Year 10- The Abuse or Power

L.Cole

The Impact of Power in Shakespeares Macbeth

and Enrights A Property of the Clan
Power is the ability or strength to do something; it refers to a position of
authority or control. There are many different types and uses of power, and
power is often unequal in both its distribution and value. This means that power
impacts on individuals in different ways. While written in vastly different
contexts, both Shakespeares Macbeth and Enrights A Property of the Clan
explore the impact of power. Through an analysis of these two drama texts,
examining the use of techniques including asides, characterisation, juxtaposition,
monologue, dialogue, diction and staging, this essay will explore the unequal
nature of power and the ways in which it can have different impacts on different
people.
One of the key themes in in Shakespeares Macbeth is the power of ambition,
and the impact that this can have on an individuals choices and actions. This is
illustrated at the beginning of the play, when Macbeth and Banquo encounter
three witches on a heath. The supernatural creatures offer promises of
greatness to both men, however it is clear from the outset that this supernatural
soliciting (1 3.129) has a much greater effect on Macbeth. Upon being told that
he will be king, Macbeths ambition quickly turns his thoughts to murder, despite
the fact the killing the King would disrupt the Great Chain of Being, with grave
consequences for society. Shakespeare uses an aside to communicate these dark
thoughts to the audience, while veiling them from Macbeths companions- If
good, why do I yield to that suggestion| Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
(1.3.133-134). Furthermore, Banquo comments that Macbeth is rapt withal
(1.3.55) after hearing the prophecies- he is already in deep thought about what
they could mean. In comparison, Banquo is cautious of the witches. He warns
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us
truths;|Win us in honest trifles, to betrays|In deepest consequence. This
reveals that he is suspicious of the witches motives, as they are, after all,
supernatural and ungodly creatures. This juxtaposed characterisation of Macbeth
and Banquo highlights that the power of the supernatural has a vastly greater
impact on Macbeth than Banquo. Macbeths pre-existing ambition allows him to
be more easily drawn in and manipulated. In this way, Shakespeare
demonstrates that our individual characteristics play a large role in shaping our
responses to powerful ideas and suggestions.
Enrights play, A Property of the Clan, also explores the concept of power. It
highlights that power is unequally distributed in our society- some have it and
others do not. Through its narrative of the rape, murder and victim blaming of a
young girl named Tracy, it comments on the impacts of the uneven distribution
of power between men and women in patriarchal society. This is best shown
through the characters of Ricko and Tracy. Enright paints Ricko as a stereotypical
Australian bloke. His choice of diction also reveals that he holds sexist attitudes
towards women, and does not believe that they are capable of achieving what
men can. This is demonstrated when he passes comment on why girls cant surf

Year 10- The Abuse or Power

L.Cole

as well as boys, stating Girls cant balance right. Their centre of gravity is all up
the shit. However, this does not stop Ricko from being a legend among the
teenage boys of Black Rock. Ricko, through his position as a man with high social
standing holds a lot of power, which he freely abuses. In contrast, Tracy Warner is
powerless throughout most of the play. She is the only person who the audience
never hears from- her character is developed entirely through others
descriptions of her. It is her attempt to reject male power over her body and
exercise the power of choice that leads to her death. In his confession towards
the end of the play, Ricko admits that he lost his temper and grabbed her,
raping and killing her after she refused to have sex with him. Ricko argues that
he as a man had a right to assault her as she was provocative and not careful in
her behaviour, stating She was a total moll. A real little cock-teasing whore. Ask
anyone. He is given the power of voice within the play through a lengthy
monologue. Through these characters, Enright highlights that the uneven
distribution of power between men and women within our society has an overtly
positive impact on men, and an overtly negative impact on women. Men are able
to abuse their power with relatively minor consequences, while women who
challenge male power and dominance are blamed for the abuse that they suffer
as a result.
The impact that abusing power can have on the individuals who do so is also
explored in both plays. In A Property of the Clan, Jared gains the power of
knowledge after he witnesses three of his friends sexually assault Tracy on the
beach. Jared stays silent, until he decides to tell Ricko what he saw, stating Im
not a dobber. But I had to tell someone. I had to let it out. Its eating into me.
Enrights use of diction illustrates Jareds feelings of guilt, however, at the urging
of Ricko he chooses to continue to withhold the information from the police. The
impact of this choice is extremely negative. By the end of the play, Rickos
relationships with his sister, girlfriend and mother have fallen apart, with his
mother expressing her frustration over his inability to open up, stating Theres
that much anger inside you I think youre going to burst open. And someonell
get really hurt in the process. While the impacts of Macbeth and Lady Macbeths
abuse of power are also negative, they differ from those experienced by Jared.
After gaining power through murdering their King, Macbeth becomes paranoid
that others will try to wrestle power from him, leading to his descent into
violence and tyranny. His paranoia and guilt also leads to hallucinations, as
illustrated by Shakespeares use of staging and dialogue to conjure the ghost of
Banquo. Macbeth yells at a figure that his guests cannot see, screaming Thou
canst not say I did it; never shake| Thy gory locks at me! (3.4.50-51) This scene
highlights that the impact of maintaining and abusing power on Macbeth has
been a decline into madness. Lady Macbeth experiences this impact to an even
greater extent. Her guilt about her role in her husbands murder of King Duncan,
Banquo and Lady Macduff leads to episodes of sleepwalking. Shakespeare uses
staging and dialogue to make the audience aware of Lady Macbeths declining
mental health, with a doctor and gentlewoman narrating as she attempts to
literally wash the blood from her hands. However, no amount of scrubbing
removes it, and she states in frustration, Heres the smell of blood still; all the

Year 10- The Abuse or Power

L.Cole

perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand! (5.1.42-43) Later, this
impact of her abuse of power becomes so severe that she commits suicide. It can
be said, therefore, that while the impacts of abusing power are often negative for
those who do so, they differ greatly in their severity. The severity of the abuse
determines the severity of the consequences.
In conclusion, both Enrights A Property of the Clan and Shakespeares Macbeth
use dramatic techniques to illustrate that power impacts upon individuals in
different ways. Both texts communicate the idea that the unequal nature of
power in its types, use and abuses means that its impact on individuals is equally
diverse and varied.