Examples Of Greed In Macbeth

In the contemporary world, and throughout history, people have endless desires, and always seek to obtain more. For example, when Adolf Hitler came into power, he desired to rule the world, and would stop at nothing to rule. Overtime, Hitler took over many countries and attained more and more power until, eventually, he brought on his own demise. Similarly, in the Elizabethan tragedy Macbeth, William Shakespeare shows how greed develops a lust for power, which causes people to abandon their values and, ultimately, leads to the demise of the greedy people, as well as those around them. Greed helps to develop a lust for power. In the play, the three witches prophesy of Macbeth’s future saying, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of glamis!/ All

Near the beginning of the play, Duncan speaks concerning Macbeth saying, “O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman!” (Shakespeare I. ii. 26). Shakespeare establishes that Macbeth possesses the virtues, honor, and courage of a man that deserves much. As Shakespeare establishes that Macbeth has become a truly virtuous man at the beginning of the play, he prepares for Macbeth to gain a lust for power. By giving Macbeth an intense lust for power, Shakespeare later develops his theme that the lust for power will eventually cause people to forsake their values, no matter how virtuous. After Macbeth kills Duncan, he says, “I know my deed ‘twere best not know myself/ Wake Duncan with thy knocking I would thou/ Couldst” (Shakespeare II. ii. 93-95). Shakespeare shows how a tremendous lust for power causes people to do things that they otherwise might not due, such as kill another man. Shakespeare also employs the regret that Macbeth feels to show that the feeling of a lust for power slowly builds up within people. Shakespeare thus develops the theme that even a small lust for power causes people to perform malicious deeds, deeds that they might not otherwise