Ambition In Macbeth

Macbeth’s simple ambition for power and status quickly turns into greed and obsession as his desires become more controlling. When he learns of his fate, Macbeth patiently states“If chance will have me King, why, chance may crown me, without my stir” (315). However, he grows restless after swiftly becoming Thane of Cawdor. Furthermore, Macbeth’s impatience grows as he takes matters into his own hands. “Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feeling as to sight, or art thou but a dagger of the mind, and false creation, proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?” (328). Macbeth’s imagination becomes troubled as he finds his thoughts consumed with murdering Duncan, the current king of Scotland. Specifically, these thoughts influence his actions by prompting him to acquire the strength to ultimately kill the King, although he feels guilty about his crime. “I am afraid to think what I have done; look on’t again I dare not” (330). Macbeth’s guilt is further reflected through this quote and his refusal to associate with the consequences of the crime he commits. Additionally, Macbeth’s actions and thoughts portray paranoia as he becomes closer to obtaining his predicted future. “ Oh full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife! Thou know’st that Banquo, and his Fleance, lives” (348). Out of his ill mind’s motivations, Macbeth kills Banquo, but his digression as a character shields the guilt he felt after Duncan’s death. Through this, Macbeth begins to recognize the evil consuming his thoughts and

Ambition is often the driving force in one’s life. It can have an extremely dominant impact on not only yourself, but also many people in your surroundings. You have the ability to control if the outcomes either have a lasting negative or positive effect. When a goal requires determination and hard work to complete, personal morals often take a back seat to the aspiration of accomplishing the goal. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, it is clear that like many other great leaders, Macbeth exemplifies the necessary leadership virtue of ambition. Macbeth’s ambition does not just drive him to do great things. It in fact controls him. The playwright explores the idea of how an individual’s ambition can cause them to deceive others, make irrational

At the beginning of the play Macbeth is unwilling to kill King Duncan while Lady Macbeth is convinced that she must compel him to do so. Macbeth is told by three witches that he will become thane of Cawdor, thane of Glamis and King of Scotland. Macbeth believes the prophecies since he is already thane of Glamis and is Ross later informs him that Macbeth is now thane of Cawdor. Macbeth wants to be king, but hopes

    Throughout the power corrupting play of Macbeth, I feel as if I have learned that it is important to control my own life. Throughout the play, Macbeth is controlled greatly by Lady Macbeth and the three witches. Macbeth's mistakes were all made by his own decisions, but his decisions were brought up by the witches, and pushed through by Lady Macbeth. I believe this story is a great way to show others to stand their ground, and to not let others control them or influence their decisions. I enjoyed the play, but found that the events were very predictable. After the three witches statements, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!”(1.3.49-51) I found that the witches give away that Macbeth was going to be the Thane of Glamis, the Thane of Cawdor, and the king.

When the three witches delivered the prophecies in the first act they hailed Macbeth is “Thane of Cawdor”, “Thane of Glamis”, and also claimed that shall soon become king. While Macbeth is bewildered and

Macbeth is a brave and strong warrior honored by those among him. But when the Three Weird Sisters told him of a prophecy that said he would be king, his mind was altered and his decent into madness began. Macbeth really wanted to be king and the same with his wife who wanted to be queen, so they invited King Duncan to stay at their castle, and as he slept during the night Macbeth butchered him, a man he honored and respected and a man who respected Macbeth. This is important because it is the first step that Macbeth takes to fulfill his ambition. This supports my thesis because it shows that Macbeth's ambition forced him to kill.

In the play, a war-hero thane—the titular Macbeth—hears a prophecy from three witches that he will assume the crown of the good king Duncan. This spark ignites his ambition and drives him to regicide, insanity,

Thesis: The play Macbeth has themes seen today and can offer readers many beneficial experiences for when they grow older. Macbeth may have been written in 1606, but many of the themes can be seen in some current events. One major theme of Macbeth is ambition, which is also the fatal flaw of the main character, Macbeth. Macbeth has been ambitious since the beginning of the play.

Macbeth welcomes his new title as thane with positivity, but what soon follows is in direct contrast to the display of honor and dignity he is shown to have. After the witches tell him the prophecy, we already see drastic changes in his personality. Macbeth is alarmed, as he notes in an aside, “Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and knock at my ribs, against the use of nature?” (1.3.136-38) Here, Macbeth is showing signs of anxiety stemming from his first obtrusive thoughts of killing the king.

The witches predict Macbeth to be king, as they yell “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to you, thane of Glamis! All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor! All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!”(Mac.1.3.49-51), but Macbeth decided that he must gain this power, not by loyalty, but by murder of the king and several others.

His infidelity breaks the trust between him and Duncan because of his immense betrayal to not only the King, but to the country of Scotland. He quickly becomes a man whom Duncan could no longer rely upon, for this reason, Duncan awards the title to a noble and courageous soldier, Macbeth. Dramatic irony is presented in this line because as Duncan is addressing the unfaithfulness of the old thane, it is followed by the entry of Macbeth to the scene, a man who later misuses his power to betray the King. To Duncan, Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, is appeared to be virtuous and courageous because of his heroic performance in the battle for defeating the opponent, Macdonwald. The King demonstrates his satisfaction towards Macbeth through a conversation with Banquo. He describes Macbeth as “full so valiant, And in his commendations [King Duncan is] fed; It is a banquet to [him]… It is a peerless kinsman.” (1.4.56-60). In this speech, King Duncan truly admires Macbeth’s valiancy and describes him as a man without equal. He congratulates Macbeth for his courage on the battlefield and as followed by the witches’ prophecies of Macbeth, “...All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor…” (1.3.50), he replaces and becomes the new Thane of Cawdor. This speech reveals the gullible nature of Duncan who once trusted the old thane and anew, believes the new thane will be loyal to the country. By all means, Duncan is clueless of

Macbeth begins to grow reckless and does not take into consideration the repercussions of his actions and wrong doings. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth listens carefully to the witches prophecies and ponders them. He questions them and says, “I know I am thane of Glamis. But how of Cawdor?” (1.3.72-73).

In the opening act of this play Macbeth is a solider who has just returned from war. The captains are speaking highly of Macbeth’s valor, courage, and bravery. Suddenly Macbeth meets up with three witches. These witches tell him, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis, thane of Cawdor, that shalt be king

Macbeth is the protagonist of this tragedy: a Scottish general, the Thane of Glamis, the Thane of Cawdor, and soon the King of Scotland. He has many noble qualities as well as several tragic flaws that lead to his ultimate demise. Though he evinced moral cowardice, this was contrasted by his overwhelming ambition, ruthlessness, and slyness. Progressively through the play, his demeanor shifts, his moral standing unravelling into a hopeless despair.

Macbeth, the famous Thane of Glamis and Cawdor and beloved Kingsman regarded by many as a warrior hero, whose utter bravery and courage have earned him the honor bestowed upon him by King Duncan and his Kingdom. An incredibly high stance in the Jacobean social herarchy, yet, Macbeth is seemingly able to greatly endanger this high regard after undergoing many psychological attacks enacted on him by the three witches and constant torment and undermining from his equally scurrilous wife. Due to his weak psychological state that allows for