Ambition in Macbeth

Have you ever wanted something so badly that despite the consequences that came along with it, you went through with it? In the play macbeth , macbeth becomes so ambitious that he begins to do anything and everything to get to the top. Forgetting and not seeing the consequences that could come back and later bring him down. In this essay I will be analyzing macbeth’s rise to power as well as his plight and discussing how it correlates with this quote from machiavelli’s ,the prince , “he who blinded by ambition, raises himself to a position whence he cannot mount higher , must there after fall with the greatest loss.”

The strive and ambition for power can seem to be utter perfection, but one should be careful what they wish for because that power and ambition may cause their eventual downfall. An example of this would be shown in Lady Macbeth’s character in William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”. Lady Macbeth’s strive for power leads her into a dark tunnel of guilt and a battle with herself subconsciously and consciously.

Within every human being, there is an underlying motive that puts them on the hunt for greatness, power, and achievement- all to fulfill their ideal self-image, which in turn grants them eternal happiness. This same motive is notorious for corrupting the mind’s of those who will stop at nothing to satisfy their thirst for power, consuming them from the inside and ready to take control of their minds, leading them to their own destruction. This is known as ambition; a parasite that can either build up or shatter a person completely. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, ambition is one of the major themes in which the story revolves around as it follows the character Macbeth through his journey to fulfill his prophecy gaven to him by the three witches; he is to become the Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and most importantly, the King of Scotland. With him is his companion and fellow general of the Scottish army, Banquo, who is also given a prophecy, in which he is to become a father to many kings, however not become one himself. Where the two characters’ roads diverge, however, is in their reaction to the information received. Macbeth steers onto an aggressive path, while Banquo remains passive. This is evident through their differences in skepticism, loyalty, and patience, where their particular degree of ambition is tested. The following series of paragraphs will illustrate the differing characters of Macbeth

Ambition is an admirable trait that enabled famous writers and scholars to attain an unbelievable greatness. However, highly ambitious people often end up failing because they are unable to fill up an insatiable hole of greed that leads them to constant frustration and dissatisfaction. Just as an excessive ambition can start with malice, it can end in anguish and despair. In the play, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the main protagonist, Macbeth, and his wife, Lady Macbeth, demonstrate an ambition that has an exacerbating impact on them that slowly leads to the self-destruction and obliteration of people around. After Lady Macbeth clouded Macbeth’s mind, Macbeth killed a benevolent king Duncan. But even with crown and power, Macbeth spend his life in fear and anxiety, until the weight of the ambition was relieved by his downfall. Through Macbeth’s character, Shakespeare shows that the extreme ambition that was emerged out of ferocious passion could devour an individual’s moral goodness, which in turn would carve the path directly to the total misery. Possessing such ambition makes the individual live in a self-imposed fretfulness and expose the closest people under consequential threats.

In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, all of his characters have a trait that is shown widely throughout the play. From the encounter of the witches, all the way to his fatal death of Macbeth by Malcolm, ambition is a key player that moved this play. However, ambition is a trait that many individuals would not desire as it leads to the rise, the betrayal, and ultimately the death of Macbeth.

Samuel Johnson, a British author, once stated, “To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition, the end to which every enterprise and labor tends, and of which every desire prompts the prosecution”. While ambition is extremely crucial to everyone’s goals, it is important to know when boundaries need to be put in place. This touches base with Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” character of Macbeth. With ambition being a very strong suit of him, he also does not know where to set his own boundaries. Because of his choices, Macbeth is responsible for his own fate.

When one wants something bad enough, the lines between right and wrong tend to blur. In William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” the relationship between ambition and corruption is explored. Firstly, Macbeth’s inability to control his urges to know his fate leads him to listen to The Weird Sister’s prophecies, which eventually causes his unhealthy desire for power. Next, Lady Macbeth’s strong ambition to kill the King leads to a corruption of her mental state and behavioural standards. Lastly, Macbeth’s aspiration to rule Scotland leads to a harmful greed for power and the betrayal of his morals. In summary, one’s demonstration of an overly ambitious nature can lead to corruption and an excessive desire for power.

Ambition is the first cause of the deterioration of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relationship. It made Lady Macbeth start to desire the position of the king for Macbeth himself. When alone, Macbeth would think of wicked ways to attain this position when the witches never even suggested murder or getting his hands dirty. Lady Macbeth started to plan on ways of getting this position for Macbeth; no matter how devious it was. All their actions were rooted in ambition, causing a distinct behaviour and the readers clearly seeing this shift of attitude and character.

In the beginning of the novel, Macbeth is not seen as being very self-conscious about his ambitions ; Throughout the novel Macbeth’s ambitions became immoderate and his desires overcome him. Macbeth’s downfall made him an inhumane person , as he went as far as murdering Duncan so he could become the King of Scotland. Power was a key ambition of Macbeth. Although he tried to hold positions of power during many points in the novel, he was never truly looked at by other characters as a man of power.

Ambition is what motivates people to achieve a certain thing in their life. However, many fail if their ambition is too big and unreasonable. This is definitely the case for Macbeth in the William Shakespeare's play Macbeth. Macbeth's ambitious causes him to disregard his loyalty to Duncan. Moreover, Macbeths desires lead him to be immoral, going to extremes in order to achieve success. Ultimately, Macbeths deep aspirations for power demonstrates being over ambitious will end in disaster. Therefore, in the play Macbeth, Macbeths ambition leads him to corrupt his morality, resulting in his downfall

Ambition is the rise and downfall of every great person in history, without it, people would not have to discipline to achieve. At the start of Macbeth’s story, we see Macbeth’s ambition in his will to fight for the king, “The service and loyalty I owe, In doing it, pays itself” (I.iv.22-23). Once Macbeth encounters the weird sisters it was prophesied that he would become the Thane of Cawdor and more importantly, The King of Scotland. This moment is important because it shows when Macbeth’s ambition starts to become corrupt. Everything Macbeth does after this is for his own gain and nothing more. After the first prophecy comes true, he starts to think of ways to become king, whether it was through coincidence or if he would have to force the

Before killing Duncan, it is Macbeth’s insecurity that led him to being persuaded into ultimately killing Duncan. Lady Macbeth influenced him, but he was also ratified on the idea that she is right and that if he does not act fast, he may never get the throne. The announcement of Malcolm (Duncan’s son) to be the one to succeed Duncan as King led to Macbeth becoming more worried and he claims, “It is a step/On which [he] must fall down or else o'erleap,/For in [his] way it lies.” (Act 1, Scene 4) Macbeth was also very insecure and anxious after the killing of Duncan, as there were many people who challenged his authority. His blind ambition once again overpowered him and due to his insecurities about certain people, he was persuaded to kill those who came in his way of becoming King, and he did not pay attention to the consequences that may result from his acts. Macbeth was so fortified in becoming king that he even killed his good friend Banquo. This is because Banquo, being the only one besides Lady Macbeth to know about the prophecies, may suspect Macbeth of the crimes he has committed, and may just hold suspicion in general against him. Therefore Macbeth plots the assassination of Banquo by hiring murderers, and this is evident when Macbeth says, “Fleance, his son, that keeps him company, whose absence is no less material to me than is his

Macbeth’s good nature is increasingly defeated by one of his major flaws-ambition. His ambition and desire to become king leads

In the play “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, the character Lady Macbeth and her various qualities are used to reinforce the idea that being ambitious can be beneficial, however it can also have dire consequences. This Shakespearean tragedy is set in Scotland during the Middle Ages, and follows the tale of Macbeth, a Scottish Thane, who succumbs to temptation in an attempt to fulfil a set of prophecies and become King. During the play he becomes consumed by his dark desires and murderous ambitions, which ultimately lead both himself and his wife to their deaths. The author’s various messages surrounding being ambitious are shown through; the immense determination of Lady Macbeth, her successful manipulation of her husband, and her callous nature. These qualities and their implied messages to the audience are explored in the play through the use of; dialogue, symbolism and other various language features.

In life, the strength of a person`s ambition determines their level of effort to pursue their goals and aspirations. In the play, Macbeth, William Shakespeare utilizes this concept by incorporating it into two crucial contrasting characters. To begin the play, ambition`s importance is immediately presented when Macbeth and Banquo comprehend the mysterious prophecies in a dissimilar way. Moreover, the actions taken by both of these characters after the prophecies evidently convey who benefits from a powerful ambition. Clearly, ambition is a valuable asset for a person and it influences people to advance towards a better future. On the other hand, a lack of ambition leads to no progression and an unsuccessful life.