Netflix and Existential Pondering

Macbeth’s Netflix Queue:

Macbeth is a naturally born leader who struggles to control his inner demons after killing his friend Banquo and the former king Duncan. A majority of his decisions are based off personal gain or are motivated by Lady Macbeth’s persuasiveness. Macbeth also fails to regain control of his life after performing these questionable acts, and instead lets his life deteriorate into madness. These are the TV shows that best represent Macbeth’s fears, desires, and deepest beliefs about power.

The Walking Dead: Rick Grimes, the leader of the Atlanta surviving group, does whatever it takes for his family and friends to survive. The beginning of the show sees Rick’s strong morals and authoritarian nature flourish under the pressure of a zombie apocalypse, much like Macbeth’s inner warrior nature. However, as the show goes on, Rick becomes more and more tyrannical, and his decision making is questionable at best. The show’s portrayal of him makes it very difficult to see if Rick and his team are the heros, or the villains. Macbeth’s morals similarly deteriorate over the course of the play, and he would be able to relate to all the issues that Rick has with maintaining his power, like with Shane in Seasons 1 and 2. Rick also struggles with the weight of human existence, as it is known that there are 5000 walkers (zombies) for every single human on the planet. Similarly, Macbeth struggles with living after taking both Duncan and Banquo’s life, but both characters manage to persevere and continue their suspicious decision making.

Stranger Things: (minor spoilers) Stranger Things is a nod to the 1980’s classics, created by Steven Spielberg and John Carpenter, that enthralled audiences with their horrific and mysterious plot devices. The stars of the show include Mike, Eleven, Dustin, and Lucas who search for their missing friend Will Byers after he disappears after an unnatural storm. After the second episode, the supernatural is introduced through the form of alternate dimensions and a Demogorgon - a humanoid monster. Macbeth could relate to the struggles of fighting otherworldly forces, the Demogorgon in ST, and could see the traits that he once admired in the kids - bravery, intelligence, and innocence. He would empathize with the main character, Mike, and see him as a child-like version of himself before his warrior days. Ultimately, this might reveal that Macbeth isn’t happy being a leader, and could show him that not all fights with the supernatural can be won.

Daredevil: Arguably one of the better superhero shows to be present on Netflix, Daredevil features a lawyer, Matthew Murdock, who, despite being diagnosed as blind, can “see” things around him because of a radioactive substance. Coincidentally, he also is an expert fighter because his father was a professional boxer and he uses these special skills for the “betterment” of the rest of Hell’s Kitchen. Matt often struggles with issues from his past, like his father’s suspicious death, his old teacher’s harsh tactics, and his own violent tendencies. Macbeth shares an abundance of these characteristics with Matt: he is a cunning warrior and lets his inner demons have too much say in his decision making. Both Macbeth and Matt try to fight their way out of personal issues, and it often leads to someone they care about getting hurt or killed. This would show that Macbeth may not believe that he is the “villain,” but rather that he is simply trying to conquer his inner demons while being a strong leader.

A Gifted Man: This CBS show, on air for one short season, is about a young and extremely talented neurosurgeon named Michael Holt. Michael is coping with the death of his ex-wife, Anna, with whom he was close with despite their recent divorce. Anna soon begins to appear to Michael in the form of a ghost, which only he can see, even if others are in the same room. A friend of Michael’s, Anton Little Creek, eventually senses Anna due to his shamanic skills, but is never able to see her. The show is written about Michael’s efforts to figure out why Anna continually reappears and what can be done to fix his immediate problems. Similarities are apparent between Macbeth and Holt; both are competent, strong-willed men who have a fear of the supernatural, even if it is trying to help them. Both of their lives quickly change from orthodoxy to all hell breaking loose seemingly overnight and it takes a mental and spiritual toll on each individual. Michael’s deceased ex-wife also helps him make critical decisions, something that Lady Macbeth attempts to aid Macbeth with. This would prove that Macbeth’s actions are motivated by his fear of the supernatural and his desire to regain control of his life.

Corrupt Macbeth is Corrupt (Spoilers)

"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." - Lord Acton
To what extent would Shakespeare agree with this statement? Use the play and your own experience as your support.

**SPOILERS ABOUT THE PLAY BELOW (don’t read if you don’t want to know plot details)**

John Dalberg-Acton, the brilliant man behind the aforementioned quote, was a Catholic politician and writer. The full remark, stated by Acton was, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” This has deep-rooted connections to the play Macbeth, as, after Macbeth is named king, he proceeds to act questionably and corruptly.

It’s important to mention that Macbeth was not BORN corrupt - his increasing power caused increasing corruptness. Macbeth begins the play as the Thane of Glamis and quickly encounters the Weird Sisters who predict that he will eventually become Thane of Cawdor and replace Duncan as king. This prophecy, coupled with other events in the beginning of the play, plant the seeds of corruption in his head that lead him to kill both king Duncan and his best friend Banquo. In Act 1, it is revealed that the Thane of Cawdor, who fought with Macbeth in a recent battle against the Norwegians, was a traitor, and consequently was executed. This caused Macbeth to be promoted to both Thane of Cawdor and Thane of Glamis, part of the Weird Sisters’ prophecy. The Thane’s death  prompted Macbeth to think that the prophecy might become true if he (Macbeth) took action.

Macbeth’s new position of power combined with the prophecy lurking in the forefront of his mind directly caused his downward spiral into insanity. Influenced by Lady Macbeth and his new position of power, he commits regicide to take a step closer to becoming king. Macbeth is a seasoned warrior, yet Duncan’s death haunts him greatly, evidenced by the apparition of his bloody dagger. Duncan’s two sons, Malcolm and Donalbain flee, and Macbeth is crowned king. However, he is worried about his kingship because Banquo and Fleance are suspicious and because the Weird Sisters prophecy stated that Banquo or Fleance may be king instead of Macbeth. Uneasy, Macbeth hires three murders to kill both Banquo and Fleance, but only Banquo ends up dead.

Macbeth’s ultimate corruption is revealed when Macduff’s betrayal has become transparent to the whole kingdom. The king now decides that the only justice for this treason is death for his whole family! He sends murderers to Macduff’s palace, and they cut down Lady Macduff and her whole family, with the exception of Macduff, who is on his way to visit Macbeth. It is quickly revealed that Macbeth is responsible for the murders, and Macduff leaves to gather troops and start a war.

With reference to Macbeth, Shakespeare would agree with this quote to a great extent. Macbeth, evidenced by the correlation between his rise of power and his increasing corruption, is a prime example of a leader whose main focus became obtaining and retaining authority by all means necessary, including murder and deception. In reference to the play’s historical context, Shakespeare could be sending a message to James I about his fear of being dethroned - a result of the Gunpowder Plot. I think that the play was written in a way for James I to THINK that he is similar to Banquo and that his fears are justified, but in reality it was written as a warning to him about what may happen if he continues to place his power over his responsibilities as king. This is just one of the many occurrences of appearance vs. reality in the play, an overarching theme of the play by Shakespeare.