Ambition Determines the Fate of Characters in Shakespeare's MacBeth

There are many different themes displayed in Shakespeare's famous play Macbeth. Many of these themes play with nature, the supernatural, and fate. From ghosts to horses eating each other the play uses symbolism, language, and characters to portray these themes. During the play the audience learns of several themes such as ambition, guilt, fate versus free will, nature versus the unnatural, and how things are not always as they seem.

The writer, Shakespeare, illustrates to the audience that the consequences do not just affect the person who have the ambitions, but it also affects the people around them. He does this by expressing the ambition through the characters of Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are shown to be ambitious and their ambition feeds off of each other. Macbeth is initially shown to the audience as a brave and selfless soldier who is loyal to his king till the day he dies. But, once Macbeth hears the prophecy of the three witches’, (that he will become the King of Scotland), Macbeth changes. He develops a deep, dark and horrible ambition of ruthlessly murdering the king and taking his place. Macbeth then writes to Lady Macbeth telling her of his ambitions. This leads to Lady Macbeth provoking Macbeth’s ambitions instead of telling him to forget about it. As she provokes Macbeth the audience can clearly see that this woman is bad news. “Was the hope drunk?Wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since?... and wakes it now, to look so green and pale which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, and live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting 'I

Ambition and greed have always been defined as the deep intense and selfish desire in the person's mind. Throughout the history and myth that have been written, we can see the downfall of greats just base on that greed of wanting for the power and wealth. In a Greek Mythology "Helen of Sparta" there is a beauty women named Helen of Troy. In the myth she is the daughter of the Greek god Zeus and Leda. She was the most beautiful women in the world. Who married to King Menelaus of Sparta, but eloped with the Prince Paris of Troy, because that she is resulting the Trojan War which white out the empire. Her beauty cause the fight between the men and led the empire to fall, but what is truly cause of the fall? Was it the greed or ambition of wanting? Was it her beauty? Her voice of word? Or is it something else? In the Shakespeare's play Macbeth, we can see the true reasons of Macbeth’s downfall, it was not only because of his ambition, but also because his wife Lady Macbeth’s words and evil plan to get the him the power of crown. Which shows that Lady Macbeth is most responsible for the Macbeth’s downfall because the she used her influence and ambition to gain power, that which eventually led to the Macbeth’s downfall, but many other people have argued that she is not the only one who can be blame for the downfall. It was Macbeth who chose to take that action to kill King Duncan. In fact of that, her continued judgement of his manly character forced him to take action to kill

     Once Macbeth possessed the power of being Thane of Cawdor he began to exhibit more greed. He has just been given such a huge responsibility and once he was given new power, he craved more; especially when he stumbled upon the witches. He liked the power that he had and wanted to gain more, no matter what he has to do to get it. Macbeth had an encounter with the three witches and they had told him that he will become the next king. Although the witches did say this it did not mean that it was certain, it was just a possibility. But when Macbeth realized the opportunity for power he knew he wanted to become the king. This passage was in part of the letter that Macbeth wrote to Lady Macbeth: “Whiles I stood rapt in the wonder of it came missives from the King, who all-hailed me ‘Thane of Cawdor,’ by which title, before, these Weird Sisters saluted me and referred me to the coming on of time with ‘Hail, king that shalt be’” (1.5.6-10). . It seems as if the power and greed now had full control over him, he is doing things that he wouldn’t do when he did not have all this power. This is the first time that we see this side of Macbeth, the side of him that is greedy for power and is willing to kill the king to do so. In the beginning of the play the thought of being Thane of Cawdor never even crossed his mind, and by no means being

The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare recounts Macbeth's meteoric rise as a soldier and promising future leader whose megalomaniacal ambition led to his tragic downfall. In addition to Macbeth's ambitions, which initially enable him to be strong leader and soldier, he is influenced heavily by his wife, Lady Macbeth, and the three witches that prophesize his ascent to the throne, as well as warn him of his eventual demise. It can be argued that it is Macbeth's ambition that allows him to succeed in his endeavors, however the goals to which he is working toward influence the results of his hard work. Macbeth's ambitions help him to become a war hero, and as his goals change, his ambitions drive him to become a tyrannical villain.

Ambition, while necessary in the lives of all beings, when “consumed” excessively, can result in the collapse of one's consciousness, as well as to those surrounding them. From the very beginning of each tale, it was destined that nothing could ever stand in the way of both Macbeth and Napoleon and their path to the throne. As evident as it may have seemed, the lengths they were willing to go to obtain power showed the ending ambition that both characters embodied. From early stages of Macbeth, the expression of how power can corrupt is most candid through his countless acts of treason. Within Macbeth, ambition is portrayed as a corrupting and indoctrinating force through the main concept of power. As Macbeth was pronounced the position of Thane of Cawdor, this did not suffice his desires for power. Rather, his ambition and drive to climb the hierarchy pushed him for the position as king, even if it meant committing unholy sins. This includes the mentioned killings of King Duncan, Banquo and the slaughtering of Macduff’s children and spouse. All these innocent lives lost for no costs, but Macbeth’s ambition to a greater power. While dissecting his murders, he ultimately killed King Duncan to gain excess power as king, killed Banquo out of insurance in preserving his position as king and killed MacDuff’s family to instill fear upon

This provides the reader with opposite perspectives, for Lady Macbeth sees the dangers of ambition, and the it is rooted in greed, thus deciding to back off, and attempt to protect her husband from his own corruption. However, prior to the killing of Duncan, Lady Macbeth possesses no fear of any repercussions to the murder, for “We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking-place, And we’ll not fail.”(1.7.59-61). Through Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare argues that ambition often comes out through the seduction of a significant other, in attempt to please a spouse, for Lady Macbeth exhibits no fear in murdering Duncan, as she wants to be queen. This relates back to greed, for Macbeth wants a happy spouse, therefore growing more ambitious in attempt to keep his wife happy by gaining power. As Macbeth’s ambition progresses, Lady Macbeth grows concerned for the situation and the fact that Macbeth has grown insane, as she wishes to limit the damage done by his hallucinations, as she instructs those around when Macbeth see the ghost of Banquo to “Sit, worthy friends. My lord is often thus…”(3.4.56). Here, Lady Macbeth now grows paranoid that the guest may catch onto the suspicious behavior of Macbeth, thus making him suspicious about the murder of Banquo. Through Lady Macbeth’s attempts to cover up Macbeth’s madness, the reader sees the consequences of ambition,

Ambition is something that needs to be controlled by each individual person because it can be expressed in an evil way and when done so it can lead down a destructive path. The play Macbeth is a perfect example of this when it comes to the two main characters, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, allowing ambition to control their lives. Their driving ambition for power tears their marriage apart and shatters their chances to ever gain kingship outside of their land. In some ways, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth reversed roles during the course of the play, yet they both changed in drastic ways making them both dynamic characters. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, uncovers a noble man and an ambitious wife who yearn for power, as they go down a path full of sinful temptation foreshadowing their tragic deaths.

Although Macbeth had the urges to become king, he also did not present a large enough amount of courage necessary in order to commit the act. Once Macbeth fell to the clutches of fear and paranoia, Lady Macbeth was the person who again convinced him to commit the unfavorable deed. “To alter favor ever is to fear. Leave all the rest to me” (1.5.64-65). Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth that he cannot show fear and must see the murder until the end.

In Shakespeare’s time, the societal culture was completely different than present day culture. This is one reason why it can be hard for reader to grasp the themes present in his plays. In present day culture, ambition is seen as a necessity and a positive characteristic. In The Tragedy of Macbeth, a major theme in the play is ambition and why it is a bad quality to have. Ambition is basically the desire to succeed.

Fate and Macbeth’s Transformation In the play Macbeth, by Shakespeare, Macbeth is influenced not only by his own greed for power, but also by the Weird Sisters’ use of the supernatural. However, his attention, fulfillment, and subsequent action of their prophecy lead to his downfall. Macbeth’s greed and his growing comfort with the idea of power lead him to murder Duncan, and therefore ascend to power. Following the witches’ prophecy allows him to attain more power for himself, which accentuates his need and desire for dominance.

The tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare offers a harrowing and confronting glimpse into the devolution of its title character, Macbeth. As ambition and lust for power corrupts Macbeth’s very way of being the audience witnesses a once formidable and great warrior turn into a paranoid and murderous tyrant. Macbeth’s downfall illustrates the consequences of when ambition transforms into a disregard of an individual’s moral code but is it entirely Macbeth’s fault? An honourable and loyal solider who was willing to die for his king can’t simply turn into a traitor without some outside influences. Macbeth’s quick descent into madness highlights how greater forces force him to go against his moral judgement, specifically in the form of his dotting wife, Lady Macbeth, the three witches he encounters and Macbeth’s very nature.

Lady Macbeth is the most ambitious out of the two characters and portrays this throughout act one. Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth stating that he is to be King of Scotland. As she finishes the letter she goes on to tell Macbeth “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be/ What thou art promised” (Shakespeare 1.5. 2-3). She believes the witches are correct about Macbeth ruling Scotland as Macbeth is already Thane of Glamis and Cawdor. Lady Macbeth is excited about the news of her husband becoming King of Scotland, making her Queen of Scotland. After reading the letter, her mind turns straight to murder, not thinking about the consequences or the good of others. Lady Macbeth believes the only way for Macbeth to become king is to kill King Duncan. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth that Duncan has dined and he is asking for Macbeth. Macbeth states that he no longer wants to kill Duncan, as he has been good to him. Lady Macbeth becomes outraged and calls him a coward. “Wouldst thou have that/Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life,/ And live a coward in thine own esteem,/Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would, ”/Like the poor cat i' th' adage?” (Shakespeare 1.7.41-45). Lady Macbeth is trying to get under Macbeth’s skin, questioning his manhood and calling him a coward. Her ambition to become Queen and kill Duncan makes her unable to think and comprehend what she is doing. She wants King Duncan dead and is outraged that Macbeth will not follow through. Although Lady Macbeth has the most ambition, Macbeth also desires to be King of Scotland.

In the play, Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, ambition is the key theme throughout the plot. It is the sole reason the events occur as they do. Many refer to Macbeth as the play of ambition due to this very reason. However, as we read through the play we begin to see effects of each character’s desires on themselves as well as those who surround them. We see some characters follow their ambition through violent ways while some achieve it through manipulation. Three characters in particular however, followed their ambitions and eventually ended up sculpting the plot of the story: Macduff, Macbeth, and Lady Macbeth. All three of these characters experienced the consequences caused by their own desires and the impact on those around

Macbeth is a very complex character with a great thirst for power. He has drastic changes in his personality through the book such as ambition, guilt, and hubris. This makes him an extremely complex character. The theme in Macbeth is ambition which can teach the reader many lessons. One important lesson that is shown in Macbeth is that our actions have consequences and that our actions can have an effect on others. Macbeth’s ambition lead to his downfall because he knew that his actions were not just but proceeded to act on them anyway regardless of how it would affect others.