This essay compares and contrasts Shakespeare's Richard III and Macbeth as villainous figures driven by ambition, the lust for power, and murder. The paper examines how Richard enters the plays already committed to villainy, while Macbeth is gradually corrupted through the influence of Lady Macbeth and the witches. Drawing on scholars including A.C. Bradley and Stephen Greenblatt, the essay traces how both men use murder as a tool to seize the throne, how they commit violence against the innocent, and how each ultimately ends in isolation. Shakespeare, the paper argues, uses these two figures to illustrate the universal human capacity for evil when ambition goes unchecked.
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The lust for power, the thirst for ambition, and the act of murder are the driving forces behind the characters of Richard III and Macbeth. While both men are villains, they become so in very different ways. At the beginning of Richard III, Richard needs no help becoming a villain and no assistance when it comes to devious plans and plots for murder. Macbeth, on the other hand, needs prodding from his wife to become a villain. Both men ultimately arrive at villainy because of their thirst for ambition and their lust for power. Their characters illustrate how villains may come in many shapes and sizes but, in the end, operate on the same level — driven by outside forces and inner desire alike. An examination of Richard III and Macbeth reveals that both men are villains because they are greedy for power and ambition, and will resort to murder to get what they want.
Shakespeare uses the lust for power to arouse villainous feelings within both Richard III and Macbeth. Richard is a villain from the very beginning, and Shakespeare wastes no time revealing this to the audience. In the opening act, Richard's true colors are on full display. He admits that he has laid plots against the king and justifies his deformity as a reason for his bad behavior. We know this early in the play when he says that he is "deformed, unfinish'd, sent before my time" (Richard III I.i.20) and that he is "determined to prove a villain" (Richard III I.i.30). Later in the play, he compares himself to the "formal vice, Iniquity, / I moralize two meanings in one word" (Richard III III.i.82–83). Stephen Greenblatt notes that the vice is "wickedness personified" (Greenblatt 34).
It takes considerably longer for Macbeth to become a villain. In fact, he could likely never have done it alone. It takes prodding from his wife and the nudging of witches to convince Macbeth to act. Yet once he does commit murder, he becomes more callous and increasingly willing to do so again. Neither character is simply killing for the sake of killing — each man lusts after the power of the throne, and that lust becomes a primary force behind his behavior.
Linked with the lust for power is the thirst for ambition. Shakespeare reveals the frailty of human nature through this lethal combination. With Richard, this thirst manifests through various forms of bad behavior. He demonstrates early on that he will do whatever it takes to get what he wants through manipulation and outright lies. When he convinces Anne to marry him, his sinister side shines through vividly. He gloats over having won her so easily — especially since she is still in mourning — admitting that he will "have her; but I will not keep her long" (Richard III I.ii.230). Here we see him wasting no time putting his plan to become king into action. His manipulative nature is further evident when he announces Clarence's death and then makes Edward feel guilty in front of those around them.
Macbeth's plan, by contrast, is not something he develops on his own. It is only through Lady Macbeth's urging that Macbeth comes to lust after the throne and actually sees a path to making it happen. Both men are ultimately primed for murder by a simple, consuming desire for the crown.
"Both men use murder including killing innocents to gain power"
"Richard born evil; Macbeth gradually corrupted by outside forces"
"Both villains end abandoned and alone"
Richard III and Macbeth are plays that outline the life of a villain. While these men do not have everything in common, they share what it takes to become evil. Shakespeare brings to the forefront some of the most basic human desires and shows what happens when men are driven to act upon them without restraint. Richard and Macbeth lust after power and hunger for ambition. They want to be king so badly that they can justify any action that helps them achieve their goal — including murder.
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