Macbeth “Sometimes we want what we want even if we know it’s going to kill us.” Donna Tartt. In the story of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth kills everyone around him in search for power. This ultimately caused his demise. Just like the story of “Goldilocks” Macbeth had too much ambition just as the porridge was too hot. A character can have too much, just right, or even too little of any virtue. Ambition can be a great thing in moderation or a curse in excess. In Macbeth’s case he had far too much ambition, doing anything to get and hold power. Namely, he had Duncan killed which started his downward spiral. Duncan trusted Macbeth for he was his general. However, Macbeth had different intentions than to simply follow orders even thinking to himself “Let not light see my black and deep desires” (1.4. 51). So, on the outside Macbeth didn’t act any differently towards King Duncan, but on the inside he was planning on killing him and taking power for himself. Even going as far as, killing one of his best friends and his whole family, and eventually being in his castle alone waiting for Macduff to return to end his life. In conclusion, Macbeth …show more content…
He is a general of Duncan’s army and is pretty highly revered as a successful man. He was power but does not abuse it, doing what it takes within reason to complete the task at hand. Banquo tells Macduff to not let his emotions get the better of him so that they can solve the mystery of the murderer. Macduff later tells Macbeth that “I have no words; my voice is in my sword” (5.8.7-8) meaning that he is calm, cool, and collected. Macduff didn’t need to speak about the crimes that Macbeth had broken, and he was simply going to kill him for his actions. There is a fine line for the amount of ambition a person should have. Too much ambition and you will ultimately fail is the long run. Too little ambition and you will never set a goal to
In the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, there is a deep relation to ambition. Macbeth's ambition started after the witches told him that he was going to be king after Duncan died, so then Macbeth and Lady Macbeth just decided to kill Duncan. After this first murder he then decided that he would do anything to keep his crown, since he was so hungry for power. Guilt soon got the best of him which then led to his demise.
When Macbeth finds out about the witches prophecies, he quickly sends a letter to Lady Macbeth explaining the situation. She rapidly sees that she must help Macbeth become king, so she says “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness /To catch the nearest way. /Thou wouldst be great,/ Art not without ambition, but without/ The illness should attend it. (1.5.15-20). Right away, Lady Macbeth is going to do everything she possibly can to ensure he becomes king which proves her ambition. Later on in the play, Lady Macbeth makes another decision which shows that her ambition is quickly getting the worst out of her. When King Duncan arrives, Lady Macbeth sees a perfect opportunity to kill Duncan. She is worried that Macbeth will not go through with the plan so she says ¨When Duncan is asleep—/Whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey/ Soundly invite him—his two chamberlains/Will I with wine and wassail so convince¨ (1.7.61-65). Lady Macbeth reveals that her need for power is taking a turn. She plots to get the “two chamberlains” drunk so she can blame the murder of Duncan on them. The fact that she plots out an entire plan to kill Duncan and that she is willing to blame it on someone else reveals that her ambition has brought out the worst in her.. All in all, Lady Macbeth is a character who does not second
Where is there a page in William Shakespeare's tragic play Macbeth which does not present the selfish virtue of personal ambition. This paper addresses the problem of ambition in the drama.
In the beginning Macbeth was such a nice guy. That all changed when he met the three witches. When Macbeth first meets the witches they say two things that begin Macbeth's trail of evil. "All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cowdor!" I iii 49, is the first thing that leads to the trail. The second is, "All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!" I iii 50. These two predictions told by the witches caused great ambition to happen within Macbeth. Lady Macbeth finds out about the predictions, and drives Macbeth's ambition even harder. Lady Macbeth tries to get Macbeth to kill King Duncan, because she wants Macbeth to be king. "He that's coming/ must provided for: and you shall put/ this night's great business into my dispatch;/ which shall to all our nights and days to come/ give solely sovereign sway and mastedom." I v 65-69, this is a quote from Lady Macbeth explaining to Macbeth that when King Duncan come to stay, they will kill him. After Macbeth killed Duncan he killed the King's guards, so no one could question them. All this was just the beginning of a walk down an evil trail.
“He has courage, individual consciousness, and will-power, and in his inability to acquiesce patients in the primal order of things we sense a strong, restless energy which is compelling. He is still a terrifying criminal who spreads death and destruction about him”(Long). Macbeth’s ambition is all circled around obtaining more power. But once he gets power his ambition changes to keeping and securing his power. Macbeth was so headstrong on trying to get power that he didn't realize that his ambition was causing his downfall. His ambition first started with the death of Duncan. After that he wanted to get power and keep it. That was why he was so demanding of the witches in the end , because he wanted to keep power. But in the end it all lead to his death. Even when he was fighting Macduff he was blinded by ambition. He was letting the witches prophesies get in his head causing him to believe that he was going to die. “They begin to give him reason to doubt, and his belief, steaming from his ambition , allows Macduff to defeat
In the play of “Macbeth”, Shakespeare gradually and effectively deepens our understanding of the themes and most importantly the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The main theme of Macbeth is ambition, and how it compels the main characters to pursue it. The antagonists of the play are the three witches, who symbolise the theme appearance and reality. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relation is an irony throughout the play, as most of their relation is based on greed and power. This is different from most of Shakespeare’s other plays, which are mostly based on romance and trust. There is also guilt that leads Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to the final consequences of the play. As the progresses, the constant changes in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are exposed.
Ambition is a trait that can be found within everyone, however sometimes it can drive people to partake in actions they generally would not do, and can drive people to a point where it leads to bad choices. As shown in ‘’Macbeth’’, one of William Shakespeare's more intense, powerful and bloody plays. Macbeth, who was once known as an honest, courageous and honourable soldier, quickly transformed into a selfish, cruel and ruthless tyrant. When one is under the influence of unchecked ambition, and the corruption of power, one partakes in action that have substantial and devastating consequences for oneself and the people around him. In the play ‘’Macbeth”, William Shakespeare uses the the main character Macbeth to make bad choices through unchecked
Macbeth shows how greed and ambition can bring down a person as well as others and how the changes of power occur because of loyalty and betrayal. Macbeth is the play’s main unhappy character. The play tells of Macbeth's greedy thirst for power is a dangerous trait.
One of the most ambitious individuals of all of all time, Napoleon Bonaparte once stated, “Great ambition is the passion of great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principals which guide them”. Therefore, these words reveal an imperative reality about ambitious individuals which is that the quality of one’s ambition is heavily dependent on that individual’s morals. Thus, it can be acknowledged that if a person’s ambition goes unhindered by a sense of morality and compassion, it can transform into a vile force of annihilation, as it did in Shakespeare’s tragic play, Macbeth. On that account, if one’s ambition lacks compassion, it can morph into the ultimate vices of humanity- greed, envy, and insecurity, thus leading even the most promising individuals into the realms of damnation.
MacBeth, at the beginning of the play, seems to be an exceptionally noble person. He is characterized as being vastly loyal and honorable. He courageously and victoriously fights a battle for his country and this establishes a strong sense of his loyalty. MacBeth is later appointed Thane of Cawdor, which, once more, proves that he is honorable in the eyes of royalty. However, the instant the witches spark ambition in him, using their prophecies, he is no longer trustworthy because his mind fills with evil and deceit. Even before he reaches his home, thoughts of murder creep into his head and he is overcome with the desire to be powerful. In the following quotation, MacBeth admits, metaphorically, that it is only his ambition that prompts him. “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other” (I, 7, 25 ff). At this point in the play, Macbeth's unruly ambition begins to become apparent. A seed of evil has bloomed into a flower of defiance and MacBeth has reached a point of no return. MacBeth becomes bloodthirsty and power stricken, forcing him further and further into a web of ambition from which he is unable to detach.
The Shakespearean play, Macbeth, is one of the most famous works of English literature to have ever been written. It is also Shakespeare’s shortest and bloodiest tragedy. The ruthless nature of the plot can be attributed directly to the overflow of ambition in the play’s characters. The theme of ambition is the driving force of the play as it has the greatest effect on the story itself. The impact of ambition is exhibited through the actions of Lady Macbeth, Macduff, and predominantly, in the main character, Macbeth.
An ambition for power can seem to be true perfection, but one should be careful what they wish for, because that power might be exactly what causes their downfall. In the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare ambition plays a great role and is also a main theme. Ambition is often the motivating force in one's life. It is supposed to be the motivating factor that drives one towards success. The main character, Macbeth has ambition even though it leads him to his downfall. In contrast, Lady Macbeth pursues her goals with greater determination, yet she is less capable of withstanding the outcome of her actions. She becomes guilty which leads to her death since she becomes mentally ill and commits suicide, leaving Macbeth without any moral support. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth betray the king Duncan for power as well as their ambition being used in a bad way. Macbeth’s overconfidence In current day today ambition can be used in both a good way and a bad way. People who are ambitious to achieve their goal in a positive manner can be good but sometimes ambition takes over you makes you want more which can cause death and destruction.
Words are the basic elements of the English written language. With words, one can say precisely what one wants to say, a skill that Shakespeare has mastered. In Macbeth, he carefully chooses each word so as to say exactly what he wants to say, and often leaves these words open to the reader’s interpretation. One such carefully chosen word is the word “slave,” a simple word meaning “someone entirely under the dominion of a person or an influence” (Random House, 674). Although this word appears only four times within the play, it’s importance should not be underestimated. Every time that Shakespeare chooses to use the word “slave” he is using it to show a “slave of ambition,” an important symbol within the play.
The tragedy of Macbeth opens up with him returning home from a victorious military battle, displaying his honor and excellence. This is, also the first time he is presented with the opportunity for power. His success covered him with glory in defense of the crown. Macbeth is busily basking in his own glory and soaking up credit when Duncan basically steals his spotlight from right over his head, proclaiming Malcolm, Duncan's son, as the heir-apparent. This action also belittles Macbeth's achievement, since the procession of the throne is not necessarily dictated by bloodlines. Duncan is basically announcing that Macbeth, while noble, is inferior to his son Malcolm. This is where Duncan provokes Macbeth to hate him and also points out what Macbeth must do to become King. Duncan even tempts Macbeth, by pronouncing him as the Thane of Cawdor. This gives Macbeth a taste of power and he begins to have a desire for more. This desire or ambition is his fatal flaw. Shakespeare, by using Macbeth as a guide, shows that even the honorable men can fall into the hands of evil just like everyone else. No one is safe from his or her own ambitions of power and success. It is clear that Macbeth ends up a far more brutal and simple...
In Macbeth, Shakespeare confronts audiences with universal and powerful themes of ambition and evil along with its consequences. Shakespeare explores the powerful theme of the human mind’s decent into madness, audiences find this theme most confronting because of its universal relevance. His use of dramatic devices includes soliloquies, animal imagery, clear characterisation and dramatic language. Themes of ambition and mental instability are evident in Lady Macbeth’s reaction to Macbeth’s letter detailing the prophecies, Macbeth’s hallucinations of Banquo’s ghost and finally in the scene where Lady Macbeth is found sleep walking, tortured by her involvement.