Greed in Macbeth Essay - 1018 Words

Greed is the excessive desire to acquire or possess more, and it is also one of the biggest creators of tragedy. This is so vividly shown in both the novel The Sun Also Rises and in the play Macbeth. In The Sun Also Rises, this greed is directed toward a person, Lady Brett Ashley. Five men; Mike, Jake, Pedro, Bill, and the Count, are fighting to be with her throughout the book. In Macbeth, this greed is directed toward power as Macbeth wanted to become King, and what he does to become it. However, this greed led to the collapse of each character. Lady Ashley left all five men, leaving them devastated, while in Macbeth; an opposing army overthrew Macbeth. In both stories, greed drives the main character to do something, which is then†¦show more content†¦In both stories, the main character achieves the goal that their greed compels them to do. In The Sun Also Rises, Jakes lust for Brett drives him to have an affair with her, in which he thinks that she dearly loves him and he loves her. During the affair, Jake is always so tight with Brett, meaning he does not give her much freedom. Jake lets Brett dance with other friends and drink with other people, but any move that would be against their relationship, Jake would get angry. For example, when Brett had a drink with Count Mippipolous, and invited him home, Jake made her send him away, even though the count did not have any thoughts on her at that time. This is easily comparable to Macbeth, by the fact that Macbeth is indecisive and is a tyrannical leader, and he did anything to stay in power. For example, when Macbeth hired the three murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance, because according to the witches, all of Banquos sons will be King. Eventually, this greed to achieve what was not intended for them ended in the defeat of the characters. In The Sun Also Rises and Macbeth, the main characters greed leads to his downfall when he took what was not meant to be his. Jake had thought throughout the affair that Brett loved him. The truth was that she was just with him because she liked to have affairs, and when she realized that he had become unable to have sex because of the injuries resulting from the war. She leaves JakeShow MoreRelatedGreed In Macbeth1034 Words   |  5 Pages In William shakespeares play, Macbeth, there is a constant struggle for power that is displayed by Macbeth. The play demonstrates one of human’s strongest nature which seems to be the desire for power. This play is entirely based on Macbeth’s greed for power. As Macbeth gained more power, his behavior shifts from being a loyal and noble warrior to a power hungry man. He is a prime example of a character that is struggling to free himself from powers of others or seeks to gain power over othersRead MoreThe Power Of Greed In Macbeth1 488 Words   |  6 Pagesplay, Macbeth, there is blood, power and greed; all of which can be read with literal and metaphorical interpretations. 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