“Macbeth’s self-justifications were feeble – and his conscience devoured him. Yes, even Iago was a little lamb, too. The imagination and spiritual strength of Shakespeare’s evildoers stopped short at a dozen corpses. Ideology – that is what gives evildoing its long-sought justification and gives the evildoer the necessary steadfastness and determination.”

“Macbeth’s self-justifications were feeble – and his conscience devoured him. Yes, even Iago was a little lamb, too. The imagination and spiritual strength of Shakespeare’s evildoers stopped short at a dozen corpses. Ideology – that is what gives evildoing its long-sought justification and gives the evildoer the necessary steadfastness and determination.”

— Alexander Solschenizyn