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How Does Greed Lead To Macbeth's Downfall

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In The Tragedy of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is a good symbol of how greed is a major factor that can lead to destruction. It demonstrates how you to do things without thinking rationally and can take control of your life completely. The decision to do what your greed wants you to do, is what makes you lose someone close to you or lose some of your closest allies. Macbeth's decision to listen to the first three prophecies of the evil witches, and the way he took action leads to his downfall revealing that greed can destroy one’s life.
The play starts off with the three prophecies the witches told Macbeth of whom shall be, ”... Thane of Glamis,... Thane of Cawdor,... and king hereafter” (1.3.48-50). When Macbeth heard that he started to think and to see if anything that the witches said was accurate. He was already Thane of Glamis so one of the three things they said was true. He started to wonder how he was going to be Thane of Cawdor or in …show more content…

Yet he is still infuriated because Macduff fled to get Malcolm and Donalbain to help him get rid of him. In reaction he sends murderers to kill Macduff’s family in act 4 scene 3. This was the start of his undoing. Macduff arrives to Malcolm and succeeds in convincing him to help him rid of Macbeth then the prophecies start to come true. Macduff is coming to kill Macbeth. He is not of woman born because he wasn't naturally born. Also the army brings the Great Birnam Wood to the castle which is the third and final prophecy Macbeth was told. The army gets through the castle walls and they kill all Macbeth’s soldiers and guards without any trouble. Then Macduff begins to battle Macbeth. In act 5 scene 8, Macduff defeats Macbeth by beheading him and to celebrate the ending of Macbeth he penetrates it with a stick and carries it around as if it was a trophy. Thus ends the reign of Macbeth and all the trouble and pain he brought with

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