Ethan+-+Hecate

__//**Benito Mussolini**//__



[|Benito Mussolini]ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943, a long twenty-one years. Ever since he was a young boy, he was a very strongly-opinionated person. His father instilled in him socialist beliefs, and he was later inspired by the values of Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Auguste Blanqui, and Georges Sorel. He once had a job as the editor of a socialist newspaper and even served as the secretary of his local socialist party. Against the entrance of Italy into World War I, he was incarcerated for protesting. Then, for a reason unknown at the time, Mussolini dumped the socialist party. He underwent a 360 degree change in political views, from being a staunch opposer of the war to an avid supporter. He promoted joining the Allies against Germany and enlisted in the military. After being discharged due to an injury he sustained, Mussolini returned home to piece together the beginnings of his evil ploy. Italy was struggling with national turmoil when he decided to form the National Fascist Party. Capturing the trust of the desperate Italian people, he took advantage of them by leading them to a false hope that he would restore order in Italy. Even the king had confidence that he held the answers to pacify the chaos as he invited Mussolini to form a new government. Little did they know that they were bringing Italy's first dictator to power. Obsessed with being in complete control, "he centralized all power in himself as the leader of the Fascist Party and attempted to create an Italian empire, ultimately in alliance with Hitler's Germany." It is not necessary to articulate on his relations with Adolf Hitler because we all know about Hitler and how evil-driven he was. It is important, however, that you understand that Hitler was a strong ally and good friend of Mussolini. The reign of Mussolini was neither pleasant nor prosperous for Italy, but not much can be expected of a ruthlessly evil dictator.


 * //__Hecate__//**

Unlike characters such as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, Hecate is not a character that appears in every act of the play. She does not even appear //often// throughout the play. It is not until Act 3 Scene 5 that she makes her first and only appearance. Hecate plays a much larger role than meets the eye though. We'll discuss that role, but lets first take a look at that lone scene in which she makes herself known. Hecate is the leader of a small group of witches that play an intrigal part in the murder of Duncan and the rise and fall of Macbeth. She is obsessed with being in complete control of those under her and is angered by the involvement of her fellow witches in the Macbeth "conspiracy" without her knowing. By working with Macbeth without informing her, the witches have disrespected Hecate's authority. She calls out these witches when she says "Saucy and overbold, how did you dare To trade and traffic with Macbeth In riddles and affairs of death, And I, the mistress of your charms, The close contriver of all harms, Was never called to bear my part Or show the glory of our art?". Perhaps the thing that upset Hecate the most about being left out was that she missed an opportunity to help carry out an evil act, which is what she is all about. This evil act does not only involve the murder of Duncan, but it also includes their misleading of Macbeth. She says to the witches a little later "As by the strength of their illusion Shall draw him on to his confusion. He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace, and fear." These lines prove Hecate's intentions are entirely evil. She has to get as much evil out of this experience as possible. That is why she does not stop after the murder of Duncan, she will not be satisfisfied until Macbeth falls upon her wrath and dies as well.


 * //__Benito Mussolini vs. Hecate__//**

It was difficult to find a real-life person that compares to Hecate because so little of the play is devoted to her. But while studying the few lines that she does have, one person came to mind almost instantly. That person was Benito Mussolini. These characters are strikingly similar in various ways. The first and most obvious similarity is that they are both leaders of a group. This ties in to the obsession of power that they both have in common. When someone under them steps out of line, they lash out in anger because they were dishonored. They both think that they can talk down to others and still receive their utmost respect. Neither of them care if they are disliked, as long as they feel they are in control. Mussolini once said "We become strong, I feel, when we have no friends upon whom to lean, or to look to for moral guidance." This quote accurately represents Mussolini's cold demeanor. Another similarity that both Mussolini and Hecate share is that they love evil. They will go to whatever means necessary to achieve the satisfaction that they feel by evil-doing. Mussolini constantly stuck his nose where it had no business and tried to conquer Italy's neighboring countries. He had no right to interfere with the affairs of other nations, but he felt it was necessary in order to build a kingdom which he would ultimately rule. That was his goal - to create a system in which he would have all the power. He called democracy "a fallacy" and mocked nations that gave rights to their citizens. But more significantly, he fooled the people of Italy into believing that he was the solution to their national chaos. There are so many quotes that exemplify Mussolini's evilness, but this one is perhaps the most effective in getting the point across: "Let us have a dagger between our teeth, a bomb in our hands, and an infinite scorn in our hearts." Hecate proves just how evil she is when she voices her discontentment in the other witches for not involving her in the planning of Duncan's murder; she wanted to play a part in his death. But she almost makes up for missing out earlier when she convinces the witches to fool Macbeth and lead him toward death as well. It almost seems as if her persuading the other witches to trick Macbeth is an attempt to make up for missing out on Duncan's murder. Hecate desires madness in Scotland. She was the brains behind the false rise and fall of Macbeth, and her witches the authors of Duncan's murder. All of this poses a an intriguing question: "Would Duncan have been murdered and Macbeth led to demise had the witches never been involved?". It is known that Macbeth was somewhat defiant to the witches when they first proposed to him their plans, but would the play be entirely different without them?