WHAT CAN YOUNG PEOPLE TODAY LEARN FROM SHAKESPEARE’S “MACBETH”?
Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” is one of his shortest plays, however, this piece of literature carries within itself a multitude of moral messages presented through a complex set of characters and events that aren’t specific only to the 17th century but remain relevant for political or economic power struggle even to this day.
Centuries after its initial public display, Macbeth still fills theaters all over the world, inspires movies, and attracts the interest of the literary audience. As part of the curriculum for students all over the world, Macbeth holds value beyond artistic, as it teaches young people some of the most important life lessons.
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Macbeth teaches us how to deal with ambition
We live in a world where ambition is universally accepted as a positive driving force behind one’s success. However, ambition is just like any other force, it needs to be carefully managed or else we lose control, and our will to rise leads us to our downfall. Numerous examples of Macbeth essays for students share the same message that blind ambition doesn’t hold gratification. You could find a lot of inspiration while reading it.
His obsession with the promise of kingship over the entire Scotland leads Macbeth to a path of bloodshed, lies, and loss of friends.
It’s not only through Macbeth that Shakespeare warns us of what happens when we relentlessly pursue our ambition using the foulest tools to accomplish our goals. Lady Macbeth is yet another victim of her lust for power. Her ambition is tied to her husband and thus fuels both fires with schemes and plots to free their way to the top.
Both characters suffer under tremendous pressure of the guilt that consumes them even though they have both fulfilled their ambition. What even makes things worse, Macbeth’s ambition is shadowed by the knowledge that his future is already determined by the prophecy that set him on his path in the first place so he decides to kill everyone that might spoil his success which ultimately leads to his demise.
Through Macbeth and his wife, Shakespeare shows us that ambition should not be the final goal, just like our desire to get to a good college should be the product of our intention to do something with the knowledge and degree we acquire during our time in college.
Guilt is a reminder that we went astray
Despite his quick ascent to the throne, Macbeth wasn’t able to enjoy the fruits of his accomplishment because all the time he was eaten by the disturbing sense of guilt. When Banquo’s ghost appeared at the banquet, we could see that Macbeth’s conscience was troubled so much that it almost dove him mad. Macbeth needed reassurance that he will remain in power because the blood on his hands was too much to bear without a rich reward so he went to the three witches and asked them to confirm that he will stay in power. At this point, it seems clear that the murderous king was dealing with guilt so great that he needed to make sure his moral sacrifice was with a good reason.
At the same time, Lady Macbeth was coping with her guilty feelings. The queen was going mad attempting to wash the blood off her hands, although nobody else saw even a drop of blood on her hands. Even her subjects were aware that something terrible is tormenting the queen and that it makes her sleepwalk and experience horrible visions. The tormented woman struggled with her guilt so much that it made her lose her sanity and eventually take her own life.
Politics can corrupt even a man as noble as Macbeth
Another universal moral that we can learn from “The Scottish play” is that the political arena was always filthy, and it can corrupt people, make enemies of friends, and send people on a path of destruction. A war hero on a way home from glorious battle, accompanied by his trusted friend, needed just a hint of the possibility for his rise to political power to dismiss everything he was building his entire life, turn on his friends, lie, and deceive those who trust him the most.
Even though Macbeth was initially skeptical about the prophecy laid down in front of him on the road by three witches, once the king’s rider came to notify Macbeth that he is now the Thane of Cawdor, his political ambitions started to gain momentum. College students often use Macbeth essay examples for inspiration when they need to write about politics, dictatorship, and the historical struggle for power in medieval Europe because this Shakespeare’s drama carries a universal truth of the intoxicating power of political success. To become the king, Macbeth killed his own relative King Duncan, and blamed two innocent guards for the deed. This first political murder led Macbeth and his wife to a downward spiral of murder and deceit that would haunt them and eventually lead to their deaths.
In his attempt to secure his position as a king of Scotland, Macbeth orders the murder of Macduff and his family. The king’s tyrannical and murderous reign already started to build dissatisfaction of Scottish noblemen, and when the army from England reaches Scotland, the king was utterly alone against everyone. A man once celebrated as a hero now unites all of Scotland not as a hero to be celebrated but as a murderous despot that should be overthrown and killed.
Conclusion
Three universal messages are carried through Macbeth’s tragedy, sending us all warnings from centuries ago that ambition, guilt, and desire to gain power can destroy even the most powerful men and women. No man or woman can ever have enough power, the more we have the more we need it to stay in power. Ambition without control and goodwill can make us lose our friends, our reputation, and even our very lives. Shakespeare’s shortest play is intriguing to the audience to this day and stays a regular part of school curriculums all over the world because the lessons from Macbeth are eternal and we all have to learn them well.
Author bio:
Joshua Robinson is a freelance content writer engaged with several online publishers. His work is based on deep research and authoritative sources of information. As a writer, Joshua aims to deliver informative content that keeps the audience engaged and offers practical value in everyday lives.