History is defined by power and the power hungry. Since the “beginning of time the idea that people are separated by who holds control and who doesn’t, has had the ability to cause war and generate peace. Through the news, literature and the media power is shown to be a driving force which causes people to compete for it. In the past, power had been held by the kings, queens and providers of the families. The origins of World War I clearly show the capability of power with the shooting of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Today power has many different angles and could be interpreted by a number of characteristics. Similarly to the past the people of the world tend to see the power held in the government just as it was with the kings and queens. However, power is also now defined by a person’s net worth, social credibility and presence. A person’s ability to influence large groups of people from their career, to how well liked they are at school, can create conflict and be detrimental to many communities. Research done by Dr. Ian Robertson proves that power can have the same effect on a persons mental state as hard drugs (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2136547/Power-really-does-corrupt-scientists-claim-addictive-cocaine.html). Power is addictive and has many people wrapped around it’s finger, therefore it is the base as well as the stepping stone to history. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, power is the driving force of the plotline. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth crave King Duncan’s powerful position in Scotland and are attracted to it because of the validation and admiration they would gain with the title. Power drives Macbeth to kill King Duncan and ultimately results in the death of Macbeth at the end of the tragic play. It is apparent throughout the play that power only creates problems among the characters just as it does at many different points in history. The effect of power today is evident in Brandy Zadronzy of the Daily Beast’s article “Crime-Scene Selfies: Generally a Bad Idea.” This article about teen Maxwell Morton who documented himself killing Ryan Magnan over snapchat. It is clear that looking through Morton’s social media that his goal was to have his peers see him as a “gangster” and an overall tough and powerful person, a force to be reckoned with. Macbeth and Morton both killed for the power that they hoped to gain but the result was an execution and an arrest. It is evident that it continues to be within human nature to seek domination whether it is political, social or personal.
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