Macbeth Literary Analysis (FINAL DRAFT)

Greed, being noted as a deadly sin, is the act of man's selfishness and desire that will benefit only them. The actions taken to achieve that desire can end up killing or corrupting the one with the selfish goal. In the gruesome novel Macbeth, the main character uses murderous attempts to achieve his goal and keep people from taking it away from him, which in the end made him a madman that was killed. Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, shows how the consequences of man's greed can turn into their own destruction, and that one must avoid temptation of a selfish goal.

The start of greed comes with a thought that is brought up by someone or an outside source, then as the idea settles in, doubts and a warped form of "a conscience" lead to a turn to a stronger desire. "All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!/All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!/ All hail Macbeth! that shalt be king hereafter." (1.3.48-9) The character Macbeth was fated with a general desire of man to harness power that comes with the title of a ruler. With the thought rooted into Macbeth's mind, his thoughts will rejoice at the fact that his fate brings good fortune, but begin to warp with how fast he wants this power. "Art thou afeard/ To be the same in thine own act and valour/As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that/Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,/And live a coward in thine own esteem" (1.7.39-43) The doubts that creep in warp the mind toward the selfish goal, persuading the person through the idea that they could be a coward for not wanting to take action. Manipulating the mind so it bends to a dark thought can lead to consequences that are unintended, often the death of the person who first desired their goal. Macbeth's greed was planted in him upon hearing his fate, and then sprouted and grown by the persuasion of his wife, successfully convincing him that his fate is what he wants, and he wanted it fast.

When a person sees good fortune in their fate, they bring every possibly way to earn it and keep it, a result of greed's hunger for power. "Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going,/And such an instrument I was to use!" (2.1.42-3) Macbeth wanted to earn the power of a king quickly, and planned to kill the king in order to become one himself, which was later encouraged by the temptation of his wife. The action was dirty and horrid, yet Macbeth performed it anyway for the sake of his desire. "To be thus is nothing,/But to be safely thus: our fears in Banquo/Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature/Reigns that which would be feared." (3.1.48-50) Along with Macbeth's feared his reign going to the line of Banquo's sons as heirs. Macbeth demanded his sole power selfishly, going as far as to make sure Banquo and his sons never take away his power by any means necessary. The greed that sprouted in Macbeth grew with his obsession in keeping power to himself, driving him to commit terrible deeds.

The setting sun of greed in man is the destruction of oneself, both mentally and physically. "Thou canst not say I did it: never shake/Thy gory locks at me." (3.4.52) Macbeth was fried in the mind due to the death of Banquo setting his guilt. Despite his initial ill thoughts, his mind erodes as his confuses himself over thinking who knew what he did and who didn't. "I have no words:/My voice is in my sword, thou bloodier villain/Than terms can give thee out!" (5.7.36-7) Macbeth's greed comes to a fall with his death, the consequences of his desires and carrying out the actions he felt were necessary coming back to haunt him. The one who killed him knew Macbeth's crimes and his warped mind, therefore ending him to stop further crimes so long as Macbeth ruled. Had Macbeth not performed these deeds, regardless of knowing his fate or not, his death wouldn't have been untimely.

The order of greed laid out for Macbeth, warping the mind, committing the crimes, losing his life, came about with his desires taking root. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, a man's greed for their selfish desire can result in their own demise, therefore one must avoid temptation of a selfish goal. Humans are easily tempted by thoughts or ideas that revolve around something they wish to obtain, leading to the process of greed's rise and fall. Noting the greed in humans, it's needed to stay away from thoughts that can corrupt the mind and bring unintended disaster.

Macbeth Act II Review with Quotes

1. In your opinion, is Lady Macbeth a cold-blooded murderer? Why or why not?
Lady Macbeth is a cold-blooded murderer, considering her lack of guilt from tempting her husband and feigning innocence while she made two servants look guilty. She refused to see her husband have second thoughts before and after the deed, scolding him anytime he doubted her.

"My hands are of your colour; but I shame/to wear a heart so white" (2.2.64 - 5)
"Give me the daggers;the sleeping and the dead/are but as pictures; 'tis the eyes of childhood/that fears a painted devil" (2. 2. 53 - 7)

2. Lady Macbeth has her own antics throughout the play. Why does Lady Macbeth faint in Act II? 
Does it serve its purpose? Explain.

Lady Macbeth fainted to fake her surprise and sudden slip of focus and consciousness when she heard that the king was dead. It served the purpose of declaring her innocent since she acted as if she never knew it was going to happen and was struck with disbelief upon hearing the news, and therefore being left out of the scene.

"Look to the lady" (2.3.131)
"Look to the lady" (2.3.140)

3. How does Macbeth's attitude toward Duncan change after the murder?

Macbeth's attitude toward the king becomes doubtful and scared, feeling extremely guilty and fearful that he had committed the crime and sensing that the world will know and haunt him for his crime.

"'Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor/Shall sleep no more: Macbeth shall sleep no more" (2.2.42-3)
"I am afraid to think what I have done;/Look on't again I dare not" (2.2.51-2)

4. If so pressuring on Macbeth, why didn't Lady Macbeth kill the king instead of Macbeth?

Lady Macbeth didn't kill the king as she muttered to herself that the king looked like her father in his sleep. Assuming that she cared for her father, seeing a reflection of him in the victim prevented her from performing the task herself.

"Had he no resembled/my father as he slept, I had done't" (2.2.12-3)

5. Now that Macbeth has killed the king, do you think he must do anything else to reign as king? Explain your answer.

Macbeth may have to do something about Malcolm and Donalbain, since they are the king's sons and therefore one of them will inherit the throne, even if Macbeth was given much honor by the king.

"I'll to England/To Ireland" (2.3.155-6)
This murderous shaft that's shot/Hath not yet lighted, and our safest way/is to avoid the aim. Therefore to horse/and let us not be dainty of leave-taking/but shift away:there's a warrant in that theft/which steals itself when there's no mercy left"(2.3.160-5)

Partner Macbeth Pre-Discussion

1. Is evil ingrained in human nature? That is, are some people just “born evil,” or is evil caused by circumstance or environment? 

Evil is caused by circumstance and environment, as when a child grows and learns in the world, they experience the goods and bads. Whichever has the higher influence, the child grows to live by what they understand and believe more. In the case where the child is exposed to more evil and corrupted actions, they tend to grow evil themselves.

2. Are our lives determined by fate, or by the acts of our free will?

Our lives are determined by our actions, hence "actions have consequences." Fate is more of a prediction on what our lives could become, and if we believe in it enough, we turn our actions in every way to go the path of our fate. It's the free will of our actions that control our lives.

3. Is redemption truly possible? That is, is it possible to commit an act of genuine evil and truly recover from it? 

Redemption is possible and able to recover from if the person who committed the act and those who witnessed and knew what happened feel that the action is long forgiven and forgotten.

4.Is it possible to admire or respect a person whom you know has committed acts of genuine evil?

It's possible to admire someone of genuinely evil acts if the admirer is a person who adores evil and holds a corrupted state of mind. The actions an evil person committed can be seen respectively by someone who finds such a thing to be prideful of.

5. Do “the ends justify the means”? That is, if one uses morally evil methods to acquire a goal, is that goal forever tainted or polluted by the actions one has taken to achieve it? 

The goal is tainted forever by the actions taken, since it has finished and stands as an accomplishment with an evil past. Even if the result is a morally good one, the steps taken do not give it a better light on perceiving it as "a good outcome."