Greed Quotes In Macbeth

“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This famous phrase written by Lord Acton holds true in the famous play Macbeth written by Shakespeare in the early 17th century. Throughout this play, we see the change of a man. A man that goes from being a loyal and kind soldier to a ruthless and heartless tyrant of a king. Throughout the play, we see an example of this transformation through the relationship between Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth.

Power is a dangerous thing to have, no matter who you are or what intentions you have with it. William Shakespeare's book, Macbeth shows the tragic effects power can have and who easily it can corrupt your brain. Macbeth became king not exactly knowing what he was getting himself into, but eventually he realized being king had given him a lot of power so he did unspeakable things to keep that power and his crown. In Macbeth’s case fate brought onto him what he brought onto others in a shakespearean tragedy. Macbeth was so honored he could be king, he did anything he could to keep the power, including murdering, lying, and losing respect for others.

Manipulation is one of the most prevalent themes In William Shakespeare ’s play Macbeth. This is primarily demonstrated through the way that the protagonist’s thoughts and actions are directly affected by external forces. Macbeth is easily swayed by the ideas of his wife, Lady Macbeth, and the Witches. All of this eventually cumulates in the total exploitation of his original traits and initial motivations.

While power is universally acknowledged as influential, its role as a corrupting force is often overlooked. Shakespeare

“Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here…”(1.5.43-44). Lady Macbeth trying to appear androgynous like the witches. As with the witches, Lady Macbeth is a manipulator. Often emotionally and physically manipulating others to gain more power, Lady Macbeth manipulates Macbeth by questioning his manhood, bravery, and by giving him the courage and ambition to commit murder.

Shakespeare may have written Lady Macbeth this way to demonstrate the dangers of giving women power or influence, implying they

“Great power involves great responsibility.” In William Shakespeare's play Macbeth, the idea of power underlies and influences the behaviors of several of the play's characters. Readers follow the story of Macbeth, a brave Scottish general who, by the play's conclusion, has given in to his own desire for the throne and turned from the respected Thane who had demonstrated exemplary loyalty to King Duncan at the play's beginning into a vindictive, power-hungry dictator. Shakespeare’s play effectively demonstrates that the more authority an individual has, the more corrupt they become, and therefore the more difficult it is to preserve that power. Scotland is portrayed as an untamed, barbaric kingdom ruled by a weak king (Duncan) who depends

Macbeth was screwed from the beginning. Macbeth is a play in which a war hero is introduced to a prophecy that ultimately leads to his own demise due to the impact of his greed. Shakespeare’s Macbeth teaches us that human flaws such as greed can easily lead even the most noble and honorable of people down a dark path. This is shown through the change that Macbeth went through after hearing his prophecy and becoming consumed by greed.

Greed for power has always been evil and even made a saint turn into a demon. As the quote goes “All power tends to corrupt and an absolute power corrupts absolutely” (unquote), which is true not only in the fictitious stories but also in real life and Shakespeare, th9e greatest writer ever known, has always been in habit of making fictitious character come alive and Macbeth is no exception to the rule. The character of Macbeth has two sides, one which is wholesome while other been dubious. He symbolized great ambition but went overboard and in the process not only became corrupt but also became a killer. Macbeth reflects great strength but within he has his own weakness and thus good over took evil resulting in its downfall and finally his own death.

Lady Macbeth in the beginning of the play is manipulative, most of the times she manipulates her husband into doing either what she wants or what she thinks he should do. For example, when Macbeth does not want to kill Duncan anymore, Lady Macbeth convinces him by saying “from this time such I account thy love. Art thou afeared to be the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire? (I.vii line 38-41). Besides, the audience see Lady Macbeths is influencing her husband’s feelings by she is using her love as a weapon because she is saying do it

Macbeth... the valiant warrior who turned against himself due to an inner greediness for power. It all starts at the beginning when he gets “promoted” to Thane of Cawdor because of his excellent fighting skills and bravery in battle. Then if that’s not enough the three witches tell him he will be king. With the taste of power he has now gotten through his promotion, he can’t help but take what the witches say to heart. He wants more, he wants it faster: he continues to be impatient and eventually his “vaulting ambition o’erleaps itself and falls on thy other” (1.7.26-28).

PBS, 20 June 2016, www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/the-science-behind-why-power-corrupts-and-what-can-be-done-to-mitigate-it. Verma, Parul. “The Psychology of Political Power: Does Power Corrupt or Is It Magnetic to the Most Corruptible?” Blog of the APA, 26 Apr. 2023,

During Lady Macbeth's encounter with power she is an evil, manipulative person which shows the reader that power has the ability to

As humans, the desire to want control or influence is natural. However, some people may go to greater extremes than others to obtain this power. For instance, in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth was characterized as a good man, well renowned for winning a battle. His wife, on the contrary, Lady Macbeth, has a strong urge to obtain power and she is willing to do anything to acquire it. She implemented the thought of destroying everyone who stood in the way along the path to reach royalty in Macbeth’s mind by making him feel like he as though he is less of a man if he decided not to.

Hands have the power to create and destroy, to show loyalty and to overthrow, and to save a life just to end it in one fell plunge of a dagger. As an extension of one’s body, the actions that the hands perform are dictated by one’s desire to enact them. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth’s conscience, corrupted by his greed for power, transforms into a catalyst in which results in the appalling deeds carried out by his hand. The masterful symbolism of the hand as the instrument for potential good or evil, cautions against the abuse of its power by demonstrating the devastating effects of egomania through Macbeth’s vanquishment. The hand is shown to become a fatal weapon for greed when wielded by the corrupt conscience of Macbeth, demonstrating the effect of the detrimental selfish motives on the actions it performs.