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What Is Macbeth's Ambition

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Macbeth portrays the theme in macbeth, by being the most ambitious in the play. His ambition starts to show after he hears the first prophecies from the witches, in which he says “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man that function Is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is But what is not.”(1.3.139-142). This is the first time Macbeth starts to think about murdering Duncan, and he only starts to think about it after he is told the prophecy. However, his ambition starts to show loss of self control when he says “I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself And falls on th’ other”(1.7.25-27) Macbeth is stating that his ambition is starting to take control of him, and is …show more content…

When she reads the letter Macbeth has sent her, she says to herself “Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be What thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it.” (1.5.14-19) When she hears the prophecy Macbeth has been given, her ambition immediately gives her dark thoughts on how they can make the prophecy real. She is aware of the ambition she has, and knows that illness will follow, or dark thoughts. Ensuing this event, her ambition starts to show a loss of self control, when Macbeth starts to doubt his ambition, and says he doesn’t want to kill Duncan. She is still ambitious, and tells Macbeth “Wouldst thou have that Which thou esteem’st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would, Like the poor cat i’ th’ adage?”(1.7.41-44) Lady Macbeth insults him, to try to persuade him to continue with the plan. Both of their ambitions have caused them to lose self control, and in the end, lead to their

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