Manipulation in "Macbeth"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the evidence of manipulation in William Shakespeare's play, "Macbeth." It investigates this manipulation at both a supernatural level and a human one. It discusses who manipulates whom and how and then takes into consideration the consequences that it entails. Finally, the paper discusses to what extent manipulation can be considered as a key to the whole play.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Body
Manipulation
Supernatural manipulation
Manipulation at a human level
Lady Macbeth:
Macbeth - from manipulated to manipulator
The rhetoric of manipulation
The consequences of manipulation
At the level of events
At the level of the individual
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, "manipulation", from manipulate (manus) can be defined as "to manage persons by dextrous (esp. unfair) use of influence". Hence, it can be considered as a form of influence exerted upon someone, in order to obtain something or to change someone's behaviour for a given purpose. As a consequence, manipulation involves a certain form of persuasion, even domination; it is then a basic political principle. Macbeth can be defined as the tragedy of usurped power insofar as Macbeth, the hero, transgresses the natural order to fulfil his personal ambition. To achieve his goal, he does not hesitate to manipulate the natural course of history by killing Duncan. The murder of the rightful king is inevitably followed by many others until Macbeth's tyranny is fully established in the realm. Yet, if the political dimension of the tragedy must not be overlooked, Macbeth is also and above all the tragedy of a man who chooses evil instead of good to satisfy his mad passion. In other words, politics and metaphysics are closely linked in the play. Thus, because of its very specificity, manipulation in Macbeth must be investigated at different levels, at a supernatural level, then at a human one (The first question to ask is who manipulates whom and how (i.e. rhetoric of manipulation)? Then we must take into consideration the consequences that it entails. At last, to what extent can manipulation be considered as a key to the whole play, and what conclusion can we derive from this?"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bradley, A. C.. Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Palgrave MacMillan, 2006
• Shakespeare, William. Macbeth, Penguin, 1994

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