A 5 page paper which compares and contrasts the rise, height and decline of power of each monarch. Bibliography lists 8 sources.
Name of Research Paper File: TG15_TGmachen.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
the plot for William Shakespeares shortest play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, left a lasting impression. Ironically, neither man was supposed to become King. Henry VIII was the second
son of Henry VII, and it was only after the death of his elder brother Arthur that he ascended to the throne. As for Macbeth, he was a respected
Scottish warrior who was not expected (at least by his fellow citizens) to achieve any more than the title of Thane of Cawdor, which was bestowed upon him by popular
King Duncan, after one of his military successes. Yet, both of these men had an amazing rise to prominence, managed to reach the height of power, but inevitably, would
each experience a serious decline of power. There can be no doubt that Macbeth was highly regarded as a courageous defender of the crown on the battlefield, which was the
primary component in his rise to power. A wounded captain would describe to Duncan Macbeths unshakable bravery this way: "For brave Macbeth -well he deserves that name- / Disdaining
Fortune, with his brandishd steel, / Which smoked with bloody execution, / Like Valors minion carved out his passage / Till he faced the slave, / Which neer shook hands,
nor bade farewell to him, / Till he unseamd him from the nave to the chaps, / And fixd his head upon our battlements" (I.i.18-25). Macbeths combination of military prowess
and courage under fire won him the respect of his officers and opponents alike. He also won an important ally in King Duncan, who explained that Macbeth was "a
gentleman on whom I built / An absolute trust" (I.iv.15-16). Literary critic Victor L. Cahn affirmed this assessment, noting, "His... outstanding feature is his skill... in the battlefield, where