VIOLENCE, POWER AND COERCION

Macbeth, by Shakespeare, is a tragedy based on the story of a soldier named Macbeth,
whose overriding ambition and thirst for power make him lose his morals. He is ready to attain
power through violent means. The story illustrates the corrupting power of power and the
relationship between violence, coercion, and erosion of one’s morals. The author develops
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, the two main characters in the story, and their roles in the death of
Duncan and Banquo. Macbeth’s corrupted morals and coercion from his wife form the basis for
his downfall. Macbeth violently gains power by killing Duncan and Banquo. Human emotions
such as love, affection, and kindness can help control power desires, overcome dangerous
coercions, and even refrain from violent acts. The author shows the adverse effects of a lack of
human emotions, especially when there is a struggle for power. Shakespeare uses characters such
as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to show the effects of uncontrolled desires for power, how
coercion can erode a person’s morals leading them to engage in violent and inhumane acts.
Lady Macbeth coerces him into doing whatever it takes to achieve power even if it means
seizing it violently. Macbeth has been patient enough and has waited for way too long to allow
someone to stop him from becoming king. Lady Macbeth brings violence to the table. She
coerces Macbeth into committing murder. Macbeth tries very hard to void the acts. He says,
“Might be the be-all and the end-all-here, but here, upon this bank and shoal of time, Weld jump
the life to come” 1 . He thinks about murdering Duncan. He tries to look for ways to avoid the
consequences after committing the heinous acts. The author exposes Macbeth’s thoughts to show
that killing Duncan was against his wishes. He would have wanted to acquire power through

1 Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Macbeth. Vol. 2. Classic Books Company, 2001.

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other human ways, but Lady Macbeth assures him that this is the only way. Also, he understands
that it is wrong to kill, hence his thoughts.
Lady Macbeth and Macbeth illustrate how the desire for power can lead one to engage in
violent and corrupted ways. At the beginning of the play, a messenger arrives and informs Lady
Macbeth that the king was visiting the castle. She immediately decides to do whatever it takes to
ensure that Macbeth and herself get the crown. She says, “fill me from the crown to the top-full
of direst cruelty” 2 . She prepares herself to kill Duncan. She wants to overcome human emotions,
such as any love that could stop her from being cruel enough to kill Duncan. She, however, is not
ready to commit the act herself. Instead, she coerces Macbeth to kill Duncan. She demonstrates
not only a desire for power but a cunning trait that is manipulative and exploitative. Love, which
is a strong human emotion, is lacking in Lady Macbeth’s life. She has a hatred for anyone and
anything that threatens to deter them from attaining power.
Greed for power does not leave any room for human emotions. The author illustrates how
Lady Macbeth comes up with a plan to kill Duncan. She plants a vision into her husband’s head.
Her love for her husband is not evident as its place is taken by her ambitions to get into power.
She has a visible destructive force, which ultimately leads to violence. She is the true villain in
the story. She is visibly evil, violent, and cunning. She even wishes she were a man so that she
can commit the crimes herself. She uses the excuse of being female and coerces her husband to
kill innocent people. Macbeth says, “I’ll go no more: I am afraid to think what I have done; look
on’t again I dare not” 3 . Her husband is devastated by his actions. His wife used his hands to take
2 Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Macbeth. Vol. 2. Classic Books Company, 2001.

3 Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Macbeth. Vol. 2. Classic Books Company, 2001.

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away the lives of innocent people. In contrast, Lady Macbeth is a violent woman who is not
guilty of her actions. She responds to her husband by saying, “Infirm of purpose! Give me the
daggers: the sleeping and the dead are but pictures: ‘tis the eye of childhood That fears a painted
devil”. She urges her husband to let the dead men carry their guilt. Lady Macbeth is visibly
drunk with power, and this exposes her innately violent self.
Macbeth is constantly in an internal struggle, which is evident in his interactions with
other characters as well as thoughts. At first, the witches prophesy to him, and then his wife
tricks him into engaging in actions that do not depict his character. Macbeth grows into depravity
as the story unfolds, and the reader cannot help but pity his struggle to remain morally upright.
The witches prophesy a future of nobility for him, and he cannot help but have a vaulting
ambition of achieving power. However, he fails to achieve the crown through noble means and
thus stripes himself off the title of a noble king and becomes a tyrant leader. The theme of
violence is developed through his actions and willingness to agree to his wife’s trickery. The
death of Duncan attributes him as a villain who results to violent means to get into power. He is
blinded his ambitions and thirst for power.
The path to the power used by Macbeth is a bloody and deadly one. After choosing the
path for himself, he starts to fear for his own life. His castle is attacked by Macduff, and this is
the beginning of his downfall. It is a crown that was violently acquired, and it is lost through
violent and bloody means. Macbeth seeks to kill Macduff, and when the soldiers do not find him
in the castle, they kill his wife and children. Ross tells Macduff, “Your castle is surprised; your
wife and babes savagely slaugheter’d” 4 . Macbeth’s fear for his life is turned into anger. His

4 Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Macbeth. Vol. 2. Classic Books Company, 2001.

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kingship is a troubled one, and he acts defensively even when there is no real threat. Shakespeare
illustrates the impact of a bloody crown. It has denied Macbeth peace, and he even wishes that
Duncan was still alive. There are times he wishes that he could have died instead of Duncan.
Macbeth is in constant overarching fear and insecurities. He fears for his life as much as
he does for his illegitimate authority. His brutal rule affects his health, and as the story
progresses, it is evident that he is experiencing mental deterioration. He is troubled by his own
actions. Before his death, Macbeth makes a speech in which he vows not to surrender. He is
afraid of appearing weak in front of the common people, whom he governs. He asserts, “yet I
will try the last. Before my body, I throw my warlike shield” 5 . He is ready to go and fight
Macduff until one of them surrenders. He tries to appear strong, but he is a troubled king. He
does not want his fear to be known among his subjects. However, he has uncertainties, self-
doubt, and fear for his future. His troubles began when he decided to kill for power. The author
shows the dangers of choosing a bloody path, as it becomes difficult to change the course or
outcome. Macduff is a nobleman. When Macbeth attacks his family, killing his wife and
children, he is grieved. Macbeth dies in the hands of Macduff, the Thane of Fife.
Overall, power, coercion, and violence are themes that dominate the story. The story ends
with violence as Macbeth is killed by Macduff. Macbeth dies a deserved death. Shakespeare
exposes his heinous acts. Although he is coerced by his wife, he pays justly for what he agreed to
do. He accepts death as a penalty for his failures. He fails to uphold his morals and acquires the
throne through unjust means. While at it, he is drunk with power and acts violently, killing more
innocent people. He would have lived longer, had he been more human. If he demonstrated love,

5 Ibid

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he would not have killed or engaged in any violence for whatever reason. Thus, human emotions
win. They are key to upholding sanity and harmony among people. Lack of human emotions
evidently leads to bloodshed, greed, violence, and other immoral acts. The story ends with
Macbeth being the tragic villain who pays for his heinous acts.

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Bibliography

Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Macbeth. Vol. 2. Classic Books Company, 2001.