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Greed In Macbeth

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It’s safe to say that everyone has a natural ambition. And, many people know that ambition is a natural motivator, so most can agree that ambition is not necessarily a bad thing. Ambition is a motivator for self-improvement. However, without keeping yourself in check, too much ambition can quickly turn into greed. And eventually, if you don’t keep the right intentions greed can become too much greed. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses characterization and betrayal to display how too much greed and ambition can consume the greedy. Shakespeare shows us through characterization of Macbeth that he is simply too ambitious, and his ambition causes him to resorts to murder to get and keep the throne. The witches give Macbeth the prophecy that he will become …show more content…

Whenever Lady Macbeth does this it causes a serious internal conflict within Macbeth because he feels as if he needs to show Lady Macbeth that he is not weak. Because Lady Macbeth wants royalty so bad when Macbeth starts to take into question about killing Duncan, she speaks condescendingly to him to make him feel more obligated to kill Duncan. One example of this is when Lady Macbeth says to Macbeth, ”When you durst do it, then you were a man;” This quote literally shows her calling Macbeth out and questioning his masculinity(1.6.54-56). Coincidentally, after she said this to Macbeth, he went and killed Duncan. Later in the story Lady Macbeth also says, “... Are you a man?...O, these flaws and starts/ would well become/ A woman’s story at a winter’s fire.” This is again an example of Lady Macbeth insulting Macbeth to his face by calling out his manhood(3.4.73-81). This is one of her best insults because of how rude it is, however, she is letting Macbeth know how she really feels about his recent actions. Throughout the entire book, we can see that Lady Macbeth becomes just as greedy as Macbeth for the throne, so whenever Macbeth second guesses himself she questions his masculinity. By doing this is makes Macbeth feel weak and persuades him into committing the dirty

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Macbeth interrupts her saying ‘Prithee Peace’, telling her to be quiet showing he still hasn’t given up. However Lady Macbeth hasn’t given up trying to persuade him. Lady Macbeth proceeds to insult her husband as she says ‘When you durst do it, then you were a man!’. Lady Macbeth is trying to goad Macbeth into agreement of the plot by literally insulting his manliness. Macbeth thought that he wouldn’t be a man if he murdered the king for his own benefit.

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His lust for power drives him to murder Banquo and Fleance to ensure that they will not become kings, and so that his own sons will inherit the throne. Making rationalizations for the murders, he recalls the witches’ prophecy, by saying “They hailed him to a line of kings... No son of mine succeeding.” (3.1) Desiring to retain the power he occupies, Macbeth becomes increasingly willing to kill in order to preserve it. His mental state begins to deteriorate rapidly as he becomes increasingly more paranoid due to the lingering guilt of the crimes.

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This play captures the rise and fall of King Macbeth. Shakespeare shows the reader that one persons greed can get him killed and other people around to turn on him, By showing the reader what decisions Macbeth made to elevate his status in power. The kind of people who changed around them and how they changed. Furthermore in Act 1, Macbeth is given a prophecy that he would become king by three witches. This leads to him into thinking greedy and commiting murder.

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Lady Macbeth implies that Macbeth is less of a man because he won't murder Ducan in order to become King. When Duncan comes to their house for dinner Lady Macbeth things that it is the best time to murder Duncan, Lady Macbeth enters and tells her husband that the king has dined and that he has been asking for Macbeth. Macbeth declares that he no longer intends to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth, outraged,

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These manipulative insults convince Macbeth that one murder is fruitless. Lady Macbeth ignores his past triumphs to coerce him into committing further acts of

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The story Macbeth has a lot of meanings behind its very well explained details and dialogues but the main point according to myself is the greed, envy, and avarice in which he corrupts himself during this novel. Macbeth relates to our modern society nowadays on the theme of greed. Many people would think that our society is a great place to live but they might not recognize the corruption people sometimes face on a daily basis. This might happen on the media, government or even at school. Greed is a very extended problem in our society.

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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.

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She becomes fearful that Macbeth will not go through with it and begins to manipulate him. She begins to call him a coward and that he has never been a man. She says, “When you durst do it, then you were a man” (1.7.55). She uses this kind of talk to her advantage. She knows that Macbeth fears her and if she accuses him of never being a man, he will do whatever it takes to prove to her that she is

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He indicates that they will not continue their plan. Lady Macbeth becomes irate with her husband and attacks his manhood by calling him a coward. She continues to attack his ego by stating that he would be an example of a man if

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From murder to greed Shakespeare’s Macbeth portrays a story of how one’s flaws can transform into a person’s way of thinking and acting. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth changes from a cold-hearted, greedy, shell of a human body into a guilt ridden woman. Her selfish desires met with ambition and a want for power pushed her into driving Macbeth to kill Duncan. Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth become very guilty because of the crime they have committed.

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She was under the impression that her husband was weak and pitiful, and would not be able to carry out the plan to kill Duncan. She nearly follows through with this assassination attempt. To add, Lady Macbeth tells her husband straight up that he is not acting like a man, “When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would. Be so much more the man” (Shakespeare 1.7.48-50). Lady Macbeth is brutally talking down her husband and calling him weak.

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Lady Macbeth believes that the only way for Macbeth to become king, she has to be tough and cruel like a man to ensure that the murders don’t affect her well-being. After receiving the letter from Macbeth about his interactions with the witches, she states, “The Raven himself is hoarse/ That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan/ Under my battlements. Come you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,/ And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full/ Of direst cruelty.

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This quote symbolizes not only Lady Macbeth threatening his manhood. However, Macbeth's acceptance of the prevalent male archetype during the time period demonstrates that he is

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She already knew that Macbeth would be too loyal to the king to kill him out of his own ambition, so she attacked his manhood. “When you durst do it, then you were a man,” (I.VII.54) she tells her husband that he can be considered a man once he kills King Duncan. In this situation, Lady Macbeth’s ambition is affecting the people around her in negative ways. Macbeth’s pride is hurt, and the king is killed because of it. This is a situation where an individual's ambition negatively affects the people around them, as well as

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