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Comparative Texts: After reading Macbeth and excerpts from The Prince by Machiavelli, answer one of the following questions: How do Machiavelli’s principles apply to the play? What is Shakespeare saying about Machiavelli’s approach to attaining and maintaining political power? Consider the quotation, “It is better to be feared than to be loved.” Is this true for Macbeth? Use textual evidence to support an original, concise thesis statement.
9 Comments
Vlad K
10/6/2014 10:37:41 pm
Machiavelli's Principles of how to be a ruler apply to Macbeth because Macbeth used terror and violence to rule. He killed people to keep his power as King. What Shakespeare is saying about maintaining and keeping political power is that Machiavelli used terror and violence, like Macbeth, to keep his power as a ruler. It's not true for Macbeth that it's "better to be feared than loved". People loved Macbeth, but they did not know that he was evil until the end of the play.
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Jesse T
10/7/2014 06:03:59 pm
Machiavelli’s essay, The Prince describes the two ways a man can become a ruler. He can either use criminal acts by killing his way up to the throne, or he can be raised to be a ruler and rise to power by the approval of the people. Machiavelli is a firm believer that it is better to be feared than loved. Both of these topics relate to Macbeth. Macbeth was a well-respected warrior that wasn’t a criminal in the beginning of the story. After hearing his future from the three witches he begins to become eager to rule. When he finds out Duncan doesn’t name him the next king, Macbeth becomes upset. Macbeth begins to thinking about killing Duncan, Macbeth states: “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man that function Is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is But what is not.” (Act 1 scene 3) Macbeth’s ambition is rising and we wants to become king, which he does after killing Duncan. Macbeth relates to ruling with fear because he could’ve easily stuck with being a Thane and ruling with people liking him. Instead Macbeth decided that he would become a tyrant and kill anyone who stood in his way. This is why Macbeth ruled with fear instead of ruling by being loved
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Maurie
10/7/2014 06:25:57 pm
Machiavelli's Principles are present in Macbeth, in how the society is failing and how Macbeth faces the fear. In Act 2, the King dies and Macbeth is next in line for King, after the sons flee the country. Although Macbeth tries to keep the murder of the King a secret, there are still people that know like Banquo and Macduff. Machiavelli believes that "every prince ought to desire to be considered clement and not cruel" (Chapter XVII). Macbeth attempts not to show cruelty, by acting sad about the recent death. Machiavelli also believed to "inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win love, he avoids hatred" (Chapter XVII). Macbeth ends up living in more fear than the others. He does not win love, and he does not avoid hatred, but he tries to by killing the people that know his secret.
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Connor H
10/8/2014 04:42:02 am
In Machiavellis "The Prince" it was known for Machiavelli to discuss multiple topics on how to act as a prince and how a prince shoe act like, two of these topics include that it is better to be feared than loved, and that to be a prince you must have at one point been like the common people to rule over them. They share a close resemblance to Shakespears Macbeth play, how Macbeth rules over his subjects, how he lived before he took over as king. The first topic in the case of Macbeth, "is it better to be loved or feared", would have been loved. Instead Macbeth decided to rule as a tyrant, create fear in his lords to make sure that they don’t try and “dispose” of him or try to threaten his chance at the throne. This rule was said to be told by Machiavelli, that a prince should rule so that his subjects fear and respect him. Macbeth eventually began to change what Machiavelli said. Machiavelli said that this would be the end of the prince due to his arrogance and his lust for power and his desire to get it any means necessary.
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Darel M.
10/8/2014 09:33:44 pm
Machiavelli's principles of power apply in Macbeth. Machiavelli’s principle of power is talking about the two different paths to power. “When the ascent to power is made by paths of wickedness and crime; and second, when a private person becomes ruler of his country by the favor of his fellow-citizens." Malcolm and Macbeth greatly emphasize this quote in the play. Macbeth takes the path of wickedness and crime by committing many murders to maintain his power. Malcolm becomes ruler because was the rightful heir to take the throne after King Duncan.
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Sarah
10/8/2014 10:32:14 pm
In the Prince by Machiavelli the author talks about different topics, for example how a Prince should act with his power. Machiavelli’s standards apply to the play Macbeth in two ways, how to get power and how you should behave once you've gained this power. The quote “It is better to be feared than to be loved.” did not apply to Macbeth before he became a King, and the desire for wanting power. Macbeth was accepted among his class and was even under the holding of two titles. Whenever Macbeth killed Duncan he became the King, but also a cruel man. He decided to rule with evil intentions, and would do anything to keep his rule. He wanted people to be afraid of him, and if they questioned his leadership, he would do horrible things and murder them. In the play Prince by Machiavelli, the author talks about that the Prince should not be uncertain to get rid of anyone who will stand in his way, which is exactly what Macbeth is doing as well. The difference between Macbeth and Machiavelli's Prince is how they chose to achieve their authority. In the Prince it says that he is needed to demolish his enemies, but to give nasty and unkind punishments was excessive. "But, before all things, a Prince should so live with his subjects that no vicissitude of good or evil fortune shall oblige him to alter his behavior." (Chapter VIII) This quote explains how the Prince was able to be vile to those needed, but not in the cases where it was not needed. What Shakespeare is saying about Machiavelli’s approach to attaining and maintaining political power is that he partially agrees. In Machiavelli's play the Prince isn't as spiteful as Macbeth when it comes to how he keeps his command, and that is why the great failure of Macbeth occurs.
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Brandon F
10/8/2014 10:57:54 pm
I don’t find the quote, “It is better to be feared than to be loved.” To be true for Macbeth because of how everyone that feared him wants him dead. If he was loved he would probably would gotten the same respect that Duncan did before Macbeth killed him. Duncan was a great king and was loved by almost everyone. The only reason he was killed by Macbeth was because of the witches messing with him and his wife basically helped them convince him to kill Duncan because she only cared about being royalty. Macbeth was also famous or at least well known around the castle as a good person so I’m pretty sure he could have been loved if he didn’t go crazy.
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tatiana
10/9/2014 06:39:00 pm
Machiavelli talks about how to be a ruler. These apply to Macbeth since they had used violence and terror to rule the people. He would kill people to be able to get his way and get away with things. He did what he could to keep his power. Shakespeare is saying that in order for him to keep his power he had used violence. It's not true for Macbeth that it's "better to be feared than loved". People loved Macbeth but had no idea what he was about and how he was so evil until the end. I don’t think that’s a good thing to go off of. It is “better to be feared than loved” usually people who dislike someone else don’t want anything to do with them and just don’t like them. Why would you rather someone be afraid and fear you then to love you? That doesn’t make since to me. But then on the other hand there’s no reason for people to love you or like you for the wrong reasons or because you bribe them of give them the things that they want to make them happy. You have to do what you need to do whether it makes people love you or dislike you. You can’t worry about what others want or what others think.
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Gizem B
10/9/2014 08:46:45 pm
For the Prince of Machiavelli, you could have authority where people follow you and respect you but you could not be cruel. For him, a king or a prince had to be merciful, brave and wise. “Nevertheless he ought to be slow to believe and to act, nor should he himself show fear, but proceed in a temperate manner with prudence and humanity, so that too much confidence may not make him incautious and too much distrust render him intolerable.” The portrait of a king by Machiavelli basically describes a perfect beloved king to his people. He has every perfect trait of a king while Macbeth has none. Macbeth is cruel and kills every come that come across his path. Macbeth did used to be the “perfect king”, at least he had the traits: he was brave, he was loyal to his king and a good soldier. But everything changed, when he wanted to become the king. The Prince of Machiavelli thinks “It is better to be feared than to be loved.” Being cruel will only get you enemies, a lot of enemies. Yes, you could also have enemies, when you are a good king. There will be always people, who will desire the throne. But a good king also has people behind his back. People, who trust him, believe him and even follow him to the death. But if you are cruel, you just make people hate you and being cruel won’t make you any friends, who will support you and die to protect you. So, this quotation is not true for Macbeth. I think, he thinks when you are ones a king, people do whatever you say them to do and they will be loyal to you for the rest of their lives. But from the moment he gathered the throne, he realizes that is not the case. “I will not yield, to kiss the ground before young Malcolm’s feet.” Even as a King, he had enemies, which he actually made himself. He killed the old king, Malcolm’s father. And now he came back, to get revenge. So being feared will not save Macbeth in the end.
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