Examples Of Ambition In Macbeth
The famous author, William Shakespeare wrote a play titled The Tragedy of Macbeth, which took place in Scotland. In the story the main character Macbeth was bloodthirsty for leadership with great ambition to become king, leading to his tragic death. The essential theme of the story is Macbeth’s ambition to become king of Scotland, along with other characters various actions that depict them as ambitious.
Starting off the reader can see that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are very ambitious from the character traits they portray. Macbeth starts off the play with great conflict within himself and confusion on whether or not he should kill King Duncan. Macbeth was already known as the nation’s greatest warrior and The Thane of Cawdor. Once Macbeth
got a feel for what power was like he was willing to kill anyone who got in his way. As the play progresses Macbeth is easily persuaded by Lady Macbeth, which turns his doubts into determination. This shows Macbeth is motivated for what he desires, which is to become king. This connects Lady Macbeth to other characters by her willingness to do whatever is necessary to get Macbeth to become king. She lacks emotion for those characters around her, only focusing on her own prosperity and the power that comes along with Macbeth being king. Lady Macbeth had such a desire for prosperity, that she would be considered the most ambitious character in this play.
Another character in which the reader can see ambition and determination in would be Malcolm. Although Malcolm started off being self-doubting and unsure about his ability to lead, he ended up proving himself wrong. After Malcolm fled for England, he returned with an army which showed his ability to lead. His ambition to defeat Macbeth is driven by his desire to become king like his father. He showed support in Macduff’s decision to kill Macbeth by capturing the castle while they were fighting. This text is supported by his loyalty to Scotland, which helped him to become king at the end of the play.
Throughout the play there are various quotes from Macbeth that back up his ambitious attempts to become king. It is evident that he will do whatever it takes when he states “I’ll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hacked, give me my armor.” (Act III, Scene 4, Ln. 72-74) He is saying that he is ready to fight until death if that is what’s necessary. Macbeth is concerned about the prophecies that the witches have for him so he demands them to reveal the truth to him. “Even till destruction sicken, answer me, to what I ask you.” (Act I, Scene 1, Ln. 60-61) Once he says that he wants to know what the last vision meant, the witches disappear and he is left wondering what his future holds.
After reading this play one can conclude that ambition was a predominant theme throughout. The author clearly reveals this theme and the evidence provided backs it up. Lady Macbeth is a central example of ambition because she is much more ambitious than her passive husband Macbeth. One can see that overall the characters were ambitious for different reasons that lead to different outcomes for the situations they were in.
Starting off the reader can see that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are very ambitious from the character traits they portray. Macbeth starts off the play with great conflict within himself and confusion on whether or not he should kill King Duncan. Macbeth was already known as the nation’s greatest warrior and The Thane of Cawdor. Once Macbeth
got a feel for what power was like he was willing to kill anyone who got in his way. As the play progresses Macbeth is easily persuaded by Lady Macbeth, which turns his doubts into determination. This shows Macbeth is motivated for what he desires, which is to become king. This connects Lady Macbeth to other characters by her willingness to do whatever is necessary to get Macbeth to become king. She lacks emotion for those characters around her, only focusing on her own prosperity and the power that comes along with Macbeth being king. Lady Macbeth had such a desire for prosperity, that she would be considered the most ambitious character in this play.
Another character in which the reader can see ambition and determination in would be Malcolm. Although Malcolm started off being self-doubting and unsure about his ability to lead, he ended up proving himself wrong. After Malcolm fled for England, he returned with an army which showed his ability to lead. His ambition to defeat Macbeth is driven by his desire to become king like his father. He showed support in Macduff’s decision to kill Macbeth by capturing the castle while they were fighting. This text is supported by his loyalty to Scotland, which helped him to become king at the end of the play.
Throughout the play there are various quotes from Macbeth that back up his ambitious attempts to become king. It is evident that he will do whatever it takes when he states “I’ll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hacked, give me my armor.” (Act III, Scene 4, Ln. 72-74) He is saying that he is ready to fight until death if that is what’s necessary. Macbeth is concerned about the prophecies that the witches have for him so he demands them to reveal the truth to him. “Even till destruction sicken, answer me, to what I ask you.” (Act I, Scene 1, Ln. 60-61) Once he says that he wants to know what the last vision meant, the witches disappear and he is left wondering what his future holds.
After reading this play one can conclude that ambition was a predominant theme throughout. The author clearly reveals this theme and the evidence provided backs it up. Lady Macbeth is a central example of ambition because she is much more ambitious than her passive husband Macbeth. One can see that overall the characters were ambitious for different reasons that lead to different outcomes for the situations they were in.