Greed And Crime

Today crime is a frequent occurrence seen and heard everywhere. It is an central part of the risks in everyday life. Experts state that crime is associated with harm and violence; harm to individuals, destruction of property, and the denial of respect to people and institutions. Pressing problems of a social and individual nature exist in understanding crime. Though there is a lack of agreement on the most basic question, namely what crime is, everyone agrees that whatever act is against the welfare of the humanity is crime. A person, who has violated a law or has breached a rule, is said to have committed a criminal offense. Glanville Williams opines in “The Definition of Crime” as: an act that is capable of being followed by criminal proceedings,

Greed means excessive selfishness, a constant yearning for more than one has, with no regard for others and the consequences. Greed is not limited to wealth and power accumulation. It often motivates criminal acts. The lack of social awareness beyond one’s aspirations can prevent the person from having compassion for others. Greed is a form of mental sickness because those who are greedy often suffer from a deficiency of morality. Jonathan Small, who perpetrates numerous crimes in pursuit of wealth in The Sign of Four, is doomed to spend his entire life in prison. The Shakespearean play Macbeth illustrates how greed for wealth and power leads to destruction of oneself as well as others. The play’s central character, Macbeth, is not happy as a high-ranking thane and assassinates Duncan to become a king while unknowingly dooming himself. Shakespeare uses the character Mabeth to demonstrate the inevitable result of greed. The play clearly illustrates the greed driven metamorphosis of Macbeth (Watson 112).

Jonathan Small comes to England in pursuit of a lost treasure that he robbed from a merchant Achmet in Agra by brutally killing him years back. He is deceived by his allies Major Sholto, who runs away with the treasure, and Captain Morstan. Upon learning that Major Sholto has escaped with the treasure, Small is vehement and decides to revenge Sholto. His passion for revenge is clearly expressed

Doyle has created thirty two stories based on illegal attempt for money. The story, "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle," deals with the hotel attendant, James Ryder’s sudden temptation to steal a valuable stone, Blue Carbuncle, from the countess of Morcar. After stealing, he cleverly deposits the gem in the bill of a goose, which his sister rears, and makes it swallow it. Being less educated and unable to cope with the stress his theft has produced, he finds the bird as a rescuer. Chance brings the goose to Holmes, while Ryder frantically searches for it. Holmes, with his clever deduction methods, manages to find Ryder’s plot. However, Ryder is not a cold-blooded criminal, who can curb his conscience easily. On knowing that his loot is missing and he may be arrested for the crime, Ryder becomes hysterical and is at a loss to balance his emotions. Watson presents Ryder’s emotional