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Challenges faced in macbeth
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To achieve a goal you need to dream it, set your mind to it, and accomplish it. This explains how Macbeth 's speedy rise to the throne. Macbeth makes quick work of becoming king because he sets his mind to the ambitions he holds, and accomplishes them with Lady Macbeth 's support pushing him. However, sometimes harmless ambitions set in motion a path of negative and harmful actions required to achieve them. Macbeth 's hasty rise to the throne is due to obtaining the knowledge of the future and possessing an overpowering amount of ambition (Shakespeare). When he hears the prophecy, Macbeth instantly thinks of killing Duncan, so he will become king quicker (Shakespeare). This response is due to Macbeth 's devotion to achieving his ambitions. …show more content…
These factors still exist in some way. Macbeth possess prophecy about his future; prophecies aside, people frequently make assumptions about the future and act accordingly. For example, Jon Katz says about boys becoming men; if a boy sees himself becoming a man like his dad is, he has knowledge on how to act by watching his father his whole life, which becomes his goal (Katz). The boy 's ambition contains becoming a man, which means "never admit fear...never discuss anything of substance...", which again he sets by examples, so the boy creates a plan on how to become a man by following these rules (452). Finally, he gets similar support to what Lady Macbeth gave, by other boys harassing or pushing him to follow the rules, if he is not (Katz). As he follows these rules, he starts pressuring others to do the same thing, so he can fit in (Katz). This action relates to Macbeth becoming a murderer because neither of the actions are essential in achieving their dreams and both are negative. Also, says Deborah Roffman, boys will obtain support from the saying "boys will be boys" (Roffman). She explains that it helps boys rationalize why they behave in a specific way (Roffman). Macbeth and the boy have pressure from friends or loved ones to complete their plan to meet their goals, but both circumstances encourage negative actions, either murdering or pressuring others into the same actions. Both started with harmless goals, but their ambitions lead them to negative actions, and the support solidified that
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.
The longing for power can seem to be that empty hole that anyone would try to fill inside themselves, but one should always be careful what they wish for, because as we can see in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Macbeth’s ascension to the throne of Scotland is unlike the typical reign of a monarch in any country for that matter. The rising glory of Macbeth is primarily what this play focuses on, but there are several steps Macbeth must take to reach his desired destination. There are multiple aspects that lead to Macbeth becoming king, but in actuality, there are three key ideas that are the most compelling. The first of these three factors happens to be Macbeth’s ambitions just in general, especially in early parts of the play before the
In recent times, we have witnessed many world superpowers (CEOs, Dictators, etc.) publicly outed as corrupt. This is not a new phenomenon however; historically, many leaders have gained power of some sort of system through disgustingly devious and ought right illegal means. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, Macbeth is no exception. He is a man with no self-control, indomitable ambition and an all-consuming will to become the king of Scotland. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is told of his future kingship by three disgusting witches, to be Thanes of Cawdor and Glamis and to be King. Alas Banquo, who is aside Macbeth, has a prophecy of his own; his offspring and their future generations will be the monarchy. Thus begins Macbeth’s overwhelming quest to become king, with exciting
Macbeth is associating his fear that he may have to do something violent in order to become king but he hopes that it can come about by "chance." Almost directly after the witches have visited him, Macbeth begins to take their prophecies as a reality. He is almost trying to fulfill the t...
MACBETH ESSAY In life, everyone has goals that they hope to attain and there are many ways that one can achieve these goals. To achieve what you desire, you can either wait for time to take its toll, or take matters into your own hands and do what you have to do in order to fulfill your desires. You can attain your goal as long as you have ambition. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth had the goal of Macbeth becoming king: to obtain this they took matters into their hands and killed Duncan.
Firstly, he defeats his enemies. Next he is praised by the other soldiers and King Duncan appoints him as the Thane. For example, if a person desires for a manager title, the person will work hard to earn it, and it is possible that other workers will see this and boost the chief individual’s desire. It is from here that the person might think they deserve the title and look for more power. Similarly, Macbeth must have thought somewhere in his mind to be king. In the book Witches’ Caldron: a study of motive in Shakespeare’s Macbeth Dr. K.C. Mathur says that although the witches did prophesy he would be king and even boosted his desire “They did not create the thought of murder of King Duncan. It was Macbeth’s own latent ambition embodying his power drive and seeking affirmation that invites the witches.” (Witches Caldron, 6) Dr. Mathur also says “Macbeth had acquired this status and it is not surprising that he thinks of achieving higher status by being aggressive and domineering. It is this psychological impulse that is projected in his ambition for the crown and not any criminal instinct or latent evil.” (6) There was a negative environment of witches and the association of Lady Macbeth around Macbeth which influenced him to murder. The environment creates a huge part in the play and if he had a good environment it is possible that he would have remained loyal to King
The vigorous desire to achieve and willingly attain something holds the capability to greatly affect one's life. William Shakespeare's play Macbeth establishes the immense effect and influence of ambition. After gaining power over his country Scotland, the protagonist, Macbeth, experiences an internal downfall as he battles between his wants and moral judgement. He struggles to maintain stable relationships with others as his selfish desires and goals hurt those around him when achieved. In addition to clashing with himself and others, he is seen as a tyrant leader and is slowly turned against by Scotland's nation as well as England.
As explained by Marques, “The greatest evil which fortune can inflict on men to endow them with small talents and great ambition” (Marques). Ambition can be infinite. Ranging with the combination of good qualities and bad qualities. The distinction between having too much ambition and having too little all depends upon the person and is misconstrued depending on this person’s morality. It is healthy to have ambition and pushing oneself to be the best. But in the case of Macbeth, he has too much ambition and is unable to control it. When Banquo and Macbeth stumble upon the witches, Macbeth takes to prophecy to heart, while Banquo ignores it. This only increases Macbeth’s need for power, therefore his ambition. On the other hand, for Lady Macbeth,
The three witches prophecy at the beginning of the play sparks Macbeth’s ambition. The prophecy says that, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!/ All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.54-55). Because the witches say that Macbeth will be crowned king after he becomes Thane of Cawdor, makes him believe that he does not have to put any work into becoming king. Macbeth is then given the title Thane of Cawdor, which sets his mind up to doing whatever he has to do to become king. Upon Macbeth wanting to become king he says “I have no spur/ To prick the sides of my intent but only/ Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself/ And all falls on the other.” (1.7.26-29). Macbeth is simply saying that he is truly only motivated through his ambition at the moment, because if he rushes ahead of himself, he will lead himself to disaster. Which is foreshadowing the future because, Macbeth rushes ahead of himself with his wanting of the crown, and it causes him to lead himself to disaster. Macbeth then says in an aside “If chance will have me King, why,/ Chance may crown me,/ Without my stir.” (1.3.165-167.) Macbeth believes that fate has everything to do with him becoming king, and he will not have to do anything to receive that title.
Macbeth’s blind ambition leads him to surrender to his dark desires that taunt him throughout the play. Macbeth is frequently tempted to result to the wrongful methods that seem to roam inside of him. In the beginning however Macbeth tends to ignore these desires and depends on chance. He declares “if chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir” (Shakespeare, act 1, scene 3, 143-144). This declaration by Macbeth shows his initial stand, which is reliant on fate and sin free. Yet as Macbeth’s character develops throughout the play, he moves farther from his dependence on chance and closer to his darker desires. Eventually his blind ambition to become king overp...
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.
Lady Macbeth was an important figure in this play for her use of certain emotions. Macbeth, which was written by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy play about a man known as Macbeth who rises to power through his fated and newly acquired bloodthirsty nature. His wife, Lady Macbeth, was an important protagonist in the play and helped Macbeth rise to power through her ambitions though she didn’t just help Macbeth rise to power to help Macbeth, she did it for herself as well. She let her ambitions and power get the best of her and the guilt of all of the murders caused her to spiral down a staircase of madness which led to her ruin. Her overly ambitious nature and all of the guilt she carried with her shaped a lot of points in the story and why
At the start of the play, Macbeth was promoted as Thane of Cawdor and Glamis. Once Macbeth hears from the witches he will be king, he becomes anxious and wants to it happen right away. He craves the power of being king and the thought of
In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is presented with circumstances that are beyond his control. However, he isn’t able to behave how he wants as many internal and external factors negatively influence his actions and way of thinking. He meets three witches that tell him about his future and how he will eventually become the king of Scotland. Macbeth believes the witch’s prophecy and imagines all the fame and power that would come with the crown. His desire outweighs his ability to think rationally as he has “black and deep desires” (1.4.3) to kill Duncan. Macbeth really doesn’t want to harm him, as Duncan is very loyal and caring, however, the idea of unlimited power changes his mind. He executes his original plan and claims the throne
Macbeth quickly began to ponder on the act of murdering King Duncan in order to take over the throne. Through his motivation and greed he had continued to wander whether he would become king “without [his] stir” (Shakespeare, 1.3, 144). Even though the first prophesy had been fulfilled without his interference, his blinding ambition kept his initial thoughts of murdering Duncan alive. Macbeth continues to build murderous plans within himself unprovoked. All of these decisions are made consciously within the mind of Macbeth and therefore all by free