Unchecked Power in Shakespeares Macbeth and King Lear

In many of the plays by William Shakespeare, the central character goes through internal and external changes that ultimately shake their foundations to the core. Numerous theories have been put forth to explain the sequence of tragedies Shakespeare wrote during this period by linking it to some experience of melancholy, anger, despair, and the antagonist s ultimate fall from grace in their lust for power. But such theories overlook the fact that it is in this very same period and in the same tragic works that portray the heights to which human nature can rise and fall in its purest and noblest, if not happiest terms. Surely the creation of so much light alongside the darkness and the perfection of the artistic medium through which†¦show more content†¦After Macbeth becomes king, his sanity begins to unravel. In Act III, Scene 4 he sees images of his dead friend Banquo at the banquet. Lady Macbeth s questioning of Macbeth s manhood is crucial in fueling his ambition and desire to be king after he becomes Thane of Cawdor. Then his wife plants the initial seed of a new king in the thoughts of Macbeth. The reversal of control and power between he and his wife strikes Macbeth s manhood. She is well aware of the discrepancy between their respective resolves and understands that she will have to manipulate her husband into acting on the witches prophecy. Her violent, blistering soliloquies in Act I, Scene 7, testifies to her strength of will, which completely eclipses that of her husband. Her soliloquy in Act I, scene V, begins the play s exploration of gender roles, particularly of the value and nature of masculinity. In the soliloquy, she spurns her feminine characteristics, crying out unsex me here and wishing that the milk in her breasts would be exchanged for gall so that she could murder Duncan herself. These remarks manifest Lady Macbeth s belief that manhood is defined by murder. When, in Act I, scene vii, her husband is hesitant to murder Duncan, she goads him by questioning his manhood and by implicitly comparing his willingness to carry through on his intention of killing Duncan with his ability to carry out a sexual act (I.vii.38-41). Throughout the play, wheneverShow MoreRelatedFemininity Of Shakespeare s Macbeth And King Lear1241 Words   |  5 PagesFemininity in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and King Lear William Shakespeare, arguably the greatest English writer of all time, uses his plays and characters to teach moral lessons. Often, he uses extreme examples and circumstances that seem excessive and unrealistic, but he seems to abide by the rule that Flannery O’Connor later articulated: â€Å"†¦to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost blind you draw large and startling figures† (Collected Works). In order to ensure that he got his point acrossRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s King Lear, Hamlet, Othello And Macbeth1206 Words   |  5 Pagesfor the audience. A Shakespearean tragedy, is a five-act play and they usually revolve around a similar idea of conflict. This is the Internal and external Conflict within the character. The four plays I have chosen to analyse are; King Lear, Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth. I chose these plays specifically because they all have universal themes which depict human emotions. They contain very important messages about int ernal and external conflict within characters and how this conflict can lead to terribleRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth, Othello, And King Lear1479 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth, was the last of four great tragedies, including Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear, written during the Elizabethan Era. Herbert Courson states the play as, â€Å" â€Å"a powerful even for the mature Shakespeare. [which]... demands that we share its experience intensely, that we fell the strength of Macbeth’s thirst for kingship, the force of Lady Macbeth’s persuasions, the anguish of Macbeth’s struggle before the murder, and the impact of nature’s retribution after the murder†