Macbeth's Ring of Power

Paper Summary:

Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and Tolkien's nine "Ringwraiths" are slowly corrupted by apparent kindness. This paper follows the evolution of these characters and, in the process, compares them.

From the Paper:

"There is a saying about how one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel. This refers to the prolific spread of corruption that can ensue from even the smallest things. In William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Macbeth, this saying can be applied to the downfall of Macbeth. The three witches plant miniscule seeds of corruption in Macbeth by telling him of his impending ascension to the throne. Though they appear to be being helpful, the once noble Macbeth is turned evil by the witches' words. The rotten apple saying can apply to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring as well. The dark lord Sauron gives rings of power to nine mortal men as supposed acts of kindness. However, these rings turn out to be something other than ordinary rings when they reduce the men into evil semblances of what they once were. Both Macbeth and the nine mortal men are irreversibly corrupted by apparent kindness."

More papers on Macbeth's Ring of Power:

• Research Paper # 28121 : "Change in the Concept of Power in a Modern Organization"
• Research Paper # 85739 : "Balance of Power"
• Analytical Essay # 59673 : "Frontiers of Power"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: