Although William Shakespeare's life existed after the reign of Genghis Khan, the infamous Genghis Khan and Shakespeare's Macbeth remain similar in their acts of tyranny. Both tyrants valued their pride and idealized sense of self-worth over the bloodshed of innocent victims who stood in their way; as a result, Shakespeare's Macbeth and the story's Genghis Khan became infamous for their tyrannical acts and the means by which they used their power within their kingdom, motivated primarily by their wives, rather than their impressive military skill. Furthermore, Shakespeare's Macbeth and the infamous Genghis Khan become tyrants, as established by historians, due to their inability to distinguish between the power held by a king and the abuse of that power by a tyrant. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In Shakespeare's work and history, Macbeth and Genghis Khan are constantly seen trying to achieve more in life than was originally intended for them, deluding themselves into believing the prophecies presented to them. The first time ambition plays a detrimental role in Macbeth's pursuit of power is when he plans to kill the current king, King Duncan; despite the honors King Duncan bestows on Macbeth for his military successes, Macbeth is driven by his desire for the crown rather than his own morals. Likewise, Genghis Khan's dark ambition to avenge his father's death by defeating the Tartars leads to his rise in power. As demonstrated in Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth hesitated to kill King Duncan, he finally agreed after being influenced by Lady Macbeth: “The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step / upon which I must fall, or leap, / for it lies in my way” (I.iv.50-53). However, as Macbeth's growing ambition also led him to kill King Duncan, albeit reluctantly, Genghis Khan's desire to remain in power left him no choice but to kill Toghril; Genghis Khan had never intended to kill Toghril since the prince had helped him so much in gaining his power, but once he posed a threat to his title, Genghis Khan decided it had to be done for fear of being overwhelmed by the Kereit. In addition to their dark ambitions, Genghis Khan and Macbeth are also strongly influenced by their wives; Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth and the story's Borte, Genghis Khan's wife, highlight the possibility that women have supposed masculine ambitions but are denied the power to pursue these ambitions due to social constraints. Macbeth's recognition of Lady Macbeth's position of power within their marriage mirrors Genghis Khan's respect for his wife Borte. After killing King Duncan, Macbeth feels the urge to relate to Lady Macbeth: "I have seen fit to free you, my dearest companion of greatness, so that you do not lose your due of joy, ignorant of what greatness is". I promised you. Put it in your heart and farewell" (Iv10-13). Macbeth values his wife's opinion and advice to achieve his goals of ruling Scotland: Lady Macbeth remains fully aware that she is stronger, more ruthless, and more ambitious than her husband despite the limitations imposed by social conventions. Despite being an honorable and noble man, demonstrated by his achievements on behalf of Scotland, Macbeth is easily corrupted with his ambition to become king due to the strong influence of his wife, Lady Macbeth. In comparison, Genghis Khan respected Borte's opinions and sought his advice when it came to..
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