Ambition In Macbeth

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Macbeth was “the innocent flower, but [was] the serpent under it” (1.5.72-73). He was a good-natured man turned evil at the hands of his desire for something greater. In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, he uses the repetition of “nature” and Macbeth’s ultimate demise to express how unmonitored ambition can lead to the corruption of a good person. In the beginning, it seemed like Macbeth was just ambitious. After hearing the witches predictions, he wanted to make them happen. He had “vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself” (1.7.27), which was a good thing until Macbeth used it as an excuse to kill King Duncan in cold blood as a way to make himself king. Lady Macbeth admitted she had some part in this event as she said “My hands are of your color, but I shame To wear a heart so white” (2.2.82-83), meaning that she had blood on her hands just like Macbeth but a good heart unlike him. However, this was believed to be the start of Macbeth’s good nature disappearing and his unhealthy obsession taking over, as then he kills the guards for truly no reason other than to make sure …show more content…

Shakespeare uses the word “nature” in Act 3 to describe why Macbeth feels he must kill Banquo and his son “But to be safely thus: our fears in Banquo stick deep: and in his royalty of nature Reigns that which would be fear’d” (3.1.53-55). He sees Banquo as a threat to his goals of being king, as Banquo got predictions that his sons would take the throne. He thinks he must get rid of everything standing in his way, including his supposed best friend. Macbeth slaughtering (even though someone did it for him) his good friend because of his ambitions to be/stay king is a perfect example of the corruption and evil he retains from his ambitiousness ways. He continues in this way as he kills many more innocent people that are against him being king, like Macduff and his wife and

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