Running head: CONSTRUCTING MEANING IN LIBERAL ARTS CONSTRUCTING MEANING IN LIBERAL ARTS 2 The Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth exposes how human beings are weak. The play relates the way human beings are greedy and are not contented with what they receive from the society (Shakespeare, Mowat, & Werstine, (2009, Pp. 3, Act 1). This role between human beings and society are also described in the works of Sigmund Freud. Freud’s theories primarily focuses on how humans are constantly denied to fulfill what they seek, accusing the society and its role as being the blame for it. Doing a comparison between both works, Shakespare also try to understand the human being and their role in the society. Freud comes with three key principles: the id, ego and superego. They all work together, allowing people to communicate with their exterior world. Macbeth demonstrate this in his weakness and in the quest for power. The human being is portrayed evil when Macbeth kills King Duncan just because he wants to take over the throne. Due to guilt and shame of betrayal, Macbeth finally commits suicide and he goes to eternal darkness. In this book Shakespeare is trying to show his audience the evil nature of human being and the way they are discontented with their own status (Shakespeare, Mowat, & Werstine, 2009, Pp. 5, Act 3). Freud in other hand, says that often we have nothing which is more exact than experiencing the behavior we have and the character that we posses. Shakespeare demonstrates that the super-ego of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth at some point, will punish them for acting in a bad way against their own morals and instincts. In this play Macbeth involves himself in everything that is dark. For example; murder, manipulation, deceit, lying, disloyalty and disobeying the higher power are mostly portrayed in the play (Shakespeare, Mowat, & Werstine, 2009, Pp. 3, Act 1). All these actions, should be considered part of the “id” of the Macbeth, in other words, according to Freud, each one of his acts portrays an unorganized part of his personality structure that constains a human’s basic, instinctual drives. Those instincts are present in the source of the body wants, needs, desires, impulses, and aggressive drives. The darker element of human beings, in the play, shows the defeat of one’s own being and eagerness to rule. Every wrong done by Macbeth and his companion comes out in a dangerous way. The play shows that every individual has the power and ability to perform something that is good and evil by the choices they make. Freud on his analysis of the human psyche explains that every single human lives in a struggle between their ego and super-ego.This struggle usually put them in a difficult situation where they have to chose between doing what is right or doing what their own instinct demands. Macbeth’s greed and bad decision making led him to lose every possession he had owned by working hard. He ...