Time and again we see a fundamental flaw in human nature that, driven by fear, pushes people to extreme measures to protect their power and, more importantly, their lives. Forced to the edge of their sanity by fear, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth must constantly watch their backs and worry that their forcibly taken positions of power will be ripped out from under them. Along with this fear, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's greed, drive, and insecurity subsequently translate into their need to kill anyone and everyone who poses a hint of a threat to their power. Macbeth's greed for power combined with his fear of losing that power and his place on the ground, leads to his overwhelming need to control every event and circumstance in which he finds himself. Demonstrated at the beginning of this story, Macbeth begins to feel some sort of entitlement to have a place on Scotland's soil after the foreshadowing of his future. by witches. “Stars, hide your fires, don't let the light see my deep black desires. The eye winks at the hand, but let it be what the eye fears when it has finished seeing” 1.4.52-55. Macbeth discusses the fear of his thoughts about killing King Duncan being discovered by those around him, which would be the reason for his killing. This display of fear is very different from the aggressive “kill at all costs” fear that Macbeth demonstrates after killing Duncan. This dramatic change in fear occurs after Duncan's killing when he begins to justify the murders by saying, "Who could hold back, that has a heart to love, and in that heart the courage to make love known" 2.3.96-99 . Driven solely by fear and the determination to become king, Macbeth deepens the already enormous hole he has dug himself into... middle of paper... or his actions, as well as becoming increasingly tormented by her and the sinful actions of her husband. Lady Macbeth was a very interesting and intricate character, with incredible tenacity and resilience, although unfortunately they were not enough to overcome the immeasurable amount of guilt and shame she held in her conscience. Macbeth's subsequent fear creates a constant compulsion to watch his back so that no one will take his position of power. This evolving greed, motivation, and insecurity leads to his and Lady Macbeth's killing spree, which in turn takes the lives of anyone who possesses a threat to their power. These actions have huge repercussions on them, whether it's their inability to sleep or their personal relationships. To protect their power, humans will, in many cases, do everything they can, regardless of the consequences.