LVMR Deepankar, Gandhi, Sai Manoj, SiddharthA group project on “Macbeth” submitted to Instructor: Prof. S. Manikuuty In partial fulfilment of the requirements of the course Leadership: Vision, Meaning and Reality (LVMR) By Deepankar Bhagat (PGP 16112) Gandhi Mardi (PGP 16128) Sistla Sai Manoj (PGP 16339) Siddharth Vora (PGP 16401) (Section A – LVMR) On August 31st, 2017 1|Page LVMR Deepankar, Gandhi, Sai Manoj, Siddharth Contents ABOUT THE AUTHOR ........................................................................................................... 3 ABOUT THE PLAY.................................................................................................................. 3 PLOT OF THE PLAY ............................................................................................................... 4 CHARACTER SKETCH ........................................................................................................... 6 Macbeth.................................................................................................................................. 6 Lady Macbeth ........................................................................................................................ 7 Duncan ................................................................................................................................... 8 Macduff .................................................................................................................................. 8 Banquo ................................................................................................................................... 9 Malcom ................................................................................................................................ 10 COMPARISON WITH OTHER CHARACTERS .................................................................. 10 THEMES.................................................................................................................................. 11 Need for Power .................................................................................................................... 12 Leadership and balance: ....................................................................................................... 13 Resistance to Manipulative Persuasion ................................................................................ 14 Appearances and Reality...................................................................................................... 15 Character in Leadership ....................................................................................................... 16 Fate and Free Will ................................................................................................................ 17 MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS ......................................................................................... 18 Reference: ................................................................................................................................ 20 2|Page Upon receiving a prophecy of becoming King of Scotland from his encounter with a trio of witches. Gandhi. His earlier work mostly centered around comedies and histories. he murders King Duncan during his sleep with a little help from his wife. Sai Manoj. also known as the “Bard of Avon” is considered the greatest writer in the English literature. a king of Scotland during the medieval period differing significantly from the real history of Macbeth.LVMR Deepankar. King Lear. He is then crowned king and is consumed with power and guilt for the rest of his reign.cultural and political that conveys a strong life lesson. It was first performed on stage in 1606 and was published in Folio in 1623. he wrote plays centered around romance and tragicomedy. Out of suspicion and enmity. Macbeth.“Macbeth. written in 17th century. His work is known throughout the world and has been enacted in numerous plays worldwide since time immemorial. he turns into a tyrant and leads his kingdom into realms of disarray. he was a managing partner in the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. [1] During his early days. he wrote about tragedies which included Macbeth. [3][4] The play is intense in terms of action and depiction of human emotions and relationship. Then. In the process. In lieu of this. that are considered as some of the finest plays ever produced in those genres.” ABOUT THE PLAY Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy. Siddharth ABOUT THE AUTHOR William Shakespeare. lead to his downfall. [2] The play is partly based on a true historical figure. the badge of being considered as England’s national poet. During the last phase of his playwriting career. This has bestowed upon him. He is earlier known for his bravery and valor. His association with the company seemed to have influenced his way of writing and his artistry. 3|Page . he commits more murders to defend himself from potential threats. war and death. the project has been taken to understand and reinterpret one of his famous play. The play is about a Scottish general. It dramatizes the tragedy of an individual in pursuit of his ambition through deceit and murder which ultimately culminated into his existence being ultimately ridden with guilt and insanity. an acting company in London. Macbeth. Hamlet and Othello. His plays cover a wide range of human emotions and conflicts and has been used extensively around study institutes for presenting and discussion real human-being scenarios with various context. bloodshed. Macbeth comes across Banquo on his way to King’s chamber and discuss about the prophecy. Macbeth and Banquo go on to meet King Duncan at their palace. After reading the letter. He is informed about the execution of former Thane of Cawdor. the scene begins with the appearance of three witches amidst the storm and malignant supernatural environment and then moves to military camp where King Duncan is being informed about the heroism and gallantry shown by Macbeth and Banquo by an injured captain. King Duncan receives them dearly and informs about his succession as king by his son. Macbeth thereafter goes to kill the King and brings the dagger along which is supposed to left along with the guards. While returning from battlefield. Macbeth. They foretell that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and King while Banquo’s future generation would rule Scotland but Banquo will be devoid of any such privilege. Lady Macbeth goes 4|Page . Siddharth PLOT OF THE PLAY The play is organized into five acts and twenty-nine scenes. Malcolm. Macbeth and Banquo encounter the three witches who narrate them their prophecy. But she finds his conscience being shaken and disturbed by the whole plot and helps him to gain firmness again. Sai Manoj. she devises a treacherous plan of killing the king during his sleep and conveys the same to Macbeth upon his arrival. King Duncan upon being informed about the treachery of the Thane of Cawdor who had sided with the enemies. Thereafter. He also mentions that the king will be paying a visit to Iverness. The witches’ first prophecy comes true when Ross and Angur enter the scene to deliver the message of Macbeth being given the title of Thane of Cawdor. In Act I. He describes how they were able to stop the invading army of Irish led by Macdonwald who was ultimately slain by Macbeth. This ends the Scott battle but the army again faced invasion from Norwegians which was dealt with greater vigour than the last by Macbeth.LVMR Deepankar. Lady Macbeth drugs the chamber guard and comes to inform Macbeth. All his inner turmoil is dismissed by his wife by her taunting about weakness and reassuring him with the efficiency of her plan. Macbeth writes a letter to Lady Macbeth mentioning about the prophecy and how it came true. Macbeth starts hallucinating about a ghostly dagger but then composes himself before moving ahead according to the plan. Upon their arrival. the king arrives at Iverness and is received well by the hosts. In Act II. Gandhi. orders execution of Cawdor and declares the title to be passed to Macbeth. Macbeth is seen pondering over the plan and its implication on his morale and reputation. Still preoccupied with the turnarounds of event after their small encounter with the witches. The hired murderers were able to execute the plan partially. Macbeth kills the guard of the chamber to proclaim his anger and love for the king and his act was beyond suspicion. For this purpose. The second prophecy of witches comes true when Macbeth is named King after the death of Duncan and flight of his sons.LVMR Deepankar. Banquo was killed while Fleance escaped. one of the murderer informs Macbeth about their failure to kill Fleance. They foretell. to which Macbeth is shocked and outraged. Siddharth back into the chamber and rectifies the mistake. Being agitated. Macbeth and his wife welcome the Thanes of Scotland to the feast. in Macduff’s castle. Macbeth goes into a fit of despair and courage as he hallucinates Banquo’s ghost. He comes to know that Macduff has fled to England to join hands with Malcolm who is currently under King Edward’s refuge and wishes the duo’s success in bring peace to the country. that while Macduff would seek revenge. In Act IV. During the celebration. Later. he plans to meet three witches again to know about his future. Lennox reveals his suspicion of Macbeth in Duncan’s death to the other lords and talks about the state of turmoil Scotland is in due to the tyranny of Macbeth. Gandhi. Macbeth cannot be killed by any “woman born” and he would not be defeated until Birman Wood moves towards Dunsinane. Macduff meets Malcolm in England where the latter is suspicious of the former’s intentions and 5|Page . After realizing the futility of his line with no successor and the prophecy of the three witches regarding Banquo. Elsewhere. In Act III. Prior to the feast. Meanwhile. Fleance later in the evening on their way back to the palace at Forres for the grand feast. He also witnesses the sight of kings’ apparitions lead by Banquo. thereby soaking her hands in blood. with aid of apparitions. Macbeth plans and summons two murderers to murder Banquo and his son. Macbeth pays a visit to the three witches to know about his future. Banquo suspects Macbeth’s involvement in the King’s death but finds comfort after thinking about the witches’ prophecy regarding his bloodline. Macbeth again plot to murder Macduff after doubting his intentions since he didn’t show up for the feast. They hear a knocking at the door and soon run off to their rooms to clean the blood. She dismisses this warning as she has done nothing wrong but eventually encounters Macbeth’s hunch-man who kills them both her and the son. Malcolm and Donalbain fled to England and Ireland after realizing that their lives are at risk then. he decides to kill the family of Macduff. the Thane of Ross warns Lady Macduff and his son about the possibility of their murder due to his father’s traitorous. Lennox and Macduff had arrived to arrange for king’s departure as per his instructions but discover him lying dead. Sai Manoj. The Thanes are asked to leave because of the paranoid mind of Macbeth and his wife tries to soothe him. Caithness and Menteth plan to join Malcolm’s forces who were currently marching towards Scotland. curses the witches for their wicked half-truth prophecies and battles with Macduff. Lady Macbeth died and Macbeth laments over his lonely future and its insignificance. Macbeth swings into action and orders his servant to help him put on the armour. Lennox. Malcolm empathizes with Macduff’s concerns for Scotland and they both devise plan to defeat Macbeth. He is portrayed as a loyal thane to King Duncan at the beginning. Lady Macbeth is suffering from the guilt of her actions and had gone mad. He is interrupted by the news of the marching of Birnam Wood towards the castle but he shuns away the prophecy.LVMR Deepankar. whose heroics and bravery on the battlefield wins him great praise and honor from King Duncan. CHARACTER SKETCH Macbeth Macbeth is introduced in the play at a time when he has just defeated the allied forces of Norway and Ireland led by Macdonwald. 6|Page . Angus. he succumbs to his own personal ambitions encouraged by the prophecies and Lady Macbeth. Ross appears and inform Macduff about the ill fate of his family. Meanwhile. The rebel army of Scotland and English army meets at Birnam Wood where Malcolm orders each soldiers to cut a branch each and conceal themselves so as to hide the actual size of the army. These ambitions and thoughts often conflict with others’ opinion of him. Macbeth becomes aware of his predestined end. he goes to the battle and kills Siward’s son. Macduff finally kills Macbeth putting an end to the war and Malcolm is now crowned as the new king by all the Thanes of Scotland. Meanwhile. Convinced that no woman born can defeat him. Siddharth examines them. which he describes as "golden". In Act V. the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is informed about the invasion but he dismisses the news due to his trust in the prophecy shown by the apparitions. Eventually. Gandhi. on hearing which Macduff gets extremely angry and swears to seek revenge. He is portrayed as a great warrior. Sai Manoj. Macduff finally comes face to face with Macbeth and reveals that he was ripped from his mother’s womb during the exchange of word. Macbeth’s army have surrendered Dunsinane palace but the war was not over. After being convinced of his loyalty. until he becomes more dominant than his wife. Lady Macbeth Macbeth’s wife is one of the most powerful female characters portrayed in literature. Women in Elizabeth England yielded power through the influence on their husband. Sai Manoj. But Macbeth's excessive ambition became his dominant character trait. dear wife! Thou know'st that Banquo. She motivates Macbeth to follow the course of action of murder as planned when he seemed to be hit by his conscience. which is what Lady Macbeth also did. and his Fleance. This feature comes out when he is willing to fight till his last breath for the throne. Shakespeare developed her ambition to be queen as the single most dominant feature of hers than that of her counterpart in the historical story. Due to the appearance of Banquo's ghost. Macbeth appears quite frustrated. full of scorpions is my mind. Macbeth’s ambition and guilt began to spur him toward more and more terrible deeds. We see in subsequent acts that he is without any remorse plotting to kill Banquo and his son. She was the one to have conceived the idea of murdering the king in the first place. When Duncan announces that his intention is to pass on the kingdom to his son Malcolm. Lady Macbeth constantly keeps convincing her husband that the path they were onto was indeed the one required. 7|Page . Once he has killed the king. All these concerns are but taken care of by Lady Macbeth who has him convinced that eliminating the king is the action required to achieve kingship.” He also commands to kill Macduff and his family. When Macbeth is about to kill the king. lives. Unlike her husband. as in her opening scene. Each successive murder seems to have reduced his human characteristics. he swings from one state of mind to another until he is unsure of what is and what is not. he goes through terrible pangs of conscience. his ambition completely takes over. He seemed to be very concerned by the witches’ prophecy and goes on to inform Lady Macbeth about the prophecy through a letter.LVMR Deepankar. after his meeting with the witches where he was informed to beware of Macduff. she is extremely rational and lacks all traits of humanity. Gandhi. He is aware that he is on the path to destruction as he says the following line –” O. Siddharth Macbeth is seen to oscillate between acting towards his own ambitions and falling back because of his conscience. where she calls upon the spirits to deprive her of her instinct to care. Ultimately we see that Lady Macbeth fails the test of her own ruthlessness. or when he is greeting his hostess Lady Macbeth in Scene 6 of the Act 1. He praises Macbeth and Banquo both for their bravery on the battlefield. he 8|Page . where he speaks about matters of honor. Her death is the event where Macbeth ruminates for one last time. Sai Manoj. most notably when Macbeth says that the murdered king has "silver skin laced with his golden blood. His failure to recognize the treacherous behavior of Macdonwald. into her castle. whether on the battlefield in Act I. Scene 1 as she "confesses" her part in the murder. Gandhi. This was something Macbeth himself was not able to do so easily. She gibbers in Act V. the nature of time and mortality. the king of Scotland as he should be was an epitome of a good ruler. Macduff Macduff is portrayed as the avenging hero..”. kind hostess. the pace of events becomes too much even for Lady Macbeth. Her fainting after the murder of Duncan also makes one wonder if it was a part of her act.LVMR Deepankar.. a mere shadow in front of her former commanding self. Duncan is most importantly the representative of ethical and moral ruler. Macduff as a character has two very significant roles in the play: First. This virtue of Duncan is reflected in several occasions in the book. Having scolded and controlled her husband one last time during the dinner. Lady Macbeth is able to project herself as the consummate hostess. She becomes mentally weak and deranged. enticing the king. He speaks graciously and formally. Siddharth Lady Macbeth has no trouble putting on masks of innocence. He is not simply out for revenge but has a holy and good purpose. Duncan Duncan. Duncan also expresses and shows humility (a virtue which Macbeth lacks) when he accepts that he failed to notice the previous Thane of Cawdor's treachery: "There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face". Duncan also comes out as a person who trusts people and doesn’t worry much about his personal security and ambitions. when he was the Thane of Cawdor and also his overly trusting and praising behavior towards Macbeth is proof of this. Unfortunately. Banquo Banquo." he has to think straight and hold back his emotions. my voice is in my sword. an unfeeling man. Win us with honest trifles. as originally written in the source for Macbeth was Macbeth's co-conspirator in the killing. . But. to betray ’s In deepest consequence. This shows the astuteness of the character of Banquo. When he gets the news of the death of his "pretty chickens. we see him as Macbeth's rival. Sai Manoj. But I must also feel it as a man" helps the audience to compare him to Macbeth. The instruments of darkness tell us truths. Banquo is also an extremely sympathetic figure due to his blind trust on and reluctance to suspect Macbeth.LVMR Deepankar. " — we see a hint of the same raw ambition that leads Macbeth astray and relentlessness. Banquo is also open to human desires and yearnings: He is just as keen to hear what the Witches have to say about him. Like Macbeth. And in his monologue— "Thou hast it now . Siddharth discovers the murdered king Duncan's body. the role of co-conspirator is passed on to Lady Macbeth. Gandhi. the news of the ruthless murder of his children and wife spurs him toward his desire to wage a personal vendetta and revenge upon the tyrannical Macbeth. . like Macbeth. "I have no words.” Notice that he is naturally suspicious when free favors are done by suspicious characters. who before his ascension into Heaven harrows hell by releasing the souls of the damned from hell." It is at this moment that his wordlessness contrasts with Macbeth's hollow rhetoric. When he knocks at the gate of Macbeth's castle. He is ignorant of what other people suspect about the murder 9|Page . But in Shakespeare's play. And oftentimes. at the same time. Even when Malcolm urges Macduff to "Dispute it like a man" his reply "I will do so. He cannot sleep because of dreams of the Witches. Even in the final combat between anti-hero and hero. Second. this humanity is seen once more when he cries out. Macduff is being equated with the figure of Jesus Christ. he is not on the same plane of Macbeth when it comes to thirst for greed. is also shown as a mere human being. it is Banquo who asks questions about them: “…But ’tis strange. When the 3 witches first appear and Macbeth is very curious. to win us to our harm. Macduff. Okonkwo ambition is fueled by his fear of not portrayed as a weak personality like his father and had no purpose behind it. COMPARISON WITH OTHER CHARACTERS A parallel can be drawn between Macbeth and few of the characters studied in the LVMR course. His phrase "by the grace of Grace” shows the importance that he gives to the service of good and reminds us of his rightful place as the direct descendent of the one who ruled by divine right.LVMR Deepankar.Okonkwo and Tughlaq while a contrast can be drawn between Macbeth and Saint Joan and Gandhi. This is seen when he tests the allegiance and faithfulness of Macduff. 10 | P a g e . Similarly. Malcolm is presented as the future king in the end. Malcom Malcolm quickly senses the danger of staying in Scotland and flees the country with his brother Donalbain. Siddharth of Duncan and of his own forthcoming doom. unlike Macbeth who forcefully took the throne. However. after becoming king. Gandhi. He has also mobilized the army under Siward and Northumberland. which is in stark contrast to Macbeth. Only after getting stabbed by Macbeth’s henchmen does he realize his friend’s true colors. Both failed to reconcile between ends and means. Malcolm is the personification of all that is good in kingship. Both trod on their path to killing to sustain their ambition and kept it doing till the end. he is an affectionate father as is clearly depicted by his relationship with his son. By pretending to be somebody else. In his featured character. By the time he reappears. His testing of Macduff is psychologically accurate although dramatically of tedious length. Both Macbeth and Okonkwo had ambition but without any purpose and this led to their downfall. and he has proven himself to be "every inch a king. he is playing a part to strengthen the idea and prospect of good in the world." If Macduff can be termed as the stereotypical revenger in the book. he hopes to extract a confession of loyalty from Macduff. who plays a part so that he can advance his own evil. he has won the support of king of England. Malcolm is a propagator and representative of order. Sai Manoj. Macbeth. Macbeth’s ambition is propelled by the prophecy of the three witches and the wish of his wife. Like King Duncan. Edward the Confessor. Okonkwo and Macbeth’s ambition lacked any larger purpose behind it and was supplemented by absence of any value system. His legitimacy and authenticity were not realized by his pupil because of his involvement of killing his father during his prayer time for the throne. They corrupted their values for achieving their ends and ultimately turned into a whimsical tyrant. They had strong value systems and didn’t allow the ends justify the means. Macbeth was not liked by his people because of his involvement in the murder of King Duncan. Tughlaq to faced difficulty in finding acceptance from his followers. Gandhi withdraw his non-cooperation movement after Chauri chaura incident which went against his non-violence value. Both wore façade to conceive their true intention and was suspicious of everyone.LVMR Deepankar. Tughlaq had a vision but it was for his own self-interest to gain the acceptance of his followers. Their hands were covered with the blood of their former king to fulfill their purposeless ambition. Their conscience suffered a lot because of their guilt and this drove away their peace and sanity. Similarly. Joan and Gandhi’s vision was filled with a noble purpose giving them strength and conviction in pursuit of their goal. Like Macbeth. Unlike Macbeth. Siddharth didn’t know what to do next just like Sancho and the similar would have been the case with Okonkwo. Both started as a good human being and was known for one’s intelligence and valor but their fame was tainted by one malice act. THEMES 11 | P a g e . Gandhi. They found it difficult to gain other’s trust as well as trust anyone. Sai Manoj. Similarly. It also lends them credibility and authenticity to communicate to the followers. Saint Joan refused to recant about the voices that was against her value and opts for martyrdom. They lost touch with the reality and was not cognizant of the state of mind of their people. In contrast. we see that St. Sai Manoj. A leader should be immune to the arousing scents of power and focus on setting and achieving meaningful goals. which if left uncontrolled will blur individual’s judgements and lead them down disastrous paths. what follows will be a function of purely his/her deeper purpose. Gandhi.LVMR Deepankar. this purposeless quest for power eventually leads him down a path of increasingly grotesque crimes culminating in his death at the hands of Macduff. In 12 | P a g e . He concludes this soliloquy by saying that if anything could make him fall for these darker sides of his intent. conscience and sense of justice in the light of a basic instinct: need for power. which o'erleaps itself And falls on th' other. these fires are signified by the term Rajas (Rajo Guna). Scene-7. but only Vaulting ambition. “I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent. but that doesn’t take away his share of mistake: harbouring unbridled fires of ambition. Needless to say. The influence of Lady Macbeth and the witches is undoubtedly present. Siddharth Need for Power One of the important flaws of Macbeth is his lack of an overarching deeper purpose to his actions. In the famous soliloquy of Act-1. which is self-perpetuating unto itself. This phase of Macbeth’s life is comparable to Okonkwo whose emphasis on masculinity and differentiation from his father led him to two murders and his own suicide.” He acknowledges the virtuous nature of King Duncan and even speaks about how he is doubly bound to the service of his king as His Thane and His Host for the night. it can only be his overleaping ambitions. On the contrary.this even-handed justice Commends the ingredients of our poisoned chalice To our own lips. In Eastern philosophy.” The play Macbeth is the tale of a man who ignores his better nature. before being convinced by Lady Macbeth he acknowledges that even-handed justice would eventually make him accept the consequences of his actions. The reason is that even if such lofty positions are achieved through some means. “…. his actions are motivated only by an “overleaping ambition”. he is portrayed as a much weaker ruler. wherein he accuses himself (Malcolm) of many vices in- order to test if Macduff still supports him. we find Macbeth himself who is a very powerful and brave Thane. the character of King Duncan is portrayed as the epitome of virtuousness and justice. reconciled my thoughts To thy good truth and honor.LVMR Deepankar. this noble passion. Such a path never leaves a beneficial lasting impact. Siddharth summary. Leadership and balance: Shakespeare seems to be suggesting the need for a balanced approach to virtue in leadership. Upon Macduff’s disillusionment and withdrawal of support. “Macduff. hath from my soul Wiped the black scruples. A leader should undoubtedly have a pure and virtuous character. This is demonstrated by the way in which he blindly trusts both his Thanes without displaying even the slightest suspicions. He is also actively aware of the darker thoughts of the people around him as he could figure out instantly if someone could potentially have grudges against him and took pro- active (albeit brutal) steps to suppress these. Child of integrity. On the other hand. Gandhi. On one extreme. This loss results in him committing grave mistakes which come back to haunt him later in his life. given his dependence on the Thanes for the suppression of rebellion. He leads the battle against the rebellion from the front and brings the head of the usurper on a pike. But his weakness was that he rapidly loses his “milk of human kindness” as we move into the play. Moreover. Malcolm has been portrayed as the ideal character in this regard as he has been shown to have achieved true balance between Virtue and Strength. But he doesn’t recognize the darker aspects that lurk within human minds. reveals his precautionary plan and declares that Macduff indeed has noble passion and integrity. Malcolm uses a long method to assess the true nature of Macduff. Sai Manoj. a meaningless pursuit to the leadership position would imply a meaningless path thereafter as well. It is this weakness of his that gets him brutally murdered in the middle of the night by Macbeth. Malcolm smiles. but at the same time he/she should be fully aware of the darker aspects as well.” 13 | P a g e . because of his inability to think critically. Only one who has such clarity of the vices can take active steps to avoid them. who led the army of King Duncan to victory against the rebellion. in Malcolm we see the ideal balance between strength and virtue a true leader must possess. On the other hand. they find credibility in the eyes of the unsuspecting. he succumbs to the taunts of his wife the moment she questions his manhood. for his part grows blind to these persuasions in his blind thirst for 14 | P a g e . She falsely represents Macbeth’s thought process to himself. Sai Manoj. But during his indecision before killing Duncan. is the prior mentioned thirst for power. Macbeth falls for this bait. we can see two-fold qualities of leadership in Malcolm: While testing Macduff. of course. Gandhi. He was a warrior of great repute. Macbeth failed miserably in this regard. She skilfully pivots the entire argument on his courage isolating the factors of ethics and fairness. ” Notice that she uses the words “I dare not” to signify his current state of thought while his actual thoughts were more along the lines of “Is this ethical?”. Much earlier. Siddharth Here. Later when their prediction of Thane of Cawdor immediately comes true. Macbeth falls for the words of the 3 witches. we can glance at his acknowledgement of humans’ darker aspects and his precautionary approach towards it. Therefore. on many occasions. while he accuses himself of vices. Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would. while Banquo retains his critical thinking. Resistance to Manipulative Persuasion A leader must be aware of his own weak points and thereby be self-aware of the various ways in which different stakeholders might manipulative him/her. And live a coward in thine own esteem. The reason for this inability. This is a sign of his mental and emotional strength.LVMR Deepankar. we can view his knowledge of the virtues a king must possess. They misleadingly give false assurances to Macbeth and take payment for these predictions. This immediately sounds favourable to Macbeth and opens him up to further talks with them. The witches cleverly start the conversation by praising Macbeth as the Thane of Cawdor and King of Glamis in addition to this current title. Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is unable to admit this union consciously. Oh. But her memory is filled with bloody murders resulting from decisions with grave loss of judgment. self-aware) and be on guard at all points of time. Only a sharp observer will distinguish the outward appearance from the reality it represents. In various other incidents. Lady Macbeth sleep-walks into a room and starts cleaning her hands and muttering something to herself. the imaginary blood- cleansing from the hands of Lady Macbeth. The doctor eventually deduces what we (readers) already know: this weird action of Lady Macbeth is in-fact a manifestation of guilt from a gruesome incident and not simply a physical illness with her body. While the doctors and servants watch on. Sai Manoj. there are abnormal appearances turning up in inappropriate circumstances: the bloody dagger hallucination of Macbeth before murdering Duncan and the incident of dead Banquo appearing in the dinner thrown to Thanes. leaving Banquo’s warnings to no avail. Lady Macbeth’s conscience can still distinguish between right and wrong. Siddharth power. Here’s the smell of the blood still. Oh!” This is the author’s way of conveying that outwardly innocuous symptoms can in-fact be manifestations of deep tectonic clashes of memories and ethics. This consolidation (union) of memories and ethical conscience is bound to happen at some point of a human’s lifetime. To circumvent such problems. Oh. Gandhi. In the setting of the play. Appearances and Reality The most iconic scene of the whole of Macbeth play is. The stakeholders might use various means to manipulate us. so as to spot any attempts to take advantage of these weaknesses. most effective of which being leveraging our mental and personality weaknesses. a leader must be aware of his weaknesses (i. arguably. A leader must not allow himself/herself to be manipulated into actions that are contrary to one’s true nature.LVMR Deepankar. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Apparently. “Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him. The 3 witches hit on the weak spots of Macbeth: near immortality (tress mobilize as an army and killer cannot be any man born of a woman’s womb) and illusions of power and grandeur. Since. it gets manifested unconsciously. 15 | P a g e . which the untrained eye perceives as a fit/anxiety-attack.e. LVMR Deepankar. Once he achieved the fame and success of defeating Macdonwald. fame. deceit. the true test of a man’s character is what he does in prosperity and not how he handles adversity. Many men when in power become corrupt and show their true character. but if you want to test a man's character. hidden conflicts. Character in Leadership “Nearly all men can stand adversity. This is what Lincoln meant when he said to test a man’s character give him power not adversity. Macbeth was faced with the allied forces of Norway and Ireland led by the traitorous Macdonwald. success. overwhelmingly challenging job at hand. give him power. Prosperity on the other hand can consist of power. But more often than not. Sai Manoj. Gandhi. Prosperity is easy and beneficial. as a psycho-analytical explanation. he became greedy and finally murdered the king and 16 | P a g e . cheating and fraud or does he fight his way through the right path of legal and ethical means.Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) Adversity can be thought of as harsh. how does he face the hardships and challenges in life. difficult. One may think that a man’s true test of character may be adversity. While it may be so that a sizeable number of people do fail in this test itself. Does he choose the easier way of crime. This is Shakespeare’s way of conveying to the reader that in reality Macbeth’s conscience is crying out loud against the actions committed/to-be- committed and the outward hallucinations are just manifestations of this inward battle. Thus. the Thane of Cawdor. Siddharth these can be attributed to the mischief of the witches.” . Macbeth certainly could not face the test of power. It is natural to think of adversity as harsh and damaging. Macbeth seemed to have come passed the character test of adversity with flying colors. wealth. various instances incidents that outwardly appear to be magical or without explanation are in-fact the author’s way of conveying deeper. both these are expressions of guilt: Guilt of Future actions (planned murder of Duncan) and Past actions (murder of Banquo). But. He displayed his loyalty towards his king and displayed great bravery and valor to defeat Macdonwald. Sai Manoj. Macbeth. Let not light see my black and deep desires: Macbeth learns that Malcom is named Prince of Cumberland. but actions will. Macbeth. The theme that is brought out is that men can stand adversity better than prosperity. Siddharth ascends to power. Knowing that previous prophecies have come to be true. he goes forward to stop this prophecy from seeing the light of the day.” The above words are those of Lady Macbeth where she gets an idea that fate alone will not make her queen. hide your fires. "All hail. or else o'erleap. he realises he cannot leave fate to chance. Macbeth. Macbeth then seems to challenge fate of Banquo’s children one day sitting the throne. The first thing Macbeth does after this is write a letter to Lady Macbeth. The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step On which I must fall down. Stars.LVMR Deepankar. This is the time when Macbeth accepts that fate will not bring him anything but it is his actions that will overleap the obstruction to his throne. Thane of Glamis! All hail. “Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem To have thee crown'd withal. that shalt be King hereafter!" This is the first time the three witches give Macbeth the idea of his own fate and set things in motion. All this shows that actions were necessary for Macbeth to be king. hail to thee. Thane of Cawdor! All hail. Gandhi. While in power he hires assassins to kill Banquo and his son. and also the heir to the Scottish throne. Fate and Free Will Was Macbeth’s tragedy a result of his own fate or was he completely in control and responsible for his own tragedy. Hence. For in my way it lies. hail to thee. 17 | P a g e . He keeps his subjects happy and amply rewards them. King Duncan represents an ideal leader with a transformational leadership style. who empowers his followers and sets challenging goals and achieves better results. Leaders need to be ambitious in setting and achieving goals. but does compromising on morals and laws be seen as an option and pursued. Siddharth “Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! beware Macduff. He also praises Banquo equally for his bravery in the battlefield. Enough. it is was definitely not fate alone which was responsible for his destiny. Dismiss me. Hence. But it is not the fate that actually led Macbeth to his downfall. Sai Manoj. He is portrayed as a mentoring figure to his followers. Beware the thane of Fife. While one can say that had not the witches prophesized about Macbeth would have not ended up in this tragic state of affair. MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS King Duncan has been seen as a kind and generous ruler. and Macduff’s family. Which was true even in this case. Limits of ambition have to be realized. There are enough instances as we saw above where even Macbeth himself believed that fate will not lead him to his desires but his own actions will.” Once again Macbeth challenges fate by trying to kill Macduff but ends up killing his entire family. “Choice not chance determines your destiny”. Banquo. Gandhi. As Aristotle has said. Not the ambition of him as a thane or later as a ruler. Macbeth is portrayed as someone who compromised on his morals for ambition. We have seen numerous such cases where management has decided to go ahead with the ethically and sometimes even legally wrong decisions just to achieve the firm’s ambition of 18 | P a g e . He honors and rewards Macbeth and also praises him by calling him the worthiest cousin. It is clear that Macbeth made the wrong decisions which led to his downfall. but his personal ambitions. This situation has a lot of relevance in today’s corporate scenario where there is the dilemma between morals and targets.LVMR Deepankar. It is his actions that led him to kill King Duncan. And that fate did play a part in shaping the destiny of Macbeth. He took his decisions without haste as opposed to Macbeth. political or social setting. He is both strong and emotionally mature like Macbeth while at the same time kind and virtuous like Duncan. For example. Gandhi. Malcom acts intelligently and leaves Macbeth’s shelter for his own safety instead of grieving for his father.LVMR Deepankar. Malcom turns out to be a good strategist leading the soldiers to a disguised attack. Siddharth growing shareholder value. In both these cases. the ambition of driving more profits crossed thresholds of moral and societal acceptance leading to their eventual downfall. He also wisely tests the loyalty of Macduff by pretending to be devoid of virtues. When Macduff expresses his concern for Scotland’s future. The character of Malcolm therefore signifies the ideal mind-set to be shown by an effective leader in today’s business. 19 | P a g e . Malcom is convinced that Macduff can be trusted. He takes the right decision to take refuge in England where he is treated with respect. Sai Manoj. Malcom comes across as a calm and calculative manager who understands the situation and task and hand and uses the resources effectively to achieve the objective. the unethical leading of Satyam Computers by Ramalinga Raju to the unethical and illegal Volkswagen emission scandal all reflect the choice of ambition over morals. org/wiki/Macbeth 3.wikipedia.LVMR Deepankar. Siddharth Reference: 1.com/literature/m/macbeth/about-macbeth 4. Sai Manoj. Gandhi.sparknotes.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare 2.html 20 | P a g e . https://en. http://www. https://en.cliffsnotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/facts.wikipedia. https://www.