Essay about Notions of Power Animal Farm and Macbeth

â€Å"Political Power grows out of the barrel of a gun† -Chairman Mao- QUESTION: To what extent does this quote connect to the message regarding power in each of your texts? Write a synthesis essay that deals with the quote above and Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Orwell’s Animal Farm. In your essay ensure that you specifically refer to each of texts including quotes and analysis. â€Å"Political Power grows out of the Barrel of a Gun† The idea of power and especially political power has its many definitions, and is used, explored, and even exploited, featuring in all human experiences in the struggle for authority and dominance. The theme of power is widely explored in the two texts of Macbeth by Shakespeare, the famous†¦show more content†¦Significantly, the motifs of blood and daggers, in Macbeth, are constantly present throughout scenes in which the struggle for power takes place. Macbeth sees an â€Å"imaginary† dagger before him just before the assassination of Duncan this dagger a motif of the changes of power that take place: â€Å"†¦Is this a dagger which I see before me?... or art thou a dagger of the mind?† The theme of the supernatural and also the motif of the dagger being his ambition, serves as strong motivation for Macbeth to carry out what is necessary to obtain and sustain power. The rise of the Macbeths in the murders of King Duncan and Banquo are symbolised by blood and daggers, yet it is also the eventual downfall, mentally and physically, of the Macbeths that is symbolised by blood and daggers. Lady Macbeth’s mental breakdown towards the end of Macbeth is a complete juxtaposition from the ‘original’ Lady Macbeth earlier in the text. After the murder of Duncan she remarks that the blood on her hands will be washed away by a â€Å"†¦little water†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , yet later she remarks in a dramatic hyperbole remarking that â€Å"All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand†. From this point on, the Macbeths hold onto power deteriorates with the death of Lady Macbeth and the eventual downfall of Macbeth. In Animal Farm, George Orwell has far blunter and clearer ideas on the notion of power, especially on the struggle to obtain and sustain political power.Show MoreRelatedIn Depth Research of Witchcraft Essay3980 Words   |  16 Pagesof the 1600s, spreading from Europe to the New World of America. Execution of accused witches occurred in many counties throughout Europe. Some of common things that witches were blamed for causing were destructive storms; non-producing crops or animals, diseases, sterility, death, possession of humans and making them do outrageous acts. The Romans and Greeks were also known to put some people to death for being witches. People who were in witches in those societies were believed to move around at