Ambition: The Destruction of Shakespeare’s Macbeth

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One of William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies is that of Macbeth. It is also known as “the Scottish play,” primarily because of its Scottish setting and because it is based loosely after the life of a real King Macbeth of Scotland. (Mendham) This play is considered a tragedy because the protagonist of the play, Macbeth, will suffer a terrible downfall as the result of his actions. From the beginning of the play, Shakespeare effectively establishes the atmosphere of the play as one of doom and despair, where even nature is at war with itself. The main themes of this tragedy are power and betrayal. Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare explores aspects of the human conscience. He pays particular attention to our sense of right and wrong, innocence and guilt. Once Macbeth has a taste of power he is continually driven by his desire for it. His fear of having his power taken away from him drives him to continue to act ruthlessly in order to eliminate all threats of being found out for his treasonous deeds and to maintain his position of power.

Macbeth has many admirable qualities. The first of his three greatest qualities to be brought forward is his courage as a dauntless war captain. “… As sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion. They were as cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe.” (Macbeth Act 1, Sc 2) It is admirable to have such courage when fighting for something one believes in or to defend one’s home and King. In the beginning, fighting for his kingdom was the primary application of Macbeth’s courage, but as events progress and his morals are corrupted we will find that his courage becomes a resource for his wicked deeds. Macbeth’s original pure-hearted courage fades away and wha...

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... itself.” (LitCharts) He is haunted in his sleep by guilt. “Macbeth does murder sleep.” (Macbeth Act 2, Sc 2) “Sleep symbolizes innocence, purity, and peace of mind and in killing Duncan Macbeth actually does murder sleep.” (LitCharts ) He murders the peaceful rest the kingdom had during the reign of King Duncan as well as his own peace and rest. “Our king was ruled by troubled sleep, undone by the ghosts of his secret self.” (Greider) In the end Macbeth has gone from an honorable and courageous man to one who is overly ambitious and morally corrupt.

Works Cited

God. "The Book for Teens, NLT." Solomon, King. Proverbs. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1999. 694.

LitCharts. litcharts.com. 2008-2011. 29 March 2011.

Mendham, Trevor. Macbeth. 2008-2011. 29 March 2011.

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. New York: Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 1992.

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