The Themes Of Ambition In Shakespeare's Macbeth

Ambition is often the driving force in one’s life. It is supposed to be the motivating factor that drives one towards success. Society also deems ambition a necessary quality of their leader. It can be said that Macbeth exhibits this quality of ambition. He is the strong, valiant warrior who has won in battle and brought victory to Scotland. However, Macbeth’s quest to acquire more power-his ambition-ultimately leads to his tragic demise. How can one allow himself to be destroyed by such a thing? Before Duncan’s murder, Macbeth questions and second guesses his ambitious tendencies and actions. Despite his anxiety, he succumbs to these tendencies and finds himself in an increasingly precarious situation, with his back against the wall and growing ever closer to his almost inevitable end.

Many people who have read William Shakespeare’s Macbeth know that Macbeth is the tragic hero in the play, but there another character stands out as a much greater protagonist. Macbeth is the type of character who turned from a loyal warrior to the king into a violent, tyrannical, and conflicted person as he progressively commits crimes inside the kingdom without anyone’s notice, except for one person, who is Macduff. Macduff doesn’t have any flaws and remains sinless and heroic throughout the play. As Macbeth progressively gains power and prestige in exchange for the lives of his king, his friends, and his countrymen, Macduff meanwhile goes through great personal loss in his attempts to stop Macbeth’s tyrannical ruling and to restore justice and freedom to Scotland. It is ironic how Macduff acts so much more nobly than his king. Throughout the tragic events that have occurred in the play, Macduff serves as a heroic figure through his demonstrations of intelligence, loyalty, and righteousness.

The idea of your decisions affecting others is evident when Macduff left for England and left behind his wife and child, and shortly after that they died at the hands of assassins.  Another idea that ties into that is if you don't trust your instincts about a person's motive then it will lead to murderous repercussions, this is evident when Banquo questions Macbeth's actions but does nothing about it and later is killed because he wasn't cautious enough. Shakespeare has made fate and free will a key theme through the events of the play, influencing many

One theme in the play was ambition. Ambition is a good thing for most people, and in most situations. However, too much ambition could be fatal as it was for Macbeth and his wife Lady MacBeth. "I go and it is done. The bell invites me. Hear it not Duncan, for it is knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell." Macbeths ambition drives him to kill the king. Later in the play a different type of ambition drives Duncans eldest son, Malcolm to march toward Scotland and free the kingdom from MacBeth's reign. He succeeds with little loss to his troops and is crowned at the end. Ambition comes in many different shades. It can be as dark as death or bright and full of goodness. It depends on the purpose and what drives your ambition. MacBeth's ambition was a dark thing and it proved fatal. Malcolm's ambition was pure and allowed him success. Ambition was a very important and recurring theme in the play.

Macbeth’s ambition is powered by the sisters. Through the sisters he learns that he is to be king, he does not know how he is going to become king however. Ambition is the key to his downfall. Before he had this ambition he said that he would never have dreamed of killing the king to become king. The ambition drove him to kill the king, so that he could become then king.

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.

Ambition is a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. In Williams Shakespeare 's Macbeth the characters Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have a strong desire to ascend the throne and they are determined to do whatever it takes in order to achieve this goal, including deceiving and killing those they are closest to. The zeal of ambition predominately persuades both characters actions in Macbeth. Lady Macbeth portrays how the forces of ambition strike her to instil a powerful drive in her husband, also how she demonstrates an overweening pride and lack of morals in order to reach a goal and lastly how ambition leads Macbeth to betray those cares about most.

The minor characters in Macbeth may not have significant titles, but their actions, and words symbolically show who they are. And who they really are affects the plot greatly. The Son of Macduff, the Doctor, and the Old Man all are very symbolic. First, the Son of Macduff is only recognized as being the son of a thane. So when he is told by his mother in the fourth act that his father is a traitor that means he will grow up to be one too. PUT QUOTE ABOUT BIRD. The son asks his mother what a traitor is and how he will live like a bird and get by without his father. This proves to show how innocent and young the Son of Macduff is, which proves to show that Macbeth’s killing him was cruel and inhuman. He impacts the plot greatly because it shows that Macbeth will go to the point of killing children and women. Ironically, when he is killed the murderer calls him an egg as if he was never a “bird” officially and didn’t have a chance to get by.

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.

Ambition, a trait which underlines success, but while unchecked can lead to self or societal corruption. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, “Macbeth”, a brave general falls into tyranny and paranoia after he acts immorally upon the witches prophecies. Macbeth’s pursuit of long lasting power reveals the consequences of hubris and unchecked ambition, which ultimately leads to the the deterioration of his human nature and the corruption of the kingdom. Through the use of thematic motif, the theme of Macbeth’s unchecked ambition and hubris is examined through his struggle to alter and actuate fate, his haunting hallucinations, and the apparitions.

William Shakespeare remains a powerful literary force to this day, and few of Shakespeare 's works are as well-known as Macbeth. The play 's epic tale of ambition and greed never fails to captivate audiences. The major themes of this quintessential work are hackneyed in the world of literary criticism: the role of ambition in Macbeth 's demise, the role of spirits and witches in carrying out evil, the corrupting of human morals, and many other similar themes. However, another equally important theme is the struggle of fate and free will. In Macbeth, fate is the dominant force; the characters ' brief attempts to exercise self control almost always fail to alter the unyielding weight of fate. Fate is the dominant force in the play, and this

William Shakespeare has remained a powerful literary force to this day, and few of his works are as well known as Macbeth. The play 's epic tale of ambition and greed never fails to captivate audiences. The major themes of this quintessential work are hackneyed in the world of literary criticism: the role of ambition in Macbeth 's demise, the role of spirits and witches in carrying out evil, the corrupting of human morals, and many other similar themes. However, another equally important theme is the struggle of fate and free will. In Macbeth, fate is the dominant force; the characters ' brief attempts to exercise self control almost always fail to alter the unyielding weight of fate. Fate is the dominant force in the play, and this can be

In the following I am going to describe the play briefly and explain the theme of it. Furthermore I will discuss Macbeth’s character and his internal conflict.

Ambition can be the one thing that drives people forward in life, motivating and inspiring them to be successful, but, ambition can also lead to one’s demise, infecting anyone and everyone involved. In the play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, ambition is shown to be the main cause for the destruction of those around him and eventually leading Macbeth to his own destruction. Macbeth’s thirst for power puts an end to many lives of many innocent individuals, as he is blind from all sense of rationality due to his need for the crown. Although Macbeth manages to seek power for a short period of time, chaos around him arises because of his blinding and overreaching ambition to become king.

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, there are many themes that shape the play and create such an iconic story that lasts a lifetime. Shakespeare uses these themes to his advantage and creates mind warping timelines that surprise yet, connect to the readers. These themes include fate versus free will, nature versus the unnatural, ambition, and guilt. Each of these themes play a huge role in the story line and the character's choices, especially in Macbeth.