Evil and its Motivating Forces In Shakespeare's Macbeth

Albert Einstein once said "The real problem is in the hearts and minds of men. It is not a problem of physics but of ethics. It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil from the spirit of man." Without doubt, the evil that waits in the spirit of man permeates Shakespeare's "Macbeth." Along with the morals and principles of the characters, nature itself collapses into disorder. It is not, however, enough to …

…dense, suffocating metaphoric climate of primeval evil, darkness, blood, violated sleep, and nature poisoned at its source." The lasting terror of the play lies in the universal theme of a man relinquishing control, and in turn becoming capable of horrendous things. Triggered by the three witches' prophecies and motivated by his ambition and voracious lust for power, Macbeth falls from grace and glory leaving a trail of broken bodies behind him; the last, his own.