In life, each and every person must know how to control their own greed and selfishness, If exploited in exactly the right moment greed can make you. But if used at the wrong moment it can break you.
During the tale of Macbeth, we see a great man and how his greed and lack of patience destroys not only himself, but the people that surround him and his country. Lady Macbeth uses her misplaced greed to tempt her husband, that is already teetering on the edge of regicide. Provided Macbeth listened to Banquo when he said, "The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray us in deepest consequence." Macbeth may not have killed the king, and if he had just been patient the crown might just have fallen onto his head.
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This First-Person View of life causes us to believe that most of our deeds are righteous. As we weigh the consequences of our actions we move our empathy to the side as we play with other people's lives and how our choices will affect them. This causes people in positions of power to think of others as merely numbers, or pawns on a chessboard. Some modern-day examples of this effect are how militaries move their troops in order to lose the fewest supplies or soldiers, or how businesses will step on both people and the law just to make more money, or how politicians cater to the wealthy in order to make more money for themselves or to consolidate their power for longer. If each and every person took this approach to life each bout of greed would breed others until the world was brought to its …show more content…
The undying want for more power and wealth is within each and every one of us. While some people have the willpower to act out their greediness some people like Lady Macbeth use others to get what they want. During act 1 Lady Macbeth is seen plotting King Duncans murder. While plotting the murder Lady Macbeth says, "… What thou art promis'd. Yet do I fear thy nature, It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness. To catch the nearest way." when Lady Macbeth said this she knew that Macbeth was too good of a man to Kill Duncan, knowing this Lady Macbeth is prepared to do and say anything to convince her husband. It's important to live your life knowing that your greed is always sitting patiently at the back of your mind at all times just waiting for a little nudge. When Lady Macbeth questioned Macbeth's manhood and berated him, it pushed him into doing an act that even from the very beginning started to destroy his sanity. Even as Lady Macbeth saw her husband's mind start to fall apart, she continues to bully him and question his manhood. Our families are supposed to care for us they're not supposed to use us a tool to sate their own desires. Though each person will struggle with greed at some point in their life it's important to know that greed is one of many qualities we have, like compassion, love and
The aspect of greed shows itself as the heart of the many immoral acts committed by fictional characters and real people. From Adam and Eve’s betrayal to Macbeth’s collapse portrays what greed can produce as a result: destruction. Whether it destroys one’s health, it inherently portrays as a force to the path of corruption. The Pardoner, from The Canterbury Tales, defines greed’s purpose. This includes how greed pulls them to degeneration. No matter how subtle the fall, it still brings to distasteful events for the characters from The Importance of Being Earnest. Although the characters differ, their obsessions with their immoral acts decline their personalities. Thus, the authors portray the characters’ greed, as a pernicious force that drives
The choices people make lead them to where they end up, which may be interpreted as the opposite of fate. However, when some people believe something is meant to be, they are determined not to stray from where they think they should end up, even if it means throwing away their principles and values in the process. Through Shakespeare's Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth’s original character and values are destroyed because of the influence from the witches' prophecies, Lady Macbeth's greed, and his own hidden ambition.
Instead of encouraging him to do right, his wife, played the biggest role in his demise. Lady Macbeth used different strategies to persuade Macbeth. For example, she questioned his manliness to trigger his anger because she knew he wouldn’t want his own wife to question him. So, he followed along, uncertain of what his actions might cause to himself and to the people around him. “Are you afraid to be the same man in reality as the one you wish to be?” said Lady Macbeth, meaning that she knew Macbeth does In fact want to become king and is onboard with idea, he was just not ready to take actions in order to achieve the position.
The play The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare is about selfishness controlling our lives and reveals that selfishness can come to the point of controlling our lives that it blinds us to our own actions. One major example is in the dagger speech in Act 2 Scene 1. In his speech Macbeth sees a hallucination of a dagger floating in the air pointing to Duncan’s chamber. Here Macbeth is completely infatuated with the thought of being king himself. Not only is he thinking crazy thoughts, he is starting to see things that are a “sign” of exactly what he wants. Some other examples of Macbeth’s selfishness is when Macbeth says, ”If you shall cleave to my consent, when ’tis, It shall make honor for you” (2.1.24-25). Here Macbeth is trying to
Ambition is Macbeth’s primary flaw that causes the valiant soldier, who would die for the king, to murder his way to control the throne. Now, others could argue that the Witches are more responsible for Macbeth's downfall because they spoke prophetically to Macbeth and wanted to see the outcome of Macbeth’s endeavor to take the throne for their own amusement. The Witches did not commit the heinous crimes, Macbeth committed acts of treason and murder. The Witches did not tell Macbeth that he would need to murder King Duncan to become king, nor did they tell him to kill Banquo. Macbeth is the main character who is responsible for his downfall, because when Macbeth is first introduced in Act 1, he is a brave and honorable soldier, who is also the Thane of Glamis. He is labeled by King Duncan as “brave Macbeth,”: “For brave Macbeth- well he deserves that name…” Before Macbeth met the Witches, he served the king with complete devotion. After the meeting the Witches, he begins to contemplate becoming King of Scotland. However, his ambition is not satisfied, when he finds out that Malcolm, King Duncan’s son is heir to his throne. Macbeth speaks of his ambition in Act 1, sc.7 line 25, “Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’ other” (Shakespeare). Ambition leads him to murder King Duncan, start committing heinous crimes, and continue his path
Greed will be found with the people who will do whatever they can to gain power. William Shakespeare’s play MacBeth follows a nobleman and his internal struggles between his, for power and his morals. Throughout the play, MacBeth changes frequently under the influences of his wife, Lady MacBeth. The changes Lady MacBeth urges, ultimately lead to the tragic downfall of MacBeth. Her power over him is seen clearly through manipulation, intimidation and her high expectations.
The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare illustrates how greed for power and wealth can result in the destruction of oneself as well as others. The play's central character, Macbeth is not happy as a high-ranking thane - leading him to assassinate Duncan to become King, while unknowingly dooming himself. Throughout the play many examples are evident of Macbeth's unquenchable thirst for power.
Influence at its Smartest: Jealousy and Manipulation Jealousy and manipulation often go hand in hand. In some cases, plans backfire, and some are awfully tricky. The infamous play Othello highlights the points of manipulation and trust mainly within the characters of Othello and Iago. The roles of watchfulness, trust, and motives play a significant part in their relationships. Due to Othello's insecurity with his marriage and Iago's high position of authority and ability to manipulate, Othello's opinion of his wife's faithfulness was quickly converted with no apparent reason or action.
The main theme of Macbeth-the destruction wrought when ambition goes unchecked by moral constraints-finds its most powerful expression in the play's two main characters. Macbeth is a courageous Scottish general who is not naturally inclined to commit evil deeds, yet he deeply desires power and advancement. He kills Duncan against his better judgment and afterward stews in guilt and paranoia. Toward the end of the play he descends into a kind of frantic, boastful madness. Lady Macbeth, on the other hand, pursues her goals with greater determination, yet she is less capable of withstanding the repercussions of her immoral acts. One of Shakespeare's most forcefully drawn female characters, she spurs her husband mercilessly to kill Duncan and urges him to be strong in the murder's aftermath, but she is eventually driven to distraction by the effect of Macbeth's repeated bloodshed on her conscience. In each case, ambition helped, of course, by the malign prophecies of the witches is what drives the couple to ever more terrible atrocities. The problem, the play suggests, is that once one decides to use violence to further one?s quest for power, it is difficult to stop. There are always potential threats to the throne?Banquo, Fleance, Macduff?and it is always tempting to use violent means to dispose of them.
His eagerness for the throne, combined with his ambition allow other characters to coerce him into killing Duncan. The murder of Duncan was planned by Macbeth and his wife together, but he ordered the deaths of Banquo, Fleance, Macduff’s children, and Lady Macduff without any prompting from other characters; their murders were solely the result of Macbeth’s ambition. Macbeth is alone as he rationalizes his decision to kill Banquo and his son, “To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings! Rather than so, come fate into the list, And champion me to th’ utterance,” (3.1.73-75). Instead of giving the throne to Banquo’s sons, as the prophecy suggests, Macbeth decides to kill Banquo and his son to prevent the prophecy from occurring. He makes the choice to murder Banquo purely due to his own ambition, without any assistance or prompting from other
...it by his wife, Macbeth is plagued with guilt when he sees Banquo’s apparition, and him being panic-stricken by the prophecy all exhibit the fallacy of Macbeth’s character. Were it not for the external factors that surround Macbeth within the play, then maybe there was a chance that he would have never committed the acts. “Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more” (5.5.26-29). Macbeth reflects on his exceedingly ambitious life and how it really had no meaning to the world. Because Macbeth never got to enjoy any of his accomplishments in life, Shakespeare proposes that it is far better to achieve your goals fairly rather than foully. Also, if Macbeth followed his ethical instinct the result would have never transgressed into his death, or perhaps it was just meant to be.
Humans are always fascinated by power. Sadly, they do not realize the danger of it until it is too late. In the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare's underscores how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are both consumed by power. In the beginning, Lady Macbeth dominates Macbeth, manipulating him to kill Duncan. After the death of Duncan, Macbeth becomes ambitious, and hires murderers to kill Banquo without notifying Lady Macbeth. Even though he is a decorated soldier, when Macbeth rises to power, he becomes ruthless. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth becomes weak, and insane. Shakespeare illustrates how Macbeth’s obsession with power undermines his moral judgement, leads to his mental deterioration, and ultimately results in his death.
Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s most amazing tragedies where both ambition and conscience play a big role in the actions of the characters. Most people only do what is right, however someone who chooses his sinister desires over what he knows is ethical, is Macbeth. Although it is true, that Macbeth has many noble moments in the play, it is his ambition that wins at the end, and this makes him commit dreadful sins. This portrays Macbeth as a selfish person and it can be seen in his impatience, unthoughtfulness and over ambitious nature. One way that Macbeth shows his selfishness, is his impatience. This is demonstrated when he hears the prophecies and thinks, “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,/Shakes so my single state
William Shakespeare's Macbeth is not necessarily a play of fate, but rather a tragedy that occurred as a result of uncontrollable greed and malevolence by Macbeth and his wife. The weird sisters only make suggestions about Macbeth's road to kingship; they do not cast spells to make true all their predictions. These interpretations lead Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to kill Duncan and secure the title Thane of Clawdor. While in kingship Macbeth elects to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance, for Macbeth was fearful about losing his throne to Fleance. Senseless violence and inner rage cause the King of Scotland to murder Macduff's children and wife.
Shakespeare depicts the corruptive power of ambition to the audience as the protagonist, Macbeth is led by his unchecked ambition despite acknowledging it. Macbeth's private ambitions are made clear to the audience through his asides and soliloquies. Macbeth who was initially faithful to Duncan and was aware of his ambition, couldn't control it and thus, made him become a murderous tyrant, obsessed with power and full of fear and insecurities. From the beginning of the play, Macbeth had ambitions. This was shown once the witches told Banquo and him the prophecies. Macbeth is left confused but it sparked his ambition. Banquo ponders aloud, 'the instruments of darkness tell us truths, (to) win us with honest trifles,' to then 'betrays in deepest consequence.' Banquo tries to metaphorically explain to Macbeth that the witches only told them some truth so that they could make Macbeth believe them. Unknowingly, Banquo foreshadows Macbeth's decision to betray Duncan and kill him. After this, Macbeth's corruptive ambition and thirst for power thrives. However, prior to Duncan's death, Macbeth was aware of his ambition but his morals didn't fit them. Thus, his initial decision to not kill King Duncan. He had clearly stated that he 'have no spur to prick the sides of my intent,' but it is 'only vaulting ambition, which overleaps itself and falls on the other.' Macbeth metaphorically