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Ambition In Macbeth

Decent Essays

‘Macbeth’ is a calamitous cautionary tale regarding the dangers of unchecked ambition. This play follows Macbeth who falls under the spell of three witches and begins to go down a path of death and destruction. Lady Macbeth is the wife of Macbeth. For the most part of the play, she demonstrates astonishing strength which was considered unnatural in the Elizabethan age. She also influences Macbeth to pursue his ambition and taunts him so she could provoke his dark side, hence manipulating him with ease.

Lady Macbeth’s dominance over her husband is shown the most in Act II Scene II, when they are executing the plan of murdering the King. She knows exactly how to evoke his pride and ambition, therefore manoeuvring him: “Why, worthy thane, You do unbend your noble strength, to think So brainsickly of things”, she questions …show more content…

In the scene of Duncan’s murder, she comments that if the sleeping Duncan did not look like her father, she would have murdered him herself “Had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done ’t”. This line foreshadows Lady Macbeths overwhelming guilt and eventual suicide. In Act 5 scene 1,, Lady Macbeth is somnambulating and seems to be washing her hands, saying, “Out, damned spot! Out, I say!” Her guilt is rising to the surface as she sleeps and dreams. In this state, she tries to remove Duncan's invisible blood off of her hands. Lady Macbeth acknowledges that both she and her husband have the power to get away with the murder saying, “What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?”, but neither of them foresaw the guilt and psychological results they are experiencing as a result of the murder. Blood is used as a symbol for guilt. When Lady Macbeth says she is appalled that the ‘old man’, Duncan, had so much blood, she implies that she is stunned that she would feel guilty for her corroboration in murdering the

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