Effects Of Ambition In Macbeth

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In Macbeth, ambition is shown as a dangerous quality. Macbeth’s ambition goes unchecked by moral constraints which ultimately leads to his downfall. His desire and strong belief in the witches prophecies are what led him to kill anyone or anything that stood in his way. Macbeth’s ambition is driven by many things, but the witches prophecies is what started it all. After hearing the prophecies, Macbeth instantly believed them and this affected him and his relationships with a lot of people around him. Macbeth says “Stay, you imperfect speakers, tell me more” (1.3.73), this shows how ready he was to hear more and that he was ready to do anything to fulfill his desires of becoming the king and make sure the prophecies will become true. This also eventually led him to kill the man who helped him gain so much. …show more content…

For example, he lied to Banquo, who is his closest friend, about not thinking about the witches, when in reality that was all he thought about. Lady Macbeth’s desire for power is another major factor that drove Macbeth to overcome his guilt and take actions on the prophecies. An example that shows unchecked ambition by Lady Macbeth is how she planned to kill Duncan. She was ready to drug the guards, lie, and even kill him if he hadn’t looked like her father. Another thing that shows how ruthless she is, is when Macbeth comes back to her after killing Duncan and he’s all bloodied and she says “A little water clears us of this deed. How easy is it, then!” (2.2.68) This shows how easy murder is to her and how there’s no limit to her ambition and lust for

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