Power

Power lies at the heart of many of the characters’ desires and it is the desire to gain and maintain such power that guides their actions. Yet the nature of power is complex within Macbeth as Shakespeare uses it himself as a tool for his tragedy, subverting its nature and expectations in ways that raise important questions from his audience. It is these questions where the heart of the analysis on power lie, with the most important ones being: what is the true power in the text, the throne or the promise of one? Who truly wields power in this world, the men who fight for it or the women who scheme? What is the true power, the physical or the supernatural?