Examples Of Greed In Macbeth

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the classic story of greed; the literary representation of a conflict we all face in our everyday lives. This can often be seen in a positive or negative way. In both ways, there will be change. Change often occurs first within oneself.

The Hunter’s Own Fatality The hunter who makes himself vulnerable to greed falls asunder to fear and becomes his own greed. William Shakespeare testifies to this in one of his most famous plays, The Tragedy of Macbeth. Subsequent to learning he is destined to be a monarch by unnatural sources, Macbeth engages in regicide. He then commits several other murders, including his best friend and the entirety of Macduff’s family.

It’s human nature for people to claw their way forward through bad or worse just for even a chance at more power. We gamble our money away for a chance to hit big. We sacrifice important things for our own gain. We take risks. A risk working in our favor opens a door in our mind, and we keep taking them.

The central idea of “Hunger for power is not always a good thing” is presented in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, conveyed through characterization. Of all characters, this idea is displayed in Lady Macbeth. In Act 1, Scene 5, Lady Macbeth says “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be… And yet wouldst wrongly win.

Artistic Statement Death, ambition, greed, and power is what shapes Macbeth 4 of the most important themes in Macbeth are death, ambition, greed, and power, almost all the killings in Macbeth is from the man himself to keep his power. Macbeth’s greed shaped him into a monster, killing Banquo, Macduff’s family, all in order to keep his throne, this greed is what led Macbeth to his coffin, ultimately getting him killed by Macduff and Malcolm taking the throne. As for power Macbeth has become the king of Scotland, the king is the pinnacle of the mortal level in the great chain of being, this power has led Macbeth to do countless crimes in order to keep it, this was all Macbeth’s ambition but when he got engulfed in it it was the beginning of his downfall.

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a testimony to the difference between greed and ambition, good and evil, and right and wrong. The story shows that when one becomes obsessed with power, they will often resort to methods of manipulation and retaliation to achieve their desired outcome. In the case of Macbeth, he is approached by the Three Witches who inform him that he will one day become Thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland. Additionally, they inform Macbeth’s comrade Banquo that his sons will one day be kings.

Macbeth’s ambition clouded his judgment, leading him to kill King Duncan in pursuit of power. Macbeth’s ambition ultimately leads to his downfall, as it causes him to lose his morality and make increasingly reckless decisions. Power plays a significant role in Macbeth’s downfall. After Macbeth becomes king, he becomes obsessed with maintaining his control and will eliminate anyone who may threaten his status. Macbeth shows his willingness to keep power when he admits, “But to be safely thus.

“There is a sufficiency in the world for man 's need but not for man 's greed.” This quote was spoken from a wise Indian activist, what he says is a correlation towards the rising greed aspect of the character Macbeth. This play Macbeth was about a soldier who became greedy with power. It is about Macbeth’s Tyrant display when he kills Duncan and orders Banquo to be killed and other violent acts.

Based on these traits, Macbeth intuitively expresses his concern for the murder by acknowledging the karma that he may sustain as a result of Duncan’s assassination. Furthermore, Macbeth refers to the murder as a “taking-off” rather, transforming the tone and feel of the devious plot from evil to merely unfortunate. This obfuscation—the refusal to mention the possible plot to kill King Duncan—is a prevalent motif throughout the first act, and displays an overarching expression of Macbeth’s reluctance to acknowledge the murder, much less willingly go through it. Finally, Macbeth expresses the possibility of his murder inspiring others to murder him—the succeeding King—as the last primary catalyst behind his reservations and reluctance. Macbeth expresses his concern for inspiring others to come back and kill him by stating “We still have judgment here, that we but teach / Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return / To plague th’ inventor” (1.7.8-10).

Macbeth’s thirst for power and his neverending ambition ultimately leads to his demise. This premise is illustrated in many ways throughout the play. First, Macbeth was so power hungry that he murdered one of his closest friends, King Duncan, to get what he wants. Next, he then hires murderers to

(Shakespeare i, vii). Macbeth is having second thought about killing King Duncan, however Lady Macbeth refused to allow him to pass up the opportunity to become king. She asked these rhetorical questions in order to make him feel ashamed of himself for not acting on his desires. Lady Macbeth's main intentions are to make the situation sount elegant so Macbeth feels comfortable killing him. She tries to reason logically with him, pointing out that he wanted to kill the king, but now when he has the opportunity too, he suddenly doesn't want to.

In Act II Scene II, when Macbeth kills King Duncan, it is to fulfil his duty as a man by pursuing his ambition. However, by killing the king, he has set the precedent that any ambitious man who wishes to become king and can attain that role by killing the current king, must do so otherwise they are not a man. This dangerous paradigm set by Macbeth ties in to much of his paranoia and is the reason for his tyranny; he is afraid other people will kill him to go after the crown so he acts ruthless and stomps out any possible conflicts before they even have a chance to happen. Furthermore, In Act I Scene VII, Macbeth says "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself and falls on th' other." (Line XXV)

Macbeth’s ambition is what is causing him to intervene with his prophecy and pursue his goal (rather than leave it to chance). In a way, it is Macbeth’s own “black and deep desires” that make him kill in the first place as the witches never tell him to do so. Furthermore, apart from ambition, it is Macbeth’s own weak will and moral system that causes him to do the actions that result in his downfall. Macbeth’s weak will is undeniable and is illustrated before killing Duncan. “I have of spur/To prick the sides of my intent, but only/Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself/And falls on the other” (I, VII, 25-28).

Macbeth’s rough journey towards taking over the throne cuts through many hard objectives. The first objective, which is a sign for further objectives, is the murder of the former king, Duncan. The beginning of the plan to kill Duncan starts with the old witches prophesying that Macbeth will take over the throne. Macbeth wants to follow this prophecy due to his true ambitions. However, the prophecy is followed only because his wife, Lady Macbeth leads Macbeth through this decision.

While Macbeth ponders in his thoughts trying to find what's best for him Lady Macbeth tries to convince him that it is best to kill Duncan. With the murder of Duncan, she hopes that she will have great power. When Macbeth asks what will happen if the plan doesn't follow through, Lady Macbeth demands “We fail? / But screw your courage to the sticking place / And we'll not fail” (1.7.69-71).