think much of it. Macbeth even went as far as killing
Macduff’s family, which is a prime example of committing crime just to attain glory. Guy
Farmer also says people will do “Only calculations to grab and retain power.” Macbeth
murdered a great quantity of people strictly for the reason to achieve fame, which relates
directly to the poem “Desired Result.” Paranoia and excessive killing will lead a “hero” to an
eventual downfall because of the pain that was brought upon innocent people and a lack of
“kindness and compassion”. When power is attained in a negative manner, it gave Macbeth a
great deal of paranoia after reflecting upon his sinful actions.
Image/Picture/Artwork
Analysis of Visual Connection
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The figure that is represented crowning someone in this painting is Napoleon, a French Military Leader
turned Emperor of the European area in the early 19th century, shares a lot of the same traits of
power-lust as our Tragic Hero Macbeth does in this play. Both of these men fought their way up to
power. Their goal in the end was to reach the most amount of power they could, and hold on to that
power no matter the consequences/decisions they have to make. The power that they got a hold of
corrupted them. For example, in this painting, Napoleon shows his power by corronating his own Queen
into power, even though the Pope was going to do it. Doing this, Napoleon is almost undermining the
Pope and proving to everyone there that his power is legit. This action, along with the action of
conquering almost all of Europe, Napoleon shows how far he is willing to show his power and keep it.
This connects to Macbeth in the sense that both Napoleon and Macbeth are willing to prove to everyone
that their power is legit and they are willing to do dramatic/harsh actions in order to sustain it. As they
both fight to keep that rise to power and later keep it, their morales are destroyed and they do horrible
things that no other person would even think of doing. The power, of even just hearing what could
become of them, ruined who they once were. Because this is seen in both Macbeth and Napoleon’s
stories, we are able to see a common theme of the negativity that corrupt power causes someone, and
that they people will do whatever it takes to get to the top.
Analysis of Visual Connection Cont.
Just like Napoleon and many Emperors throughout history, the theme of power changing
people for the worst is evident in them. The trait of power-lust is very evident in Napoleon,
as he is willing to go against the Pope just to show everyone the power he has gained. Not
just with Emperors however; people in general tend to change when they acquire power. For
example, with a current event today, president Donald Trump recently acquired power in the
form of being elected President of the United States. After becoming president, some of the
things Trump has done and said, either in person or on Twitter, is different from how he
acted before becoming president. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth changed in the form of
becoming paranoid about almost everything, while Trump has said and done things in the
fear that he will lose his power that he just achieved. Just like these two examples, Napoleon
also changes because of power but in the form of paranoia: he is paranoid of the Pope’s
power and his actions, which are uncharacteristic of him prior to coronation, and decides to
commit an action to show everyone the power he now has.
Current Event
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/02/20/syria-assad-airstrikes-civilian-deaths/35
0736002/
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/erdogan-says-assad-killed-1-million-of-his-citizens
-syrians-will-determine-his-future/
Summary: The article above informs the readers on the conflicts and bombings that are
occuring in the Middle East, specifically around the state of Syria. It is said that bombings,
ordered by president Assad and the government, have killed hundreds of Syrian civilians,
making it one of the deadliest bombings in history. Citizens, along with men, women, and
even children, have been killed because of the conflict in that area. Millions of people are
fleeing the conflicts in Syria, while over 500,000 people have died already. The reason for
the bombings is the struggle for power in this region of the world. Many groups in Syria are
trying to control power, which one of these groups is represented by Assad and the Syrian
government.
Connection Between Article and
Macbeth
In the article “To Kill or Not To Kill:...” it explains that Bashar Assad rose to power in the form of a Dictator.
This means that he is almost viewed as an unjust ruler who is harsh or only interested in having total power
over an area. Dictators, and even Kings (like Macbeth), have complete and total control of their state or
kingdom. Assad, being the Dictator president of Syria, has control of the government and everyone inside that
state, while Macbeth, after killing Duncan, had complete control over Scotland when he became king.
“Airstrikes and shelling by Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces on Damascus suburbs killed nearly 130
people in two days, marking one of the deadliest bombings of the region in three years. At least 98 people,
including 20 children, died Monday in the opposition-held area of eastern Ghouta, the Britain-based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday.”
Connections Between Article Cont.
The quote from the article given in the previous slide shows a connection between President
Assad and Macbeth. Because they wanted to retain power, both of these men resorted to
killing people around them. Both of these men became paranoid because of conflicts or fears
which eventually led them to drastic decisions. Assad bombed his own citizens because he is
afraid they will rise against him and he will lose his power. Assad attacked his own citizens
just like Macbeth attacked his own allies and friends. Macbeth ordered murderers to kill his
friend Banquo and Banquo’s son, Fleance. This shows that both of these men, either out of
fear or paranoia, are willing to give up others to keep their own power. Remember: Assad is
bombing his own people. The conflict is happening in the country that he is president of. This
shows what he is willing to do to others to keep his own power. He is bombing out of fear
that he may be overthrown, which is the physical representation of him losing power.
Connection of Current Event to
Universal Theme
Just like Assad and Macbeth, both of these men have been manipulated and corrupted
through fear that they will lose the power they have. This shows that people through history
are willing to give up others just to keep their own power. People always have a fear that the
power that they have will be taken from them, no matter who they are or what power they
have. Assad is afraid that he will lose Dictatorship, while Macbeth is afraid of losing the
Throne; however, this doesn’t just apply to kings or dictators. People in general have always
had a desire to hold power. It is even one of the seven deadly sins that humans are
associated with. People, corrupted by these desires, have been proven throughout history to
not only do anything to gain power, but to hurt others that are close to them in order to keep
it.
Universal Nature of Thematic
Statement
The tragedy “Macbeth”, written by William Shakespeare, shows the negativity of corrupt power by
demonstrating that power gained at the expense of the lives and well-being of others cannot be enjoyed
for fear and paranoia of the inevitable consequences of one’s actions. In every act, within scenes that
Macbeth is in, this impact of foul power on one’s mind is evident, almost increasing as the play goes on.
From his start murdering Duncan in his sleep and passing the blame to others, Macbeth gained power but
grew increasingly deranged, snowballing into more and more violence (killing Banquo and all of
Macduff’s family). Just like in Macbeth, this often leads to extreme cruelty in the real world as the holder
becomes paranoid, like Napoleon, seen in the example of artwork. The theme of the negativity of lust for
power is so common in recent history that both a song was written about it, a poem tells of it, and real
events that occurred in 2018 reflect it. Humans are creatures with consciences, and after committing a
deed they know is morally wrong in the eyes of their peers, it will haunt them and keep them from
focusing on anything but watching their backs. If actions such as these are taken to secure power, it is
clear that one will only act out of fear and never out of love, which will destroy their reputation and
eventually their control and leave them to suffer the same fate as the tragic Macbeth- the loss of the
power they’d worked so deviously for.
Citations/Bibliography
Play: Shakespeare, W., Jouve, P. J., Knight, G. W., & Cox, R. G. (2006). Macbeth. Paris: Flammarion.
Current Event: Hjelmgaard, Kim. “Scores of Syrian Civilians Killed in Government Airstrikes.” USA Today, Gannett
Satellite Information Network, 21 Feb. 2018,
www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/02/20/syria-assad-airstrikes-civilian-deaths/350736002/.
“Erdogan Says Assad Killed 1 Million of His Citizens, Syrians Will Determine His Future.” AMN - Al-Masdar News | ‫اﻟﻣﺻدر‬
3 ,‫ ﻧﯾوز‬Nov. 2018,
www.almasdarnews.com/article/erdogan-says-assad-killed-1-million-of-his-citizens-syrians-will-determine-his-futu
re/ .
Song: Tears for Fears. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” Songs from the Big Chair, 1985.
Image: “The Coronation of Napoleon.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Aug. 2018,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coronation_of_Napoleon.
Poem: Farmer, Guy. “Desired Result | A Social Justice Poem” . Social Justice Poetry.
https://www.socialjusticepoetry.com/5857/desired-result-a-social-justice-poem-by-guy-farmer