Duncan v.s. Macbeth

1. King Duncan was a kind and noble leader. His people loved him for his fairness, loyalty, and kindness. King Duncan put faith into the people he surrounded himself by. He gained the trust of his men and the respect and loyalty that came in turn; he says "He was a gentleman on whom I built an absolute trust." (1.4.13-15) The people of Scotland trusted Kind Duncan deeply and never tried to overpower him, but what if someone got that idea? This is what happened when Macbeth was given a prophecy that he shall be king, "All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!" (1.3.48) Learning this Macbeth and Lady Macbeth became power hungry and fate driven and plotted their attack on King Duncan.  King Duncan ran his country being the "nice guy" but I think that he should have installed more rules and regulations in his leadership. He might have had even more respect if he had ran his country with a more firm yet gentle hand.

2. I think that Machiavelli would judge Macbeth poorly. First of all, Macbeth isn't even truly of royal stature because he was titled by the desperation of a new king. When Malcolm and Donalbain fled, they left no remaining air, and since Macbeth was so well known for his leadership and battle skills, he was the first to be thought of in replacing the King. I think that Machiavelli would have lost some respect for him because of this reason. I also think that Machiavelli would like Macbeth because he is unsuccessful. Scotland is in a way falling apart around him and all he cares about is himself and the power he gains form ruling Scotland. This relates to the quote "benefits should be conferred gradually; and in that way they will taste better" by Machiavelli. Macbeth was given everything that a King earns right off. He was given power, riches, and virtually everything he needed to dictate Scotland. I think that throughout the story, Macbeth become more and more an example of the quote by Machiavelli " Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle,hypocritical, and greedy of gain." This is shown strongly at the point in which Macbeth orders for Macduff's loved ones to be killed for no reason. I think that because of the poor leadership and appearance that Macbeth has shown, Machiavelli would not agree that he is a good leader.

Macbeth: Act 1

Appearance vs Reality:
  Machiavelli wrote in The Prince "It is not essential that a prince have all good qualities but it is most essential that he should seem to have them." This means that to gain the respect and obedience of your people you must always act like you know what is going on and you must always show good character towards your people. It  could also mean that you will lie to get what you want. In Macbeth, I think the characters that most represent these statements are the Weird Sisters; "fair is foul, and foul is fair."

Gender Roles:
Throughout the story of Macbeth, gender evaluation is considered throughout the whole story. Like now, men and women are expected to have the qualities and strengths of the gender that was bestowed on them at birth. For example, in Macbeth men are expected to inflict wounds, kill and be honorable in war. If you were to show that you could do all of these things, you were greatly respected. The quote by King Duncan "So well thy words become thee as thy wounds: They smack of honour both," (1.3.43-44) represents that because of his wounds, he is honorable. Generally as a woman you would do the more "womanly chores" such as cleaning, cooking, supporting your husband quietly and respectfully; but Lady Macbeth took matters into her own hands when she believed that Macbeth wasn't strong enough to kill King Duncan. " That tend on mortal thoughts, unsec me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood, stop up th'access and passage to remorse, that no compunctiouns visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose, more keep peace between th'effect and it. Come to my womens breasts , and take my milk for gall.." (1.5.40-46) Lady Macbeth is planning the kill herself; taking the place of her husband.

Loyalty and Honor:
In Macbeth, honor is portrayed very deeply through the royals and war heros. If you show great strength, stability, and leadership in battle then you are well appreciated. Macbeth fought incredibly and impressed the King very much. Because of this, and the death of the Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth was named the new Thane of Cawdor. Machiavelli's quote "It is not the titles that honor men but the men that honor titles." shows that men who are loyal and honorable towards their leaders and peers are the men that are the most respectful and  the most appreciated. I think that Macbeth betrays this by killing King Duncan.

Niccolo Machiavelle

Niccolo Machiavelle was born in Florence, Italy on May 3rd, 1469.  He was an Italian political philosopher, historian, play write, and poet. Though he achieved greatness in all of these things he was most know for his work in writing The Prince in 1513 which is said to be the "Idiots Guide" to ruling and leading.

In The Prince there are many great examples of leadership and control. The quote that I think most represents leadership today is "He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command." This is a good example of a teacher in a leadership role. To have your students listen to you and learn, you have to know how to make them listen. To be a great leader you must know how to control your people and how to please them yet still doing what you want and what you think is best for the people.

Many examples in The Prince are also negative examples of ruler an leadership. For example, the quote "It is not essential that a Prince have all good qualities, but it is most essential that he should seem to have them." This poor advice for a leader because to gain the trust and respect of your people, you must be honest and fulfill the requests of your people. For example, if you are only to show then your weapons but never use them for the good of yourself and your people, then you may as well not be doing anything. If you are lying to your people about who you are and what you know, that will show through in your battle and leadership strategies.

Pizarro achieved many great things with knowledge and battle strategies. Pizarro was a great leader but may not of known what battles lay ahead in taking over a new world. The quote "There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in it's success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order if things," represents how it is extremely hard and sometimes unsuccessful to try to take over a new land or civilization.

Gilbert, Felix. "Machiavelli, Niccolò (1469–1527)." Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier Online, 2010. Web. 29 Oct. 2010.
This is a great resource to study Machiavelli...
Gilbert, Felix. "Machiavelli, Niccolò (1469–1527)." Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier Online http://ea.grolier.com/profile_article?assetid=0256030-00 (accessed October 29, 2010).

Leadership

I feel that having a leader in life is essential; some one to look up to, someone to teach you. Leadership, for me, is the ability to gain the trust of your peers and to be able to help them and to teach them. A leader should learn the ways of their followers and take into consideration their needs and thoughts, yet still making sure that the people are given what they truly need to be successful, not just to be pleased by petty items and acts. I have had many leaders in my life but one that has stuck with since 7th grade. My language arts/Social Studies teacher in 7th and 8th grade at Hinesburg Community School, Mrs. Spaulding was a person that I grew to trust and bond with. She was the type of teacher whose humor was a privilege of understanding. She was also the best teacher. She could hold a 2 hour long class and never bore anyone because she kept the talk interesting and related boring material to modern day topics. Through middle school she guided myself and my peers to high achievements and to higher thinking. Mrs. Spaulding was my teacher and leader and is still my leader and I hope my siblings can see the great leader, teacher, and person she is as they pass through her classes over the years.