Greed In 'Hobbit And Macbeth'

Superior Essays
“There is no calamity greater than lavish desires. There is no greater guilt than discontent. And there is no greater disaster than greed.” These words spoken by Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu accurately portray the destructive nature of the greed and the misfortune that it brings. Greed is a common theme that is woven throughout literature and frequently contributes to the down fall of a character and those in close proximity. Despite the fatality of “dragon-sickness”, there are occasions where a character finds a cure and does not fall prey to the claws of greed and ambition. A comparison between J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit and Shakespeare’s Macbeth shows that greed has the power to corrupt, consume, and destroy a character, however, it fails …show more content…
After hearing the witches’ prophecy, Macbeth’s interest is sparked yet he does not know if it will come true. Once the first part of the prophecy is fulfilled and he becomes Thane of Cawdor, the possibility of him becoming king seems more real and he is stirred with desire. Once Malcolm is named Duncan’s heir, his ambition increases and he wants the stars to “hide [their] fires” and not let the “light see [his] black and deep desires” to become king (Macbeth 1.4). Lady Macbeth is much more up front about her ambitions and assures Macbeth that he “shalt be what [he was] promised”, however, she does not think Macbeth has what it takes (Macbeth 1.5). She tells him that he is “too full o’ the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way” which is meant to spur him on and encourage his desires (Macbeth 1.5). Eventually, the combination of his own greed and his wife’s causes Macbeth to murder Duncan in his sleep as he allows “the very firstlings of [his] heart” to become the [firstlings of [his] hand” (Macbeth 4.1). Unfortunately for the couple, even after Macbeth becomes king their work is not done. Throughout the rest of the novel, Macbeth destroys families additionally killing Banquo and Macduff’s wife and children although “he has nothing to gain from killing after he takes Duncan’s throne” (Clark 43). The once noble general that …show more content…
Tolkein’s The Hobbit portray the destructiveness of greed in a character and the misfortune it brings while some are able to discern its dangers and escape the harsh consequences. When one is overcome by greed and lustful desires it eventually leads to their down fall as well harming those around them. There is ultimately no fulfillment or joy that comes out of it but rather meaninglessness and loss. However, it is not impossible to avoid greed’s deadly grip and characters such as Bilbo and Banquo are able to maintain healthy mindsets in the face of temptation. Appreciation for the simpler things in life as well as self-control and moderate desires allow for them to overcome the power of greed. Although many characters are poisoned by the “dragon-sickness”, Bilbo, a simple-minded hobbit, and Banquo, a soldier of King Duncan, are able to find the

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