Greed is one thing that everyone in the world has in common. The right kind of greed can make you happy, but the wrong kind can make you selfish. Lady Macbeth’s temptation of power and greed pushes herself and Macbeth to insanity, this reflects modern society through people never being satisfied with themselves and the world around them.
Desire and greed push people to do unexpected and uncharacteristic actions. Desire for power often makes people lose sight of the journey to becoming or getting what they want, and instead they try to fast forward through it. Macbeth proves this by stating, “…shalt be what thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature,” (1.5.14-15). Lady Macbeth was so determined to be queen that she didn’t want to wait and let it happen. She forced it. Lady Macbeth was envious of Duncan and his power, so she made up a plan to kill him. Yet once he was dead she still wasn’t satisfied and wanted more power.
Macbeth not only shows what desire and greed do to you, but also pressure from the people around you. Lady Macbeth wanted to kill Duncan and become queen, but she didn’t think she could do it, so she manipulates Macbeth into completing the task. She questions his strength by saying “When you durst do it, then you were a man…” (1.7.55-57) thus Macbeth abandons his own morals and falls to hers. Lady Macbeth takes his weaknesses and uses them against him to make him kill without thinking twice about it. They would rather be destructive in getting the crown than earning it.
The pair becomes too comfortable with feeling of killing, and makes them dangerous. They lose control and are willing to kill anyone who gets in their way whether they are a threat or not. Macbeth kills Banquo in fear that his heirs will takes his power away. He also kills Macduff through accusations of betrayal, but since he wasn’t there at the time he instead kills Macduff’s family. Macbeth has lost control and proclaims, ‘..ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No..” (2.2.60-62) the guilt washes over him, but doesn’t stop him. He still is tempted by power. Insanity has erased the good senses Macbeth once had and replaced them with greed.
It is easy to see how similar Macbeth and modern society are. The play relates the past to the present and the idea that the world has changed and progressed, yet humans haven’t. Everyone, past and present, are tempted by what is next and wanting more. In Macbeth Lady Macbeth was in search of power and willing to do anything for it. She used peer pressure to make sure she got what she wanted. In society today, people are tempted by popularity and drugs. Like Macbeth we get pressured to do what really don’t want to. He got pressured to kill, and people today get pressure to do drugs or drink. We listen to what others say in hope of reaching the top in society, whether it is school, work, or just royalty. But if we do will still aren’t satisfied and continue to reach for the next level, whether it is good or bad.
The temptation and greed of wanting more, has a power over us where we lose sight of who we are and give into the higher power. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were in search of the wrong kind of greed, which pulled them into darkness and insanity, leading them to their own demise.
