Effects Of Ambition In Macbeth

“I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erlaps itself and falls on th’ other-” (Shakespeare 321). Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth portrays many characters with high aspirations that not only shape the plot and action of the story, but also the themes. Additionally, the intentions of the characters and the intensity of their pursuit varies as the action of the play progresses. Throughout The Tragedy of Macbeth, main characters exemplify the positive and negative influence of ambitions through their thoughts, traits, actions, and motivations.

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

Ambition has been a driving force of humanity since the beginning of time. Emotions have always had a strong influence on humanity, specifically emotions that tend towards the ruin of others and the gain another. Throughout the history of humanity there have been many examples of people abusing their position of power, to gain something they more than likely did not deserve. Whether it be Hitler and his repulsive ascension to becoming chancellor of Germany, or Kim Jong Un’s obsession with obtaining nuclear weapons at the cost of the people, humanities struggle with greed is unceasing. No one better illustrates this unrelenting thirst for power more than Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is a good, brave, and beloved man at the beginning of the play with the end of his latest battle heralding a new title for him. Fate though, seems to have different plans for the good, albeit, ambitious Macbeth. He is told by the 3 weird sisters that he will one day become king. Thus igniting the flame of greed within Macbeth, signaling his descent into madness and the guilt he feels towards the deeds he has done. Lady Macbeth is much the same in the sense that once she knew of Macbeths own ambition, it hatched her own deep seeded desire for the crown as well. However, there various similarities end with the death of Duncan and the way they both deal with the guilt over what they did. In the play Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have similarly great ambition, but this intense avarice in the end leads to their ruin in differing ways.

In Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, destruction is wrought when ambition goes rampant by moral constraints. “Macbeth” amplifies the fight amidst good vs evil, analyzing the psychological effects of King Duncan's murder. This tragedy concerned the plunge of a great man (King) from his position of nobility to humility on behalf of his ambitious pride. This pride causes the downfall of Macbeth that triggers a series of deaths down the line. Ambition is the driving force of the play.

When the reader is introduced to Macbeth in the play, King Duncan of Scotland is hearing how General Macbeth and General Banquo subdued Norwegian forces and arrested the Thane of Cawdor for treason. He seems to have a high moral standing and is a strong character, but Macbeth and Banquo meet three witches in the woods, they refer to him as Baron of Glamis, Baron of Cawdor, and then king. They also say that although Macbeth will be king, Banquo's sons will become kings as well, even if Banquo will not. Macbeth was already Baron of Glamis, and did not yet know that the king of Scotland had named him Baron of Cawdor in place of the one arrested for treason. He thought that the witches were insane but once he heard news that he was indeed

Death, insanity, despair: these are the consequences of ambition gone awry. Devastating downfalls can befall a heroic character if they are too ambitious. Ambitious characters are common in literature, and the consequences of their ambition are often the moral or lesson of their stories. Ambition can be a negative thing and it can lead to negative events, and for that reason, it is the biggest character flaw heroes have in Anglo-Saxon literature.

As a result, she stated the following, “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.” Through this she begs the spirits to take away any sympathy within in her in order to have the wit, desire, and drive her husband lacked of in order to become royalty. Through Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare shows there’s no such thing as impossible on the way to getting what one wants. In addition to giving up her femininity, Lady Macbeth also sacrifices her morals by convincing her husband to kill the king, when failing to do so; she states, “When you durst do it, then you were a man.” In other words she convinces Macbeth to kill King Duncan, despite knowing what a horrid crime that was. The struggle to go through anything standing in her way caused her to lose herself as well as her sanity. After realizing what she had caused, she began to lose her mind. She would constantly see her hands covered in blood by those who had been murdered along the way. Unable to get rid of the image in her head, led her to eventually commit suicide.

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.

Consequences such as the dreading constant thought of guilt can significantly impact a person’s life mentally, emotionally and physically. Guilt most often occurs due to a morally wrong act which one commits. The play Macbeth by William Shakespeare effectively demonstrates this statement since the protagonist, Macbeth, provides a good example as his tragic flaw damages him overall. The text establishes the theme that a selfish desire can destroy one’s conscience and morals due to over ambition. He advertises this life lesson towards the audience through usage of imagery and symbols to show universality. Shakespeare explores the theme by constructing obstacles, which develop distinct characteristics of the main characters,

In the beginning of the play, after the visit of the three witches, Macbeth tends to ignore his desires for power, and depends on chance. “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir” (I, 3, 143-144), this declaration by Macbeth shows his initial stand, which is believing in fate and to be sin free. As Macbeth’s character develops throughout the play, he moves from being reliant on chance, to take actions to fulfill his darker desires. However, Lady Macbeth also has a manipulative mastermind, she possesses the power to influence her husband‘s decisions in a negative manner. “... and you shall put This night’s great business into my dispatch, Which shall to all our nights and days to come Give solely sovereign sway and masterdom,” (I, 5, 55-60) Lady Macbeth was the one who conceives the entire plan about murdering king Duncan, and hashes out the details before Macbeth even truly considers taking action to make the prophecies come true. “Was the hope drunk Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since? And wakes it now, to look so green and pale At what it did so freely? From this time Such I account thy love,” (I, 6, 26-40) even though Macbeth has the desire to become a king, he did not have enough courage to take any action to fulfil his desire. In contrast, Lady Macbeth is full of courage and will stop at nothing to get what she wants and desires. She attacks Macbeth’s weakest spot, his courage, by convincing him that he will only be a man if he commits the murder.

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

‘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.

Many Shakespearian dramas, like Macbeth, are inspired by the ancient Greek notion of tragedy and the fall of man; much of which is powered by one’s lust for greater gains. Correspondingly, the play reveals how ambition creates the capability of deteriorating a man’s morality and world. This is presented through the titular character and his “dearest partner of greatness” (P. 23) and the consequences of their actions.

I once believed that I would follow the path of chance, yet my ambition is to strong. Those poisonous and devilish thoughts, that dagger which came before me, the handle towards my hand. Why was I so greedy for power, for oppression, at a time and in a place where there was peace?

Macbeth is a play that took place on medieval Scotland. The play is based on Macbeth’s ambition to become the King of Scotland. The play has three witches that have a vision that Macbeth is going to become the next king of Scotland and that his friend Banquo will beget a line of Scottish kings, although Banquo will never be king himself. This vision became the core of the play even though Macbeth was one of King’s Duncan favorite generals. This wasn’t a sufficient reason to stop Macbeth from perusing the ultimate goal, which was to commit Treason, kill the king and become the king of Scotland.