Ambition In Macbeth

The Tragedy of Macbeth is based upon witchcraft and evil. "Double, double, toil and trouble;/Fire burn and cauldron bubble." (Act 4 scene 1 line 10-11), "How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags!" (Act 4 scene 1 line 48), Lady Macbeth "Come, you spirits/That tend on mortal thoughts! unsex me here,/And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full/Of direst cruelty; make thick my blood,/Stop up the access and passage to remorse,/That no compunctious visitings of nature/Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between/ Th’ effect!" (Act 1 scene 5 line 39-46), or Macbeth "Let not light see my black and deep desires;/The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be/Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see." (Act 1 scene 4 line 51-53). Shakespeare makes it clear that certain circumstances such as Duncan’s horses eating each other "Tis said they ate each other." (Act 2 scene 4 line 19) and the owl killing the falcon "A falcon,...Was by a mousing owl hawk’d at and kill’d" (Act 2 scene 4 line 13-14).

Aristotle’s Poetics discussed, critiqued, and analyzed several aspects of literary drama, with an emphasis on the genre of tragedy. In his famous work, Aristotle specifically outlined the six distinct characteristics that he attributed to tragic heroes: nobility and greatness, imperfection, presence of hamartia due to hubris, sentenced to punishment that exceeds crime committed, fall is not pure loss, and catharsis at the conclusion of the plot. Elements of Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero are present in both Macbeth from the Shakespearean play Macbeth as well as Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Because both characters possess the majority of the six attributes of a tragic hero, Macbeth and Okonkwo can be considered as tragic

In the thrilling tragedy of Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses key devices in order to effectively establish and sustain a suspenseful atmosphere. Shakespeare tells the story of a brave Scottish general, Macbeth, who receives several prophecies from a trio of sinister witches. His positive mind set is soon overcome with ambitious thoughts, leading to a series of selfish murders. The overall mood throughout the play is predominately dark and ominous in which many tragic plays inhabit. The major theme running through the play is the destruction wrought when ambition goes unchecked by moral constraints. Actions carried out without thought have the potential to present undesirable consequences and self-guilt. This argument is particularly concerning for Macbeth as his lust for power seizes control over his sanity, ultimately leading to his tragic flaw. Shakespeare clearly implements three vital devices to further

In Othello, the Moor of Venice, the titular character, Othello, is the protagonist and subject to scrutiny as to whether or not he is a tragic hero in the conventional Aristotelian definition of the term. Aristotle believed a tragedy served to exercise "the mature citizen's moral sensibilities" (Ferrari, 1999, p. 181). There are several different components of Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero, which essentially serve as a set of criteria to determine whether or not Othello truly is a tragic hero and, by extension, determine whether or not this play is a conventional Aristotelian tragedy. A thorough analysis of Aristotle's definition of the term when applied to Othello, however, reveals that his characterization is not congruent with that of a tragic hero since he displays a number of characteristics that are ill befitting of such figures which means this play is not an Aristotelian tragedy.

The tragedy Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, follows the rise and fall of a loyal Scottish warrior. Macbeth is portrayed as a man of multiple sides, presenting three main traits – bravery, ambition, and self-doubt – throughout the play. The character is an example of how ambition and guilt can have terrible effects on an individual lacking in strength of character. Although some people may perceive Macbeth as malicious, his weak character shows that he is incapable of conquering guilt and self-doubt. The prime themes of the play are: ambition, loyalty and betrayal, good and evil, appearance versus reality, supernatural and fate. Shakespeare presents these themes through the actions of Macbeth and their results: the corrupting effects

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

‘Macbeth’ is a tragic play written by William Shakespeare in the sixteen hundred, it dramatizes the physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power through the character of Macbeth. ‘The Pursuit Of Happyness’ likewise is a film directed by Gabriel Muccino who portrays a man named Chris Gardener who through his hard work and dedicated ambition goes from living on the streets to a rich stockbroker. In Macbeth and pursuit of happiness, both authors explore how ambition can…. (thesis). Macbeth's ambition is portrayed in a negative light as it is aimed to gain power and status, however, Chris ambition is pushed by his desire to gain happiness and a better future for him and his son. Similarly, both characters endure toxic spousal relationships that help them to tap into their ambition but it leads to different portrayal of ambition. Macbeth and Chris eventually both face the outcome of their ambition for Macbeth it being his doom where else for Chris it being his success. Shakespeare and Gabriel Muccino explore the theme of ambition through the protagonists of both plays.

Macbeth is a perfect example of Aristotle’s tragic hero. His flaws such as greed, violence, lust for power, and paranoia are ultimately what leads to our hero’s downfall. He starts out as a respected honorable warrior who lets himself become corrupted. The dramatic changes in Macbeth’s can be seen by the readers during his rise to power.

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth focuses on the subject of ambition and its psychological burdens. He makes it clear that Macbeth did commit to his hateful deeds responding to the psychological burden of his sins. A respected Thane, who has shown great loyalty to King Duncan, goes from a vigorous and worthy soldier to a shameless murderer presents himself as Macbeth

William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is the perfect example of the downfall of a great hero. In order to have such a fatal deposition, a character must be a tremendous warrior. In other words, the character Macbeth had many admiral traits. In addition, Aristotle’s characteristics of a tragic hero apply perfectly to Macbeth. The character Macbeth is the full embodiment of a Shakespearean tragic hero.

Amongst all of Shakespeare's tragedies, Macbeth is the most inconsistent and fragmented. Like the mental state of the protagonist, the tragic structure of the play is in disarray from the very onset. According to Aristotle, all tragedies must follow a certain set of characteristics, and the most important of these is the presence of a tragic hero. This tragic hero must possess a tragic flaw, or hamartia, which is a good quality taken to such an extreme that it now exhibits immoral behaviour from the hero. He must also draw sympathy of his plight from the audience. Macbeth, although the protagonist, is not a tragic hero because he does not possess this hamartia. This significant absence of a flaw leads to his actions being without

Aristotle, renowned philosopher and one of the earliest theater critics, took it upon himself to define the dramatic tragedy. Aristotle believed that a tragedy could only be defined by a hero who is not totally just and flawless, but, at the same time, whose downfall isn’t linked to his own depravity. The reasoning behind this concept is simple to understand. Were there to be a completely virtuous hero with no flaws, no hamartia, as Aristotle describes it, there would be no sense of catharsis or enjoyment at watching horrible events afflict this perfect person. Conversely, if the individual was fraught with flaws, vices, and moral depravity, it would not be a tragedy; it would simply have been seen as his getting what was coming to him, karma, if you will. Although Oedipus, Othello, and Willie Loman can all be said to fall within Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero, each represents a very different interpretation of the concept.

Aristotle indicated that “Every Tragedy must have six parts, which parts determine its quality—namely, Plot, Characters, Diction, Thought, Spectacle, and Melody.”(1) Without having those parts the tragedy will lose it meaning. The play Macbeth is categorized as a Tragedy, because it applies many elements and characteristics which tragedy has. In other hand it is clear that Shakespeare effected by Greek tragedy, because he used the main elements of tragedy. Most of tragedy plays were having five acts. In Macbeth we can simply see that Shakespeare made Macbeth into five acts.

Macbeth is known as a haunted play. The dark undertones create an ominous aura throughout the play. Witches, hallucinations, and blood create an unsafe environment as you take in William Shakespeare's play. Shakespeare has used an abundance of imagery in his plays to make the audience think from a certain point of view; to create a certain mood, feeling or impression. In Macbeth the main imageries Shakespeare used were weather, location, time, blood, clothing, and the juxtaposition of light and darkness.

Aristotle says "A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." This tragic flaw is the hero’s own free choice where his death is seen as a human waste. However it is not of pure loss as greater knowledge and self awareness is highlighted. In Macbeth, he is introduced as nobility, crowned for bravery as “Thane of Cawdor” The quote, "No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bosom interest. Go pronounce his present death, and with his former title greet Macbeth. What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won”, shows Macbeth’s nobility. Soon after which he is doomed, who bears the actions of his own responsibilities - a common trait of a tragic hero. Aristotle insists that the plot is the principle element of tragedy, the arrangements of the incidents and how it is presented to the audience together with its structure is the vital component. It is the incidents and themes of the plot that bring richness and value to the play.