Examples Of Greed In Macbeth

The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, tells a story about a man who loses sight of right and wrong when he is blinded by greed and corrupted by power. He crosses a moral line in order to gain royal status as king and allows the hunger for power to control him. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth’s character flaw of greed is revealed to emphasize the idea that power can lead to corruption when one loses their moral compass.

To begin, Macbeth’s whole story exists because of his greed. Once the witches inform Macbeth of the prophecy that he will be king, the first thought that comes to his head is to kill the king. He says “If good, why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair” (1.3.136-137). Macbeth has just learned that one day he will be king and he is so overcome by greed that he immediately thinks of murder. Unable to wait, Macbeth commits the crime and murders King Duncan.

To continue, Macbeth displays his character flaw of greed in yet another scene.

Macbeth murders King Duncan in order to ensure he is king. However, the witches’ prophecy stated that Banquo’s children will inherit the crown and this does not sit well with Macbeth. He states “To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus” (3.1.48-49). His royal status means absolutely nothing and is worthless if his children do no also inherit the crown. Macbeth’s greed blinds him and he begins to feel threatened by Banquo and his descendants. To resolve his problem, Macbeth orders for Banquo and his family to be murdered and commits even more murder to ensure the security of his crown. He became obsessed with greed and need for power, causing him to lose control of his moral

compass.
Lastly, Macbeth exhibits greed for knowledge when he threatens the witches. Macbeth approaches the witches and states “I will be satisfied. Deny me this, and an eternal curse will fall on you” (4.1.104-105). Macbeth craves to know more about the prophecy and if his crown is threatened by anyone, but when the witches deny him this knowledge he lashes out. Macbeth begins to command the witches to tell him and if they don’t he says that he will curse them. He is overwhelmed by greed and his need to know everything that he becomes ignorant enough to threaten a curse upon witches. Macbeth loses sight of what's right and wrong when it comes to power and greed.
As can be seen throughout the play, Macbeth exhibits a character flaw of greed that, in certain situations, created new problems and made old ones worse. This flaw influenced Macbeth’s thirst for power and eventually led to his downfall. Macbeth’s character flaw of greed eventually led to his downfall and emphasized how power can lead to corruption when one loses their moral compass.