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Macbeth Greed Quotes

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In Macbeth, William Shakespeare writes about a Scottish general who rises to power after learning of his prophecy from three witches. Instead of focusing on the rise to power, Shakespeare instead details the insanity and paranoia that plagued the Macbeths due to their ambition. TH Shakespeare uses symbols of witches, blood, and sleep to represent the greed and guilt Macbeth feels throughout the text to convey the message that greed and guilt are a result of unchecked ambition. TS Macbeth’s greed begins to show it’s hideous face once the three witches tempt him with a prophecy of great fortune. The promise of power begins to warp Macbeth’s moral sense “If good, why do I yield to that suggestion/Whose horrid …show more content…

The witches prophesied Macbeth becoming Thane of Glamis and Cawdor, enticing Macbeth into believing he would become King of Scotland and with this knowledge he decides to take matters into his own hands. The quote displays Macbeth’s waning moral compass as he considers killing Duncan to accelerate his potentially fruitful future. The witches symbolize Macbeth’s greed overpowering his moral sense due to an unchecked ambition that focused on obtaining power. TS Blood in the play, serves the role of representing the guilty conscience of Macbeth after his moral compass is destabilized and he kills King Duncan. Macbeth is consumed by guilt to the point where he,”Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more/Returning were as tedious as go o’er.”(Shakespeare 3.4.136-138). The act of killing a family member and trusted companion took its heavy toll on Macbeth’s conscience, making him realise the true gravity of the horrid act he had committed. Macbeth is guilty enough to comprehend that it would be extremely difficult to find forgiveness for his actions than it would be to continue his path of murder. Blood stained his hands and would continue to stain even deeper as Macbeth sought to secure his position as king, symbolizing the guilty conscience that

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