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Lady Macbeth Greed Quotes

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The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a tale of murder and revenge. When Macbeth is given a prophecy by three witches, his wife Lady Macbeth makes him take action immediately so that the prophecies can come true. This leads Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to do things they will later regret. The actions that take place in this play are controlled by many different emotions. Lady Macbeth is driven by the emotions of greed, anger, and guilt in the play. Greed is a very powerful emotion throughout the play. At first, Lady Macbeth is controlled by the emotion of greed. A quote that shows greed from Lady Macbeth is “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” (Shakespeare …show more content…

35-42). She is asking the spirits to make her more manly, so she can perform the deed that she wants Macbeth to do. She is asking the spirits to make her not feel guilty for murdering someone so that Macbeth can be king, and she won’t feel bad about it. For example, she shows greed when she finds out about the prophecy. When Macbeth sends her the letter explaining what happened, she decides right away that she is going to be queen, and he will be king. She plans out the entire murder for her husband and tells him he's being childish when he wants to back out. She is so power-hungry that she will not let anything get in the way of them becoming rulers. Furthermore, she continues to be controlled by greed as the story continues. Anger is shown through Lady Macbeth numerous times. Later on, in the play, Lady Macbeth seems to be constantly yelling at Macbeth for doing something wrong. A quote that shows this is …show more content…

Lastly, she not only feels guilt, but it also takes over her life. “Out, damned spot, out, I say. — One, two — why, then, 'tis time to do't. — Hell is murky. — Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier, and afeard! What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?” (Shakespeare 5. 1. 31-36). Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking while saying this. She is rubbing her hands together and trying to get the “blood” off. She is seeing the blood that was on her hands after the murder of Duncan. Not only that, but she thinks that it won’t come off her hands. Also, she might not even be sleepwalking. She might have insomnia, which is causing her hallucinations. We don’t know that she was sleeping when trying to get the blood off her hands. She could have terrible insomnia from all the pent-up guilt. While she is at this stage of half asleep, she keeps revealing things that she and Macbeth did. Insomnia will eventually lead her to death. Of all the emotions shown in this play, guilt is the strongest by

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Macbeth’s jump to murder illustrates the depth of his greed clouding his rational judgement. Shakespeare spotlights the hold greed can take on a righteous individual to emphasis the need for self control. Secondly, Macbeth, jealous of the prophecy stating Banquo “Shalt get kings” Macbeth fears he wears a “fruitless” crown, Macbeth orders the murder of his friend to

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She is able to see through the morality of death and is completely focused on her own ambition for Macbeth to become King, and is willing to do whatever’s necessary to complete her goal. “Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband by questioning his manhood, wishes that she herself could be ‘unsexed’,” (SparksNotes) She uses this manipulation to influence Macbeth’s desire to kill in order to have his own preservation, going as far to say that doubting hisself makes him cowardice and unmanly. Later in the play, Lady Macbeth tends to contradict herself as she soon becomes insane due to how the murders created a toll on her conscience. "Out, damned spot!

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Lady Macbeth craves to be cold, ruthless and in control, which are typical masculine traits in Shakespeares time. As a result of this she begins manipulating her husband to gain what she wants. She manipulates Macbeth with great effectiveness, which she achieves by undermining his objections to murdering Duncan. when she sees him hesitating to go forward with the murder, she begins repeatedly questioning his manhood until he feels that he must do it just to prove himself and his masculinity; she says “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”. Lady Macbeth abuses her power by planting the idea in her husband's mind that anybody who stood in her and Macbeth’s way on the journey to reach royalty was to be destroyed, and made him feel as if he was less a man if he decided against it.

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She will put him down like a predator, challenging his peers. Then, she will do anything for Macbeth. She says she will kill her own baby for him. Equally important, she wants spirits to remove her feminine characteristics to allow her to be more vicious: "Unsex me here and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top full of direst cruelty" (1.5.44-46). She will do anything to take care of her partner, even if that includes immoral actions or murder.

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Stones have been known to move, and trees to speak. Augurs and understood relations have By magot pies and choughs and rooks brought forth The secret’st man of blood. —What is the night?” (Shakespeare, 3.4, 146-150). This quotation indicates Macbeth’s greed for power, insinuating that he will not stop murdering his enemies until he is reassured that his throne is solely his.

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Both greed and power, if not controlled, can lead to destruction. Throughout William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Shakespeare uses both characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to demonstrate how ambition can change one’s personal relationships. As in the beginning of Act 1, Scene 7 Macbeth and Lady Macbeth do not share the same ambition, and it is because of this that their relationship lacks love and affection however through the use of persuasion and other means, Lady Macbeth is able to get Macbeth to pursue her ambition. This not only changes their relationship drastically but it also changes Macbeth’s attitude towards ambition. Throughout the play, Shakespeare shows us through Macbeth, the possibility for ambition to eventually turn into greed and how the lust for power may corrupt us.

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Lady Macbeth feels confident about not getting caught killing Duncan. ¨Go get some water and wash this filthy witness from your hand.¨ Shakespeare William act 2 scene 2 lines 45-46. Lady Macbeth is telling Macbeth to get some water so she could wash Duncan's blood off her and Macbeth's hands. The quote given will come back later in the play when Lady Macbeth rubs her hands together to try to get Duncan's blood off of her hands as she sleepwalks.

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In Shakespeare's play Macbeth, Shakespeare explores the consequences of unchecked ambition and greed paired with blind trust in the wrong people, and how this will ultimately result in inevitable repercussions. Shakespeare's character Macbeth explores these ideas through his political greed and desire to become King of Scotland. Macbeth was a virtuous man who was enrolled in the army, and this play represents how power can corrupt even these kinds of people. His ambition to be the king guides him to commit multiple heinous crimes, including the murder of his friends and allies. He lets this idealized version of himself control him, and lead him to malicious acts that eventually lead him to his death.

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What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our pow'r to accompt? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?" (Mac.5.1.29-33) Lady Macbeth is trying to scrub the blood off her hands while in a conscious state. She thinks she has blood on her hands.

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I have no words;/ (Macduff)My voice is in my sword, thou bloodier villain/ Than terms can give thee out.” (5, 8, 4-10) Here, Macbeth’s

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“Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” (5.2.53-55) Lady Macbeth’s conscience is constantly overwhelmed by what she’s done. This shows when she’s sleepwalking and is witnessed by the gentleman.

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During her delusion, she says, “What, will these hands ne’er be clean?” (5.1.39) and then later says, “Here’s the smell of blood still. All the / perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little / hand” (5.145-47). Lady Macbeth is unable to let go of her guilt and take responsibility for her actions. She decides she is unable to continue living as such and decides to take her own life.

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She is malicious not only in words but also in her intent. Her sole object is to obtain power and wealth, with its attendant treasures. Lady Macbeth lacks humanity and regrets that she was not born as a man. She understands that power and violence are synonymous with manhood and bravery. Additionally, Lady Macbeth interests’ and ambition, override her love for even her husband, Macbeth.

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