Macbeth - Power Shifts :: essays research papers

DRAMA OFTEN EXAMINES THE WAYS INDIVIDUALS STRUGGLE TO DOMINATE AND/OR MINIPULATE EACH OTHER. DISCUSS THE TECHNIQUES USED IN integrity OR MORE PLAYS, WHICH DRAW OUT ATTENTION TO THE POWER SHIFTS BWTWEEN CHARACTERS.The text Macbeth by famous playwright William Shakespeare portrays a dramatic power struggle by the careful employment of various literary techniques. "Authority poisons everybody who takes authority on himself" (Vladimir Ilyich Lenin) aptly describes this prominent theme of Macbeth. Techniques include symbolism, emotive language, narrative structure and imagery, which flux to represent the tragic plot portraying the contest between goodness and evil in Macbeth.In the tragedy Macbeth emotive language and soliloquy begin been employed to emphasize the struggle for domination between the characters. The main theme of Macbeth, the desire for power and dominance, is appropriately summarized by the following quote"Vaulting ambition, which oerleaps itselfAnd move on the other" (I, VII, 54)The main character, Macbeth, seeks increasing authority influenced by the witches prophecies, at any cost. Dramatic language has been successfully portrayed Macbeths desire, through the above quote, whereby the pursuit for power and ambition has been decided. Yet, the result of such ambitious ideals is at risk of resulting in the opposite, being condemnation. Personification in the form of Vaulting ambition" and "itself" has been employed to countenance to the understanding of the exert, combining with dramatic language which excessively contributes to the overall impact of the theme. Macbeth lets his "vaulting ambition" rush fate, hence hasten doom. The technique symbolism has also been suitably employed to further enhance Macbeths struggle for power and dominance, hence the main theme. This may be demonstrated where Lady Macbeth states"What, will these hands never be clean...Heres the smell of blood still..." (V, I, 174 )The apparition of blood on Lady Macbeths hands, which can not be removed, is symbolic of her subconscious revealing her wrong doing in previous sections of the text. fifty-fifty though Lady Macbeth is no longer influencing her husband towards evil occurrences, the blood is symbolic of her attempts to aid Macbeths path towards power and dominance. Blood is linked to treachery and murder, hence the emphasis on Lady Macbeths crimes. The struggle for authority and supremacy has now shifted from Lady Macbeth to her husband, yet her evil deeds are still prominent in he subconscious mind.Light and dark imagery have been portrayed throughout Macbeth to aid to the representation of the main themes of evil opposing goodness.