Answer:
Power remains one of the crucial themes of <em>Macbeth</em>. The theme of power and ambition to gain it is evident in almost all the characters in the play - but primarily Macbeth himself.
At the beginning of the play, Macbeth has enough power - he is a good, brave soldier. Upon hearing the witches' prophecy, however, he realizes that it is not enough for him to be a soldier. By blindly following the prophecy and his wife's instructions, he becomes less powerful. Both the Three witches, and Macbeth's wife, therefore, have control over his life at this point. It is Lady Macbeth that convinces Macbeth to kill Duncan in order to become a king, even though Macbeth is clearly having second thoughts about it. At this point of the play, Macbeth's wife is more decisive and powerful than him.
When Macbeth kills Duncan and becomes the new king, he does develop power, but not for long. He begins to feel guilty because of the murder he committed. This reduces his power - he becomes weak, he hallucinates, and is unable to think rationally, which leads to his death. Macbeth's character, therefore, undergoes the phases of having enough power as a soldier, having less power when listening to his wife, having more power as a king, and eventually losing all his power and dying.
It might be useful to note that other characters (Macduff and Malcolm, for instance) might not seem that powerful at the beginning of the play, but gradually gain more power. They use their power only when they have to - Macduff uses it to revenge his wife and children, murdered by Macbeth. He is wiser and more modest. At the end of the play, Macbeth dies, and Macduff and Malcolm seize power.
In Flowers for Algernon, Charlie and Algernon are both connected. Algernon was the first to "become smart," and Charlie followed. The reader knows from the beginning that their fates are intertwined; what happens to Algernon happens, at some point, to Charlie.
Algernon and Charlie both had their intelligence increased, and both became abnormally intelligent. Algernon and Charlie enjoy a bond that is both a deep connection and a symbolic relationship. In a literary sense, Algernon symbolizes Charlie.
As Charlie becomes smarter, he sees the connection as well. He understands that Algernon's behavior foreshadows his own fate. Therefore, when Algernon's behavior alters, Charlie knows that it is more than likely to happen to him as well. Thankfully, Charlie is so smart at this point that he is in a position to try and delay any changes from happening to himself. That's why he begins to work so intensely. With his great mind, Charlie is attempting to find any way he can to stop the changes from occurring within his own mind.
Sadly, of course, Charlie learns that it is not possible. His great intelligence could not save him from his fate, a fate that mirrors that of Algernon. Both were allowed only a brief moment of glory, despite the best efforts of those who tried to make this brief moment last.
Dang, where dem multiple choice questions at tho?
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Meaning➖
conflicting with or running counter to.
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Examples➖
▪️"contrary to his expectations, he found the atmosphere exciting"
▪️"the court ruled that the restrictions were contrary to the public interest"
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Synonyms➖
in conflict with
against
at variance with
at odds with
in opposition to
not in accord with, counter to
conflicting with
incompatible with; rarerepugnant
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