Ambition In Macbeth By William Shakespeare
Do you have the power to let power go? Most would say yes, but how does one truly know unless they are put in a predicament with real life consequences to their decisions. Most people hold a firm grasp to power because they fear of what would happen to them if they were indeed, powerless. This notorious human characteristic is fully explored in William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, a story of the destructive consequences a deep ambition for power can lead to. Macbeth’s paranoid sense of ambition, and the prodding from his “partner in greatness”, blind him from appreciating his more than exceptional life; apparently, a promotion from the king, a loving wife, and nobility status were not enough to quench Macbeth’s thirst for power. Unfortunately,
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Macbeth is not the only one guilty of this ambition in the play, there are a range of characters that have less than justifiable convictions for their actions. The Norwegian and Irish rulers invade the Scottish lands in hopes of overthrowing King Duncan, what according to the play, seems like a kind king. Banquo, who is usually seen as the character of morality, also seems to have an infatuation with the witches prophecies, although knowing he’ll never be king, it is likely that he is fantasizing of the power his heirs would bestow to him if they were indeed crowned; and of course, probably the character most guilty of the pursuit of power is non-other than Lady Macbeth, the seemingly psychopathic plotter who convinces Macbeth to commit his first of many murders. As one can see, an overly ambitious thirst for power is a recurring pattern Shakespeare magnifies with practically every character in Macbeth. The two invading rulers in the beginning of the story are likely driven by a selfish need for power. Although not the sharpest tool in the box, King Duncan is perceived to be a just ruler, so it is odd that others would try to overthrow him, particularly others who seem to be living kingly lives themselves. However, this is the unique human characteristic that drives people to alter their morality in order to satisfy their own need for power. What drives these lavish living men to start wars filled with death, rape, and deception? Their ambition for an endless supply of power, a luxury that seems to comfort only a greedy and paranoid soul. Other than the assassins hired by Macbeth, Shakespeare seems to leave the deception and murder to characters who actually possess power in the story. The reader can interpret this decision as a message that those with power are more likely to seek power, compared to those that have never felt power’s touch. Unfortunately for the invading rulers, their course for conquest leads them to defeat by the hands of general Macbeth, the first of many signs Shakespeare reveals to the reader, regarding the path an unjust ambition for power can lead to. Banquo, the character that seems to be the compass of morality throughout the whole story also seems to be have his own thoughts of controlling the kingdom. It is Banquo who initially seems to be infatuated with the witches prophecies, repeatedly asking them to further explain themselves. Banque is also the one who openly brings up the witches prophecies with Macbeth, while Macbeth usually keeps his thoughts on the matter to himself. At the end of the day, Banquo still stays true to his moral personality, but it is these snippets from certain scenes that Shakespeare reveals that the infectious fantasization of power reaches even the most moral of society. Lady Macbeth is initially the most power-hungry character in the entire story, conspiring of King Duncan’s assassination only shortly after getting news of the witches prophecies from Macbeth. At first, Lady Macbeth may seem somewhat of a psychopath, but as the play continues, the reader begins to be revealed to a more humane side of her, a side that suddenly cares that Macbeth’s paranoia is leading the death of even woman and children. A harsh environment can be held responsible for potentially creating an immoral person, but it is rather difficult to blame a society for an individual who is simply born as a psychopath, the product of a genetic flaw that causes impairment in the right supramarginal gyrus, the area of the brain that is responsible for empathy and sympathy. This is precisely the reason Lady Macbeth is one of the most interesting characters in the story, if the reader makes the assumption that Lady Macbeth is and forever will be a psychopath, then one cannot blame her for having an immoral drive for power; however, as the play progresses, the reader has the potential to realize that she actually has a moral side to her, which in turn allows us to connect the corrupting influence of power on her heartless actions in beginning of the story. A corrupting influence that usually has one endpoint for most characters in Shakespeare and at times, even in real life, death. Thereby allowing Shakespeare to brilliantly add another dynamic character who is lead to their own downfall through their immoral ambition for power.
Shakespeare uses Macbeth as the poster-child of the corrupting influence power has on individuals. Initially, Macbeth seemed to be a gentler character, who at multiple scenes, tried to talk himself out of the murder his wife was pressuring him to commit; however, it was his ambition for power that ultimately caused him to commit the fatal deed. A simple prophecy was enough to make Macbeth reward his promoter with death. It is truly frightful how an individual could commit such an atrocity against the very person who has awarded them, essentially biting the hand that feeds him. These are the fatal consequences that can be committed by somebody who is hell-bent on a certain objective, especially an objective that they were never intended to achieve in the first place. Lady Macbeth may of been the guiding-hand, but it was only by Macbeth’s hands that all those murders were achieved, he was the one that made the final decisions, and it ultimately lead him to pay with it with his life. This is Shakespeare’s depiction of the the level of simplicity a drive for power can seep into the mind and wreak havoc on the soul it infects.
The regicide, the turning point of Macbeth’s entire nature, showed how a man who once left his brutish nature only for the battlefield, could turn into a power-hungry maniac.
Once a loyal general, now murderous maniac; however, shakespeare takes us through this transition step by step, as Macbeth eliminates more and more “threats” to his power, his paranoia continues to consume every aspect of his life. Macbeth’s transition is actually synonymous with the lives of dictators in the real world: taking over in an unjust manner, eliminating potential “threats” to their power due to paranoia, ultimately leading to their own death. causes Macbeth to worry about some new threat that could challenge his power, a characteristic that is actually quite common with unpopular rulers. Shakespeare deepens the reader’s understanding of Macbeth’s power-craze by showing the increasing level of paranoia ensuring in Macbeth’s thoughts and actions. A level of paranoia that even causes women and children to lose their lives; a vital turning point in the story, because it was the first time Lady Macbeth was in shock the type of atrocities Macbeth was willing to commit in order to hold a firm grasp on his power. A major turning point because although Macbeth is the one that’s actually been doing all the killing, this is the first time it seems that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have switched roles. Macbeth takes Lady Macbeth’s cold-hearted conspiring personality, and she in turn, takes his “milk of human kindness”. Now as Macbeth attempts to increase his grip on power, he begins to lose his grip on
sanity.
The witches are another group of characters that seem to have their own desire for control. Firstly teasing Macbeth of a prophecy they know shall gradually become more and more observable, they establish their control over Macbeth’s thoughts and dreams. Planting a seed known to grow in the minds of aspiring men, they seem to have been the cause for this entire debacle. It’s easily possible to imagine a world where the witches would have never encountered Macbeth, but would the thought of seizing the throne from King Duncan never of risen in his or his wife’ mind? Fortunately for Macbeth, a strong argument can be made that he would have never gone down the path that leads to his demise if he had never encountered the witches. Macbeth’s ruthless behavior seems to have only risen when he committed the regicide against King Duncan, creating something like a domino effect on the thoughts and actions of Macbeth. Unfortunately for Lady Macbeth, a simple observation the way she reacted whence she was informed of the prophecy, can lead to the justifiable assumption that she would of been a maniacal character with or without the witches prophecies; however, it seems that the supernatural has a much more convincing appeal to the Macbeth’s, which is not surprising because witchcraft was still widely accepted to be credible in that time in history. The witches using this superstition to their advantage, manipulate Macbeth and his wife to become mere puppet for their entertainment. Shakespeare architects this Macbeth around the corrupting influence of power on individuals because it gives the reader a deeper understanding of the motives behind each character. A reader may be confused due to the unique actions and thoughts of a character; however, after deducing what a particular character is to gain from his or her actions, one can see that there is a deep motive behind the personality of each character in the story. Usually leading to the conclusion that that particular character is to gain some type of power from the decisions they make, whether it’s Macbeth committing regicide in order to seize the throne, or his hired murders trying to earn a couple coins of gold. Unfortunately for characters of this kind, their overly ambitious behavior leads them to their own demise, because as John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton once stated, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. great men are always bad men”. If somebody so deeply aspires for something, that they are willing to bend and break their morality in order to achieve it, then they are likely to lose themselves along the way. Power is ultimately a two-sided sword, a benefit, and burden, are bestowed on the beholder simultaneously, as one tries to deepen their grip on the sword, so do the wounds deepen on the beholder. This is the type of twin-bladed ambition that Shakespeare paints practically every character in the story.
Macbeth is not the only one guilty of this ambition in the play, there are a range of characters that have less than justifiable convictions for their actions. The Norwegian and Irish rulers invade the Scottish lands in hopes of overthrowing King Duncan, what according to the play, seems like a kind king. Banquo, who is usually seen as the character of morality, also seems to have an infatuation with the witches prophecies, although knowing he’ll never be king, it is likely that he is fantasizing of the power his heirs would bestow to him if they were indeed crowned; and of course, probably the character most guilty of the pursuit of power is non-other than Lady Macbeth, the seemingly psychopathic plotter who convinces Macbeth to commit his first of many murders. As one can see, an overly ambitious thirst for power is a recurring pattern Shakespeare magnifies with practically every character in Macbeth. The two invading rulers in the beginning of the story are likely driven by a selfish need for power. Although not the sharpest tool in the box, King Duncan is perceived to be a just ruler, so it is odd that others would try to overthrow him, particularly others who seem to be living kingly lives themselves. However, this is the unique human characteristic that drives people to alter their morality in order to satisfy their own need for power. What drives these lavish living men to start wars filled with death, rape, and deception? Their ambition for an endless supply of power, a luxury that seems to comfort only a greedy and paranoid soul. Other than the assassins hired by Macbeth, Shakespeare seems to leave the deception and murder to characters who actually possess power in the story. The reader can interpret this decision as a message that those with power are more likely to seek power, compared to those that have never felt power’s touch. Unfortunately for the invading rulers, their course for conquest leads them to defeat by the hands of general Macbeth, the first of many signs Shakespeare reveals to the reader, regarding the path an unjust ambition for power can lead to. Banquo, the character that seems to be the compass of morality throughout the whole story also seems to be have his own thoughts of controlling the kingdom. It is Banquo who initially seems to be infatuated with the witches prophecies, repeatedly asking them to further explain themselves. Banque is also the one who openly brings up the witches prophecies with Macbeth, while Macbeth usually keeps his thoughts on the matter to himself. At the end of the day, Banquo still stays true to his moral personality, but it is these snippets from certain scenes that Shakespeare reveals that the infectious fantasization of power reaches even the most moral of society. Lady Macbeth is initially the most power-hungry character in the entire story, conspiring of King Duncan’s assassination only shortly after getting news of the witches prophecies from Macbeth. At first, Lady Macbeth may seem somewhat of a psychopath, but as the play continues, the reader begins to be revealed to a more humane side of her, a side that suddenly cares that Macbeth’s paranoia is leading the death of even woman and children. A harsh environment can be held responsible for potentially creating an immoral person, but it is rather difficult to blame a society for an individual who is simply born as a psychopath, the product of a genetic flaw that causes impairment in the right supramarginal gyrus, the area of the brain that is responsible for empathy and sympathy. This is precisely the reason Lady Macbeth is one of the most interesting characters in the story, if the reader makes the assumption that Lady Macbeth is and forever will be a psychopath, then one cannot blame her for having an immoral drive for power; however, as the play progresses, the reader has the potential to realize that she actually has a moral side to her, which in turn allows us to connect the corrupting influence of power on her heartless actions in beginning of the story. A corrupting influence that usually has one endpoint for most characters in Shakespeare and at times, even in real life, death. Thereby allowing Shakespeare to brilliantly add another dynamic character who is lead to their own downfall through their immoral ambition for power.
Shakespeare uses Macbeth as the poster-child of the corrupting influence power has on individuals. Initially, Macbeth seemed to be a gentler character, who at multiple scenes, tried to talk himself out of the murder his wife was pressuring him to commit; however, it was his ambition for power that ultimately caused him to commit the fatal deed. A simple prophecy was enough to make Macbeth reward his promoter with death. It is truly frightful how an individual could commit such an atrocity against the very person who has awarded them, essentially biting the hand that feeds him. These are the fatal consequences that can be committed by somebody who is hell-bent on a certain objective, especially an objective that they were never intended to achieve in the first place. Lady Macbeth may of been the guiding-hand, but it was only by Macbeth’s hands that all those murders were achieved, he was the one that made the final decisions, and it ultimately lead him to pay with it with his life. This is Shakespeare’s depiction of the the level of simplicity a drive for power can seep into the mind and wreak havoc on the soul it infects.
The regicide, the turning point of Macbeth’s entire nature, showed how a man who once left his brutish nature only for the battlefield, could turn into a power-hungry maniac.
Once a loyal general, now murderous maniac; however, shakespeare takes us through this transition step by step, as Macbeth eliminates more and more “threats” to his power, his paranoia continues to consume every aspect of his life. Macbeth’s transition is actually synonymous with the lives of dictators in the real world: taking over in an unjust manner, eliminating potential “threats” to their power due to paranoia, ultimately leading to their own death. causes Macbeth to worry about some new threat that could challenge his power, a characteristic that is actually quite common with unpopular rulers. Shakespeare deepens the reader’s understanding of Macbeth’s power-craze by showing the increasing level of paranoia ensuring in Macbeth’s thoughts and actions. A level of paranoia that even causes women and children to lose their lives; a vital turning point in the story, because it was the first time Lady Macbeth was in shock the type of atrocities Macbeth was willing to commit in order to hold a firm grasp on his power. A major turning point because although Macbeth is the one that’s actually been doing all the killing, this is the first time it seems that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have switched roles. Macbeth takes Lady Macbeth’s cold-hearted conspiring personality, and she in turn, takes his “milk of human kindness”. Now as Macbeth attempts to increase his grip on power, he begins to lose his grip on
sanity.
The witches are another group of characters that seem to have their own desire for control. Firstly teasing Macbeth of a prophecy they know shall gradually become more and more observable, they establish their control over Macbeth’s thoughts and dreams. Planting a seed known to grow in the minds of aspiring men, they seem to have been the cause for this entire debacle. It’s easily possible to imagine a world where the witches would have never encountered Macbeth, but would the thought of seizing the throne from King Duncan never of risen in his or his wife’ mind? Fortunately for Macbeth, a strong argument can be made that he would have never gone down the path that leads to his demise if he had never encountered the witches. Macbeth’s ruthless behavior seems to have only risen when he committed the regicide against King Duncan, creating something like a domino effect on the thoughts and actions of Macbeth. Unfortunately for Lady Macbeth, a simple observation the way she reacted whence she was informed of the prophecy, can lead to the justifiable assumption that she would of been a maniacal character with or without the witches prophecies; however, it seems that the supernatural has a much more convincing appeal to the Macbeth’s, which is not surprising because witchcraft was still widely accepted to be credible in that time in history. The witches using this superstition to their advantage, manipulate Macbeth and his wife to become mere puppet for their entertainment. Shakespeare architects this Macbeth around the corrupting influence of power on individuals because it gives the reader a deeper understanding of the motives behind each character. A reader may be confused due to the unique actions and thoughts of a character; however, after deducing what a particular character is to gain from his or her actions, one can see that there is a deep motive behind the personality of each character in the story. Usually leading to the conclusion that that particular character is to gain some type of power from the decisions they make, whether it’s Macbeth committing regicide in order to seize the throne, or his hired murders trying to earn a couple coins of gold. Unfortunately for characters of this kind, their overly ambitious behavior leads them to their own demise, because as John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton once stated, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. great men are always bad men”. If somebody so deeply aspires for something, that they are willing to bend and break their morality in order to achieve it, then they are likely to lose themselves along the way. Power is ultimately a two-sided sword, a benefit, and burden, are bestowed on the beholder simultaneously, as one tries to deepen their grip on the sword, so do the wounds deepen on the beholder. This is the type of twin-bladed ambition that Shakespeare paints practically every character in the story.