Macbeth Misguided Ambition Analysis

The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare that focuses on two characters who are driven by their intense desire to dominate the country. In the first act, Macbeth is visited by three witches who reveal to him a prophesy that he will become King of Scotland. When Macbeth's wife, Lady Macbeth, learns about the witches' prediction she begins to use her powers of influence over Macbeth and persuade him to sabotage anyone who presents a threat to the fulfillment of the prophesy. The outcome of these events is destruction riddling the country in many forms, including: tyrannical leadership and deteriorating relationships. The annihilation that results from Macbeth's misguided ambition can be shown through the reoccurring motif of hallucinations. Ambition is a characteristic necessary to succeed in life; however, if the ambition is misguided it will lead to the dissolution of a person's character.

In Act one, Macbeth hallucinates a bloody dagger floating in the air and pointing towards King Duncan's chamber. The dagger may represent the beginning of the grisly journey Macbeth must embark on to become King. Whether or not to follow the direction of the dagger is a choice that Macbeth must make. If he pursues his ambition and decides to continue on the dagger's path he will murder Duncan and become the new ruler, but his

demeanor will have changed forever. At the urging of the tolling death bell and his wife, Macbeth resolves to obey the dagger's directions and enter Duncan's chambers. The destruction of life that follows, leads to the death of innocents, the departure of fearful, and a new leader with questionable motives. The hallucination of the dagger and Macbeth's ambition worked in cahoots to destroy the nature of Scotland and Macbeth himself.
Another example that proves misguided ambition will ruin a person's character may be seen in Act 3. After paying men to murder Banquo, Macbeth is so distressed from the guilt of killing his former friend that he envisions a ghost. Macbeth attempts to communicate with the ghost of Banquo and prove that he is a man, “What man dare, I dare. Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear, The armed rhinoceros, or th' Hyrcan tiger; Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves shall never tremble.”(3.4.103-108). However, Lady Macbeth dismisses the vision as a fit of fear that makes Macbeth seem more like a woman, “O proper stuff! This is the very painting of your fear.” (3.4.63-64). The aspirations that lead Macbeth to begin committing homicide have also created an overwhelming guilt and hallucinations that permanently morphed Macbeth's character. Consequently, Macbeth became a man set on a path of endless destruction in order to obtain his goals and ambitions.
Although, Macbeth is the man in charge of the murders, Lady Macbeth is not innocent of the crimes. In fact, Lady Macbeth, emboldened by her own ambition, encouraged Macbeth to commit the original brutality of murdering King Duncan. However, Lady Macbeth's astuteness did not last long enough to save her from a modification in her character. Despite Lady Macbeth's original belief that she wouldn't feel any guilt, the vile acts committed lay heavy on her heart. Lady Macbeth began to sleepwalk and mutter atrocious things about the fateful night of Duncan's death, “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!—One, two. Why, then, ’tis time to do ’t. Hell is murky!—Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?” (5.1.25-28). Lady Macbeth may have primarily assumed that neither Macbeth nor herself would be guilty, but the pursuance of their misguided aspirations leads to an astounding amount of remorse and ultimately the death of both characters.
Shakespeare's theme of misguided ambition is exhibited in the frequent displays of the reoccurring motif of hallucinations.

Shakespeare uses the ambiguity in his characters to demonstrate how the destruction they have caused affects their demeanor. The dagger initiated the beginning of the end of the character's lives, Banquo's ghost taunted the characters and revealed the future awaiting them, and Lady Macbeth's visions in the night drew their lives to an end. Shakespeare employed hallucinations to sum up the entire play and show that misguided ambition is a step in the wrong direction when trying to scale the ladder of

success.