Monday 1 June 2015

Power in Macbeth and Lord of the Flies

     In both Macbeth and Lord of the Flies (LotF), hunger for power is an essential motive to drive the story, and there are similar ways in which this is illustrated. Macbeth from the play and Jack from LotF are comparable characters which can underline this. At the start of the plot, both characters seem rather tame and pure - Macbeth is highly regarded by his peers, while Jack is a normal schoolboy. However, this changes once a desire for power starts to grow within them - when Macbeth hears the witches' prophecy, while Jack is beaten by Ralph in the election to become leader of the boys. At this time, Macbeth is told about what could be, and this opens his eyes to the possibility of becoming king. On the other hand, Jack got a taste for a chance to become the leader, the strongest on the island. With their wishes in mind, Macbeth pushes the plot by killing king Duncan, while Jack turns a number of the boys against Ralph. marks the start of their hostility, and shows what they are capable of doing to gain power. Macbeth takes power from Duncan just like Jack took power from Ralph. In order to maintain their temporary power, they crossed more boundaries. Macbeth killed his friend Banquo and Macduff's family in hopes of establishing control, while Jack kills a pig as an offering to the beast - and to scare the boys into following him for longer. In both cases, a lust for power was needed in order for these events to happen, and without it Macbeth and Jack would likely have remained pure, without giving into bloodshed.

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A blade through the heart represents betrayal in Macbeth, which was one
of the doings the character underwent to gain and keep his power.
 

The sow's head represents fear, and it was with this fear that Jack aimed
to manipulate the boys on the island to sustain his power.

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