Greed In Macbeth

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Is there such a thing as too much power? Macbeth, who starts out as a highly moral individual, is overcome with greed and the lust for power. Power will eventually become Macbeth’s greatest downfall, and he will have to pay the ultimate price to keep it. In The Tragedy of Macbeth, William Shakespeare illustrates the themes of greed and murder to show how the lust for power can turn a noble individual into a cold blooded murder, who will do anything to increase his station.
Shakespeare illustrates many symbols and motifs in the tragedy of Macbeth such as greed, murder, desire for power, and the inability to see reality. The first theme Shakespeare reveals to the reader is the desire for power. This is shown in act two, scene two when Macbeth …show more content…
He even murders his best friend Banquo, after he finds out the truth about the death of King Duncan’s. After Banquo is murdered, Macbeth hosts a feast in honor of his crowning. The banquet is the height of Macbeth’s reign, but it is also the beginning of his downfall. At the table, Macbeth hallucinates and sees Banquo’s ghost sitting in his chair.Macbeth then asks his guests if they were putting Banquo’s corpse in his seat as a hoax (Macbeth 392). Macbeth starts to defend his hallucinations about Banquo, but nobody believes him, and they ask if he is ill. Therefore, Lady Macbeth must cover for him,by telling the guests that he has had this sickness since he was a boy and must retire for the evening to rest (Macbeth 392). In reality, Macbeth has gone mad. Macbeth is not able to face the reality of what he has done, and his conscience is attempting to justify his actions by making him hallucinate. It can also be brought to attention that in Act two, scene two Macbeth says that he would rather be lost in his own thought than to face the reality around him (Macbeth 373).
In the end, Macbeth pays the ultimate price, which is death. The power he sought is his greatest downfall, because of the way it is acquired. Macbeth’s inability to see the reality of his actions caused his reign to crumble beneath him. All in all, one can clearly see the symbols: the dagger, blood, and Banquo’s
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