Examples Of Selfishness In Macbeth
In William Shakespeare play of Macbeth, the character of Macbeth depicts a variety of
human traits that are found in all people, traits that we all at one time or another have
experienced or will experience in the future. The qualities that Macbeth exhibited eventually led
to his downfall. Macbeth shows the human trait of arrogance and selfishness in order for him to
conquer the throne. These traits played out throughout the entire play and all the actions that he
exhibited had to do with him taking these traits and building his life around them.
In the beginning of the play Macbeth comes upon three witches that predict he will be
king, (Shakespeare, line 55 – 59, “you greet with present grace and great prediction of noble
having and …show more content…
His wife lady Macbeth put a bug in his ear that to speed up
the process he should kill the king. Macbeth’s arrogance is shown when he feels over confident
that no one can hurt him. At some point he feels invincible, ( Shakespeare, Act I Scene 3, lines
96- 97 “ Nothing afeard of what thyself didst make, Strange images of death”.) Nothing or no
one can harm him or get in his way. Macbeth arrogance leads him to believe that no one born of
a woman can do him harm, that if he dies it would be by an unforeseen event like by natural
causes, (Act IV Scene 1, lines 97 – 100). He commits crimes because he feels that no one can
touch him. At some point he even says that he is so powerful that he won’t even let the ghosts in
his head haunt him.
Another quality that Macbeth shows throughout the play is selfishness. He proves it by
ignoring his consciences and doing bad things. Lady Macbeth also greedy for her husband to
take the throne begins to doubt her husband when he starts to think twice about killing the king
and trying to gain the throne in a honorable way because he believes that every bad deed has its
price, (Shakespeare scene 7, Line 1 -10). Lady Macbeth on the other hand uses her
human traits that are found in all people, traits that we all at one time or another have
experienced or will experience in the future. The qualities that Macbeth exhibited eventually led
to his downfall. Macbeth shows the human trait of arrogance and selfishness in order for him to
conquer the throne. These traits played out throughout the entire play and all the actions that he
exhibited had to do with him taking these traits and building his life around them.
In the beginning of the play Macbeth comes upon three witches that predict he will be
king, (Shakespeare, line 55 – 59, “you greet with present grace and great prediction of noble
having and …show more content…
His wife lady Macbeth put a bug in his ear that to speed up
the process he should kill the king. Macbeth’s arrogance is shown when he feels over confident
that no one can hurt him. At some point he feels invincible, ( Shakespeare, Act I Scene 3, lines
96- 97 “ Nothing afeard of what thyself didst make, Strange images of death”.) Nothing or no
one can harm him or get in his way. Macbeth arrogance leads him to believe that no one born of
a woman can do him harm, that if he dies it would be by an unforeseen event like by natural
causes, (Act IV Scene 1, lines 97 – 100). He commits crimes because he feels that no one can
touch him. At some point he even says that he is so powerful that he won’t even let the ghosts in
his head haunt him.
Another quality that Macbeth shows throughout the play is selfishness. He proves it by
ignoring his consciences and doing bad things. Lady Macbeth also greedy for her husband to
take the throne begins to doubt her husband when he starts to think twice about killing the king
and trying to gain the throne in a honorable way because he believes that every bad deed has its
price, (Shakespeare scene 7, Line 1 -10). Lady Macbeth on the other hand uses her