The “seduction” of power can radically change an individual. A person in a position of power often believes that they are better than others around them. The entitlement an individual feels after gaining power can be costly. William Shakespeare depicts the "seduction" of power in Macbeth, through Macbeth's ambition to achieve more power. Macbeth acts as his own adversary, manifested through his paranoia and insecurity which ultimately led him to be a corrupt individual due to his greed to obtain more power. The source of Macbeth's insecurity came from the fact that his wife, Lady Macbeth, doubted his manhood. As shown when she used her means of seduction to get Macbeth to kill Duncan: “When you dared to do it, then you were a man; / And be more than man” (1.7.56-58). Macbeth became his own adversary when he tried to prove he was a “man” to his wife and killed Duncan. Due to his insecurity over his lack of manhood, Macbeth's soul could not be purified again. Macbeth proved to his wife that he was a "man", but the consequence of killing the king was the beginning of the corruption of Macbeth's soul due to the sense of power he had. Macbeth saw his actions as justifiable because he was motivated by self-interest. Although Lady Macbeth caused Macbeth to abuse his powers, it was ultimately his own fault, as he had the choice to accept it or not. Macbeth has decided to carry out his plan to kill Duncan, "I sit and bend/Every corporal officer sets out for this terrible feat/Go, and mock the weather with the fairest show/The false face must hide what the false heart knows” (1.7.92-96). Macbeth knew it was wrong to kill his king; however, Macbeth's ambition takes over the conscience of his mind. Macbe...... middle of paper ...... re power. Macbeth's downfall was his fault, as his lust for power would not stop and he was willing to kill anyone who blocked or threatened his path. A position of power therefore leads an individual to feel a feeling of invisibility; they think they are above everyone else. A feeling of supremacy can act as a trigger that pushes an individual to become corrupt and do things that go against their morals. Works Cited Asp, Carolyn. ““Be bloody, bold and resolute”: tragic action and sexual stereotypes in Macbeth. » EXPLORE Shakespeare. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Gale Student Resources in Context. Internet. November 16, 2011.Knight, LC William Shakespeare. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1985. Print. Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. The tragedy of Macbeth. New York: Washington Square, 1992. Print.