Watch as Macbeth drives himself insane trying to claim the throne. He hears that the Thane of Cawdor died and he could become king. The Thane of Glamis develops an ambition to be king and kills Duncan, who is already the king. Killing Duncan drives Macbeth insane, and eventually, he loses all feelings towards life or death and goes numb. Since Macbeth’s ambition is to become king he is willing to do anything, but because of this, he begins to go psychotic by the end of the play.…
In the play ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare, ambition is characterised as dangerous and irrational. To have an ambition is to have a strong desire to achieve something, in the play Macbeth has a strong desire to become king, which causes him to act irrationally and certifiably insane. Macbeths ambition is dangerous as he believes the only way to become king (after hearing the witches prophecy) is to murder King Duncan. Macbeth believes that Duncan’s death will bring him success he believes it to the point of being willing to risk…
Macbeth, after hearing the prophecies the three witches gave him, becomes conflicted within himself, ‘If chance shall have me King, why, chance may crown me, without my stir’. Ultimately, Macbeth chooses ambition over morality, but not without pressure from his wife ‘Are you a man?’ and severe inner turmoil ‘My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical’. To contrast the devious character of Macbeth, Shakespeare included Banquo, a fellow noblemen and Macbeth’s closest friend, to act as Macbeths foil. He immediately chooses morality over ambition without question and forewarns Macbeth of the Weird Sisters and their ability to twist the truth: ‘instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray’s in deepest consequence’. Banquo’s undying allegiance to King Duncan demonstrations the difference between Macbeth and Banquo, and how the upkeep of morals keep us in check. After choosing power, Macbeth’s suspicion of Banquo and his role in the prophecy leads to Banquo’s murder. After killing his friend, Macbeth is plagued with guilt, and hallucinations become recurrent for both Macbeth; ‘our graves must send those we bury back’ and his wife; ‘will these hands ne’er be clean?’ This shows that ambition can lead to immoral acts when overcome by desire.…
Many people have hopes and goals that they would like to accomplish. They may desire powerful positions or jobs, while others may desire prosperity and riches. This is known as ambition, the spell binding force that leads people towards success. However, ambition may result in harmful acts to get their satisfaction. In William Shakespeare’s tragic play, Macbeth, the protagonist, Macbeth, is described as a very loyal and noble soldier. As the play progresses, Macbeth’s character dramatically changes because of several different factors. These factors influence Macbeth greatly and cause him to make numerous bad decisions. The influence of the witches’ prophecies, the influence of Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth’s blind ambitions are the most important factors that lead to Macbeth’s tragic deterioration.…
A knight’s moral code, that is taken by heart, is to always protect and serve. The Tragedy of Macbeth by Shakespeare is a tragedy about how a knight is stuck in between loyalty and ambition. Three witches tell Macbeth he would become Thane of Cawdor and later king. Once Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth pressured by his wife, begins to see his future as king, but realizes he has obstacles in the way. Pressured by Lady Macbeth, the three witches, and his ambition for the throne, Macbeth commits murder under trust and treason.…
In the dramatic play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, which took place in Scotland, the author, William Shakespeare, wrote about Macbeth. He was a cold blooded killer who was pushed to his limits, while feeding his desire to be the King of Scotland. The essential theme of this play is ambition, as it is shown through the actions and dialogue of the characters.…
One’s eagerness to carry out deeds with the aim of achieving a goal is often referred to as ambition, and is an intrinsic component to William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In the play, Lady Macbeth is the drive behind her husband; she fuels the flame which The Weird Sisters did in Macbeth ignite. Throughout the course of the play Lady Macbeth’s true vindictive character is exposed as she grows more and more malicious. In The Tragedy of Macbeth Shakespeare’s use of Lady Macbeth’s soliloquies redefines ambition to pertain solely to the driving force in committing acts of malevolence.…
Many have probably heard the saying: “Ambition is the key to success.” If one has a strong enough desire and is willing to try to achieve it, he will succeed. But as seen in the book Macbeth by William Shakespeare, ambition is instead the key to Macbeth’s tragic downfall. Even though his ambitions were influenced by the witches and Lady Macbeth, Macbeth builds upon them himself which ultimately leads him to cause his own destruction.…
Ambition plays a major role in Shakespeare’s tragedy of Macbeth, and is presented as a dangerous quality that principally influences the characters to do wrong. This play gives off a warning of how ambition can affect people and their actions by its influence on Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth. This disastrous story begins with the witches predicting that Macbeth would become Thane of Cawdor and then King of Scotland. Hence, Macbeth’s ambition emerges, furthermore persuaded by his wife and also the prophecies that he depended on so well. He murders King Duncan and others and accordingly becomes the new ruler of Scotland. These actions are ones based on the dangers of ambition, thus making it the fatal flaw that causes their downfall.…
Ambition means an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as wealth or frame, and the willingness to strive for it. The theme in Macbeth is ambition and the pursuit of powers causes downfall. In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth displays sinister actions and later starts confessing the things she did. Ambition is a big point in Macbeth, with the characters relationship to influence the direction where the play goes, such as cruelty and manliness, and the emotions of her guilt.…
Blind ambition can be defined as a strong desire which prevents people from seeing what is happening around them. Throughout history, kings, politicians, dictators, and heads of major corporations have all had strong inclinations that have clouded their good judgements to a point where the crossed the line between good and evil. One example that stands out above the rest was when Hitler tried to get rid of “less than perfect” humans in WWII and tried to seize power over the world by brute force. However, fortunately for the world, Hitler underestimated the resistance that was assembled against him and he was unable to see this through his blind ambition. Similarly, Macbeth desired power in Scotland and became king. But, due to his blind ambition, Macbeth failed to see the strength of the opposing force which led to his demise. For this reason Macbeth’s blind ambition caused him to struggle between good and evil, ultimately resulting in his own downfall. The most compelling evidence of his blind ambition was his willingness to kill King Duncan and Banquo, his best friend; and abandon his wife while putting his trust into the witches prophesies.…
Ambition can lead to committing great accomplishments as well as immoral acts. However, often times these acts change one’s desires and lead people in temptation and to their own corruption. This is evident in the play, The Tragedy Of Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, where he explains how certain events can lead to consequences of ambition. A Scottish lord, Macbeth, who was once honored by his bravery had a drastic turn of events and is now gullible tyrant. This occurred after an encounter of three witches and their three prophecies of how to gain the title of being king. Trying to determine his fate all at once caused anxiousness and maliciousness in Macbeth and let his blind ambitions take over him causing the slaughter of many people…
Ambition is a strong feeling of wanting to be successful in achieving a goal (Encarta Dictionary). An example of an ambition is in the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare. The main character, Macbeth is described as “not without ambition,” (Shakespeare, 1.5. 19) to become the king. Therefore, he has the drive, and he desires for the success of becoming the king. However, by achieving his goal and satisfying his ambition, the character’s soul and characteristics are gradually corrupted. As Macbeth satisfies his goal, he will change from being a kind natured person to someone who is ill. He will lose his honesty. He will also lose his holiness and begin to become evil. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the theme, satisfying one’s ambition can lead to corruption of the soul, is demonstrated in Act 1, Scene 5, lines 15 – 33 through metaphor, alliteration, and connotation.…
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. 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 downfall. 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 more trouble than he anticipated. His guilty conscience haunts him and his unforgiving deeds come back to trouble him. Macbeths’ actions are clearly motivated by his overpowering ambition and his unquenchable thirst for power; at the beginning of the play his ambition is channelled into positive deeds, but ultimately it results in his tragic demise.…
Macbeth’s ambition is a driving force throughout the play that eventually leads to his downfall. In act one there are many situations where ambition is suggested to be Macbeths fatal flaw. Macbeth is made Thane of Cawdor immediately after the strange witches’ prophecies. In this is scene the asides allow the viewer a glimpse of his ambition to become king. Macbeths aside “This supernatural soliciting/ Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill, Why hath it given me earnest of success, / Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor. / If good. Why do I yield to that suggestion/ Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair, / And make my seated hear knock at my ribs” demonstrates his ambitious nature as his immediate solution is to kill the king to ensure the prophecy comes true. This shows Macbeth is willing to give up everything if it means he has a chance at becoming king. He knows if caught he will end up killed. Macbeth knows what he will do is wrong “Why do I yield to that suggestion” but he gives into his own ambition, leading to his downfall. Lady Macbeth also has a hand in making sure Macbeth acts on his desire to become king. When she receives the letter she fears Macbeth humanity will win out over his ambition as displayed in the quote, “Yet do I fear thy nature,/ It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness/Thou wouldst be great,/ Art not without ambition, but without / The illness should attend it.”. The use of the word ‘milk’ is closely associated with babies and the colour white, both symbols for innocence and purity. It is important to note that Lady Macbeth thinks of Macbeth as being innocent and pure, considering his change in nature further on in the play, largely related to Lady Macbeth tying her ambitions with his to insure her cruelty and lack of purity over powers his. By doing so Macbeths ambition for power takes away his humanity, leaving power crazed tyrant. Another piece of evidence to support that ambition is Macbeths fatal flaw is that he admits and…