Motivation in Macbeth (Free Essay Sample)

Motivation is the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way. In both Macbeth by William Shakespeare Lady Macbeth has motivation behind convincing her husband to kill King Duncan. Also, in Claudette Colvin's Teen Vogue interview she explains that she had motivation behind her revolutionary act. 

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, his wife Lady Macbeth has a motive behind trying to convince her husband to kill King Duncan. From the beginning, Lady Macbeth was very cold and ambitious. She is willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants. She says after reading the letter from her dearest partner of greatness,  “​​Thou’dst have great Glamis, That which cries ‘Thus thou must do’ if thou have it; And that which rather thou dost fear to do ” (Macbeth 1.5 16).  When stated “‘Thus thou must do’ if thou have it” essentially means that they must kill King Duncan for Macbeth to have the title. Lady Macbeth is so insistent on assassinating King Duncan because she wants her husband to hold the title of “King”.  If they are successful in the assassination of King Duncan and Macbeth gets crowned King that would make Lady Macbeth a Queen. This would give her power, something she craves. She greatly enjoys having power, being able to boss people around and give orders. Thus making the motivation behind convincing her husband to follow along and kill King Duncan being her craving for power. 

Similarly in Claudette Colvin’s Teen Vogue interview Colvin also had a motive behind her revolutionary actions. “History had me glued to the seat. Harriet Tubman’s hands were pushing down on one shoulder and Sojourner Truth’s hands were pushing down on the other shoulder. I was paralyzed between these two women; I couldn’t move.” (Jacobson 2). As the bus driver told the four students of color to move for the singular white women Claudette refused. As it was black history week at the time, the students were learning more about the colored people in United States history, something that is usually excluded. This made her even more enraged because she knew after just talking about the injustice and discrimination people of color received also fought so hard to try and end it. Unfortunately this ended in her being arrested and put on indefinite probation. She also got criticized by her entire community. After all, her motivation to not give up her seat on the bus came from black history. 

Ultimately Lady Macbeth from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Claudette Colvin had motivation behind their actions. Lady Macbeth's motive to convince her husband into killing King Duncan was her craving for power. On the other hand Claudette Colvin's motivation behind her revolutionary act came from black history.