The Chain of Being and its Harmful Effects
             The European Renaissance is considered to be a cultural revival from the Middle Ages in which people finally began to think for themselves. It is defined as a period of cultural rebirth and progress. However, the insertion of the Chain of Being into Macbeth and the chaos caused by its disruption reveals that the Renaissance was still tied down with a primitive mindset that contradicts the view of cultural advancement and innovation synonymous with that the period.
             The Chain of Being was a Renaissance philosophy that hindered progress by confining the individual to a certain role in society. It is defined as a hierarchal universe in which each species had its own place (Wheeler). Everything was divided into subgroups with its own hierarchy. Order in the universe was maintained through loyalty to one's position and fulfillment of their role in the Chain (Wheeler). This notion demonstrates a love of stability during the Renaissance. Kings were at the top of the human hierarchy and were believed to be ordained by God (Wheeler). They had absolute power and to rebel against them was considered a sin against heaven, which created fear of the kings and may have prevented new forms of governments from emerging.
             Within the Chain of Being, humans '[straddle] the world of spiritual beings and the world of physical creation (Wheeler)." In order to maintain order in the universe, it was imperative that humans fulfill their role in society. It was considered sin to overachieve or underachieve one's rank in the hierarchy. One's value in life was equivalent to their social status in the Chain. During the Renaissance, an individual could not simply achieve success through their natural abilities and hard work. According to the philosophy, one who attempts to ascend above his rank does so through arrogance, therefore being guilty of intellectual sin ...