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Macbeth Greed Quotes

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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.
In the beginning Macbeth was a skilled General who would willingly risk his own life to protect his king. Not only was he loyal to his king but he showed respect to his wife, which was not common during that time. Macbeth demonstrates consideration for his wife in Act 1, when he sent a message to his wife before …show more content…

This is seen in Act 2 when Macbeth is on his way to kill Duncan. “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee” (II.I.42-43). In this quote Macbeth was overwhelmed with the thought of killing Duncan. The thought of committing such a evil crime is enough to make him see hallucinations. This shows that Macbeth is still a good person and doesn’t want to kill Duncan. However, Macbeth had already been persuaded by Lady Macbeth to go through with it, for they would be richer and …show more content…

In Act 4 Macbeth shows just how far he will go when he orders for Macduffs family to be killed out of mere irritation with him. “Seize upon Fife; give to the edge o' the sword. His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls” (IV.I.151-152). In this quote Macbeth has just learned of Macduff fleeing to England. Knowing he can't do anything to Macduff himself, Macbeth chooses a cheap move and decides to kill his family out of frustration. Killing his family was not a wise move because this just makes Macduff want to kill Macbeth even

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1464 Words | 6 Pages

Macbeth’s greed takes over him as he chases a fool’s dream. Macbeth's ambition leads him to secure his power; he overlooks his guilt and focuses on doing whatever it takes to hold onto his authority. Shakespeare demonstrates, in a variety of techniques, how just ambition alone can bring down the even the greatest of men. “There is something wrong with a individual’s character if opportunity controls their loyalty.” Sean Simmon’s the writer of this quote explains how blinded someone can be when given certain opportunities which can be directly related to the character Macbeth.

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691 Words | 3 Pages

In Act 2, Scene 1 Macbeth sees a vision of a bloody dagger pointed toward Duncan. This signals the entrance of dark and twisted ambition into Macbeth’s mind, showing that his greed led him to believe that killing Duncan was reasonable. “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.” (Shakespeare 15)

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629 Words | 3 Pages

Once Macbeth heard of this he considered Macduff's actions as those of a trader. Macbeth’s punishment for Macduff's offence was to kill his whole family. These murders can all be classified as dishonourable, they had no principle, these people didn't do anything wrong. Macbeth was an unjust leader who used dishonourable and deceptive violence to prove who had power within the country of

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861 Words | 4 Pages

“There is a sufficiency in the world for man 's need but not for man 's greed.” This quote was spoken from a wise Indian activist, what he says is a correlation towards the rising greed aspect of the character Macbeth. This play Macbeth was about a soldier who became greedy with power. It is about Macbeth’s Tyrant display when he kills Duncan and orders Banquo to be killed and other violent acts.

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792 Words | 4 Pages

The statement by the witches in Act I, Scene I, “Fair is foul, and foul is fair” (1,1,12) continues to echo throughout the story and accurately describes the theme of the play. This paradox meaning “nothing is what it seems” is the backbone of the many changes and switches which occur between characters throughout the story. Later on in the first act, Macbeth himself has a very similar quote to the witches, regardless of the fact they are yet to meet. In Act I, Scene III, Macbeth says, “So fair and foul a day, I have not seen”. (1,3,40)

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342 Words | 2 Pages

It is all a matter of choice for him, and he is making all of these malevolent decisions that are going to have repercussion. He then gets met by one of his men who informs him that Macduff is in England plotting to overthrow him, and in a fit of rage Macbeth decides to have all of Macduff’s family and servants murdered in place of Macduff (MAc. IV.i 150-156). This is a choice that he makes because he feels as if he needs to have revenge on someone who is not loyal to him, but the wife and children have Macduff have done nothing wrong. Thinking that he cannot truly be harmed by anyone should make it more clear to him how harmless these people are, and influence him to have mercy.

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1313 Words | 6 Pages

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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1724 Words | 7 Pages

The voices he hears that threaten: “Macbeth shall sleep no more” indicate a relationship between guilt and madness. Therefore, the manifestation of the dagger suggests that he feels guilty because of his attempt to murder Duncan. There are three major transitions of thought. First, he contemplates about the dagger’s existence; the second is the invocations of dark images; finally, there is the bell that cuts off Macbeth’s contemplations. The transitions between topics indicate that while Macbeth feels guilty for the murder, his determination makes him ignore

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1516 Words | 7 Pages

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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965 Words | 4 Pages

Macbeth is trying to work with Lady Macbeth and work through a plan to kill Duncan, Banquo, his son, and anyone else that stands in the way or the royalty in Scotland. In this scene Macbeth is treating Duncan unfair and not being a noble man to his king, Macduff is however a noble man who is abiding by the rules to serve the king of the country. Once Macduff hears about such nonsense, he tries to avenge Duncans murderer when he discovers that Macbeth is responsible for the regioide. After this scene both the Macbeths kill Duncan and are trying to claim the

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870 Words | 4 Pages

Macbeth is quite powerless and naïve in the beginning of the play. He feels apprehensive about killing Duncan and spilling his blood. As Macbeth’s ambition and greed intensifies, he does not even give a second thought about killing the MacDuff family. For instance, "The castle of Macduff I will surprise, Seize upon Fife, give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls That trace him in his line.”

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1047 Words | 5 Pages

In act four of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" Macbeth murders most of a noble man's family out of impulse and paranoia. He suspected said nobleman of plotting against him, and much like the murder of his friend Banquo, he killed him before he got the chance. But this murder is not like the ones before it, this one is much more sinister. The man Macbeth suspected, Maduff, was suspect because he refused to show up to any events that Macbeth attended, and when Macbeth went to ask the witches they warned him Macduff was to be cautioned. This time Macbeth decides right away that Macduff must go.

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1154 Words | 5 Pages

Macbeth a man driven on by ruthless ambition and tortured by regret Ambition is an earnest desire familiar to most that provides us with motivation to reach specific goals no matter the consequences or troubles one will have to endure. Shakespeare conveys this desire remarkably through a tragic hero, who is known as Macbeth. The play focus on the downfall of Macbeth and how ruthless ambition can psychologically damage and ruin the character. The play underlines how irrational and selfish thoughts can bring dissonance and disorder. The realization of moral decline throughout the play brings about regret and despair, as the imaginary world that Macbeth has built with the absence of responsibilities and fear, is finally crushed by reality.

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1008 Words | 5 Pages

In Macbeth, William Shakespeare portrays the end of a famed hero who chooses to go down a dark path, rather than choosing a path which would have led to glory, making him a tragic hero. When Macbeth is told his prophecy of becoming king, he intends on doing it on his own terms and decides to make impulsive decisions, such as killing Duncan, Banquo and slaughtering Macduff’s family. These impulsive decisions were an effect of Macbeth being blinded by becoming king, as he felt he had other options. Although it may seem that Macbeth was influenced by society to commit these atrocious acts, he was fully aware of the consequences and went ahead with his plan. Macbeth truly fits the role of a tragic hero as he brought his fate upon himself, through

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1864 Words | 8 Pages

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s best known plays. There are all sorts of reasons for this but perhaps tha main one is that the basic story still strikes modern audiences. It is a bloodthirsty tale of ambition, and the evils we will go to in order to get what we want. The play is considered very unlucky – actors were told that they shouldn’t even say the word ‘Macbeth’ if they aren’t on the stage performing it; hence why people talk about ‘the Scottish play’ or ‘The Comedy of Glamis’.

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