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Lady Macbeth Selfish Essay

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In William Shakespeare's play “Macbeth”, there are many characters that are depicted as egotistical due to their thirst for more and more power, however there are also others that do not share this trait and are genuine and selfless people. Two selfish and condescending characters in this play are Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, who are both driven by their ambition for power and status. Once they got that first feeling of power, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were on a mission to get even more no matter the price. In contrast King Duncan is an example of the opposite. He is a giving and highly respected king who loves and supports his people as much as he can. Lady Macbeth can be argued as one of the most selfish and demanding characters in the play. …show more content…

Macbeth wants to kill the king, Duncan, because he believes that it is the only way to fulfill the prophecy given to him by the three witches. After being given the position as the Thane of Cowder he is driven by his ambition to become king and his desire for power and authority. “Against the use of nature? Present fears/Are less than horrible imaginings./My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical.”(1.3.150-152). Right after receiving his prophecy Macbeth begins thinking about the murder of King Duncan. He voices his initial hesitation but still seriously considers the possibility of killing in order to get to his desired status. As he explains his thoughts to his wife she immediately supports his ideas of murder and convinces him to commit the treacherous act himself. "I go, and it is done. The bell invites me./Hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell/That summons thee to heaven or to hell.”(2.1.75-77). Macbeth kills King Duncan as a result of his ambition and desire for more power after becoming the Thane of Cawdor. He believes that the only way to fulfill the prophecy given to him by the three witches is to become king himself. Though Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to take action, he is the one who actually commits the act of murder. He murders King Duncan while he is staying at the Macbeths' castle, taking advantage of the opportunity and the trust placed in him. This act sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Macbeth's eventual downfall and the tragic events of the play. Whilst there are many characters portrayed in a gluttonous nature in Shakespeare's play there are a selected few that are compassionate and good-hearted; one of them being King

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After his first confrontation with the witches, Macbeth is quite conflicted about taking the king’s life. He felt it would leave Scotland in a shattered state and betray his morals as one of King Duncan’s most appreciated generals. On the other hand, he felt he could benefit from the king’s death. In a soliloquy, he recalls, “Vaulting ambition, which o'er leaps itself / And falls on th' other” (1.7.27-28). This message indicates that his only motive for killing Duncan and becoming king is his ambition for power.

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