Just like any of us, Macbeth’s ambition caused him to be easily influenced. Based on the text, the witches say to Macbeth and Banquo, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!” “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee Thane of Cawdor!” “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, that shalt be king hereafter!” After the witches speak his prophecy, Macbeth with great interest and desire then asks to here more about what the witches have to say. Soon after Macbeth was given the name Thane of Cawdor, he believed what the witches said had some truth to it causing his ambition to be influenced by the wicked weird sisters. When Macbeth tells his wife, Lady Macbeth about the prophecy, Macbeth’s ambition then faces Lady Macbeth’s influence. According to the …show more content…
Based on the text it states, “And, on thy blade and dudgeon, gouts of blood, Which was not so before. There’s no such thing. It is the bloody business which informs Thus to mine eyes. Now o’er the one-half world Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse…..I have done the deed.” This illustrates that Macbeth went through with the plan his wife cameup with. He killed King Duncan so he could become King. His ambition caused him to take part and do a bad action such as killing Duncan. The killing and wrong doings don't stop there however. Macbeth’s ambition pushes him to the limit. Macbeth then kills his close friend Banquo and attempted to kill Banquo’s son, based on fears that Banquo’s son will become king. Macbeth brings forth murderers and states, “ Know That it was he, in the times past, which held you So under fortune, which you thought had been Our innocent self…. So is he mine, and in such bloody distance That every minute of his being thrusts Against my near’st of life. And though I could With barefaced power sweep him from my sight.” Macbeth deceives the Murderers and tells them that Banquo is to blame for their misfortune. He then convinces them that Banquo is the enemy and he must be killed. Macbeth also tells them, “The moment on ’t, for ’t must be done tonight….Fleance, his son, that keeps …show more content…
The play identifies how Macbeth faced guilt after he killed his King, “Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling as to sight? or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation Proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain? I see thee yet, in form as palpable.” Macbeth is hallucinating a dagger in which was caused by the guilt he feels after killing King Duncan. Macbeth also states, “I’ll go no more.I am afraid to think what I have done. Look on ’t again I dare not…..What hands are here? Ha, they pluck out mine eyes.Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incarnadine….” Macbeth’s emotions are everywhere. After he killed King Duncan he immediately regretted it as he explains that no water, not even Neptune’s ocean can wash the blood and guilt off his hands. Macbeth not only faced guilt but he also losses his sanity. Macbeth hallucinates Banquo’s ghost making him scared and on edge, “[to the Ghost]. What man dare, I dare. Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear, The armed rhinoceros, or th’ Hyrcan tiger; Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves Shall never tremble. Or be alive again And dare me to the desert with thy sword. If
This proves his vaulting ambition and how it had taken over Macbeth. Macbeth continues to murder Banquo and does so out of fear of losing the throne. This is evident in (III, i, 47 – 50) where Macbeth says “…To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus. – Our fears in Banquo stick deep, and in his royalty of nature reigns that which would be fear’d…” this demonstrates Macbeths fear and the threat he faces. Macbeth says that Banquo’s royalty of nature should be feared, through this we are able to understand that Macbeth is evidently lost his grasp on his moral conscience and begins to take down any threat he sees, even if that threat is his best friend. Macbeth goes on to refer to Banquo as his enemy and although he could kill him himself, he fears to offend mutual friend they may have (III, i, 115 – 120). Macbeth then orchestrates the murder of Banquo and Fleance showing no remorse. Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that she should appear innocent and act nicely as to not draw any suspicion to themselves. “Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed…” (III, ii, 46 – 47). Although Macbeth still refers to Lady Macbeth as his dearest chuck he has planned the murder by himself and without any help, demonstrating his inherent evil nature. Macbeth’s quest for power not only ends his life, but he continues the murders due to malice. When Macbeth plans to murder the
There are myriad fine lines in life, seemingly unattainable happy mediums that we endeavour to find, and spectrums that we attempt to exist in between. As sentient beings, we are continually evolving, and yet we are always searching for something that will remain constant in our often haphazard lives: Balance. Without it, one may see structure within their life deteriorate, as an overwhelming sense of chaos begins to percolate day to day existence. When we fail to achieve balance, adverse effects soon transpire. In William Shakespeare’s tragic play Macbeth, the type of balance being discussed is that of ambition and pride. The author suggests that ambition and pride are both respectable qualities to possess, and can coexist within a person
Since then, Macbeth couldn’t wash the blood out of his hands because he began killing more people including Banquo, and the Macduff family excluding Macduff to keep his power. However, there were ways for Macbeth to make everything right and bring hope to him and his kingdom. The message here delivers that on simple choice can either lead to the one’s self destruction or respective ruler. For example, Macbeth refers to, “O, yet I do repent me of my fury, That I did kill them”(line 100) in “Macbeth”. Macbeth killed the two guards and his excuse was that he was angry that Duncan got killed. This quote indicates a choice Macbeth made to cover his murder. It was a choice that he will never forget. In another quote, Macbeth refers to, “I’ll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on ‘t again I dare not.”(line 49) in “Macbeth”. This quote means that Macbeth feels guilty about himself killing the king Duncan. This is the Christian side’s “hubris”. Macbeth’s conscious of feeling guilty towards the murder is a hope that if he makes a right choice from there everything can go back to normal and he doesn’t have to feel guilty again. However Lady Macbeth tell him to forget the act and Macbeth keeps killing people because of his ambitions and
From the moment that Macbeth’s ears first encompassed the prophecy of the Weird Sisters, his ambition began to forefront and flood his mind. “[Aside] The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step / on which I must fall down, or else o’er-leap, / for in my way it lies.” 1.4.48-50. In this quote Macbeth is addressing the current prince and coming to the conjecture that since he is next in line for the throne, he is an impediment. This is the beginning of the wrath of Macbeth and his first cold blooded ambitious thought. From this point forward Macbeth begins to exemplify dehumanization and views the world from an altered perspective. Later, after the first murder has occurred, the new king has inflated self-confidence and an egotistical high: “With bare-fac’d power sweep him from my sight.” 3.1.119. Macbeth feels that he now has enough clout that he can order anyone he wishes dead to be “swept from his sight,” whom in this case is one of his close friends Banquo and his son Fleance. His desire to relish in his newfound reign has lead Macbeth to become a coldblooded murderer and abandon his compunction. His unrealistic assumed power could is in response to his previous murder resulting in no repercussions, despite him eventually receiving his comeuppance and paying his
Ambition is frequently seen as desirable - it provides purpose, motivation to work hard, and a goal to strive towards. Yet it also has a dangerous side, when it becomes too great and out of control. Although ambition is often positive, an excess of it can have detrimental effects. This unrestrained ambition is predominant in the tragedy Macbeth. In this play, Shakespeare employs the use of hallucination, blood, and prophecy motifs to emphasize the theme of ambition, which, when goes unchecked by moral constraints, wreaks destruction upon an individual. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth hallucinate, which propels the consequences of ambition. Blood is shed in the pursuit of ambition, when desire for power overwhelms morality. Ambition is further
His hunger for power leads him towards a down-spiraling path. After becoming king, Macbeth orders the death of Banquo because he thinks Banquo is suspicious that he committed the murder of Duncan. Because he is scared that revenge will be sought, he hires three murders to kill Banquo. Macbeth invites all the noble men to his house for dinner, the same night that the murder of Banquo will be committed. Macbeth sees the first murderer and says “There’s blood upon thy face,” (3.4.13). Then the murderer replies he has left Banquo in a ditch with “twenty trenched gashes on his head,” (3.4.26). Banquo was Macbeth’s loyal and trustworthy friend but Macbeth betrays him and all he has done just to become powerful. Therefore the blood Macbeth sees on the murderer symbolizes that he has betrayed his own friend and, if he keeps murdering, the blood will continue to shed. After speaking to the murderer, Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo with blood on his head and says, “They say blood will have blood,” (3.4.121). This means that the blood of the murder victim will seek the blood of his killer. Macbeth could be seeing his own blood on Banquo’s face foreshadowing that justice will be sought for the crimes he has committed. When Macbeth meets with Macduff on the battlefield he knows his chances of killing Macduff are slim but he admits that he enjoys killing and likes to see blood flow; “Whiles I see lives, the gashes / Do better upon them,” (5.8.2-3). This proves that his hunger for power led him to enjoy killing those he knew and betraying them. Although throughout the play Macbeth appears tough, deep within his conscience, he knows he is
Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 1 gives us an understanding and description of how Duncan will be murdered. “I see thee still ; And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood.” (2.1.45-46) Macbeth is talking about what he will see when he murders Duncan. This gives a clear image of a sharp dagger covered in blood from the tip to the dudgeon. The wounds of Duncan being deep and how his body will look after being stabbed multiple times that his blood will emerge from his body. When Macbeth achieves and kills King Duncan he feels guilty for it “What hands are here? Ha, they pluck out mine eyes! Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? (2.2. 59-60) Macbeth has recognized that his guilt can never be washed off, even if the blood washes off his hands. His guilt will affect the world around him, he compares it to an ocean. Macbeth begins to hallucinate, he imagines his hands plucking out his eyes in reward for murdering Duncan. This is because he realized what he has done will be with him forever, Duncan’s blood may wash away but they will always remain as a memory of what he has done. His actions costed him severe consequences as the play pursues he gets his head chopped off. Overall, this shows that we must think before we do anything as it can affect us forever and sometimes it becomes unbearable to live with. Macbeth will always live with
In the play of “Macbeth”, Shakespeare gradually and effectively deepens our understanding of the themes and most importantly the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The main theme of Macbeth is ambition, and how it compels the main characters to pursue it. The antagonists of the play are the three witches, who symbolise the theme appearance and reality. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relation is an irony throughout the play, as most of their relation is based on greed and power. This is different from most of Shakespeare’s other plays, which are mostly based on romance and trust. There is also guilt that leads Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to the final consequences of the play. As the progresses, the constant changes in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are exposed.
Macbeth shows how greed and ambition can bring down a person as well as others and how the changes of power occur because of loyalty and betrayal. Macbeth is the play’s main unhappy character. The play tells of Macbeth's greedy thirst for power is a dangerous trait.
After Macbeth committed a dreadful crime at the start of the play, he realizes that by killing even more people he can get what he wants whenever he wants. Macbeth reaches a point where he is too busy fulfilling his own ambitions that he was not fulfilling his obligations as king. “Those he command move only in command, / Nothing in love…” (5.2.22-23). His obsession with power caused him to murder his good friend Banquo, and Banquo’s son. Macbeth’s out of control ambition has caused him to lose his emotion. He progressively sta...
Ever since the beginning of Act 1 and Macbeth was told he is now the Thane of Cawdor, which brings fire to his ambition towards the prophecies. He has achieved two parts of the prophecies, so he is not far from fulfilling it. Since he is not far he begins to think about being King and ambition begins to boil. Of course there is the person who completed his ambition to kill Duncan, who is lady Macbeth. “ O, never shall sun that marrow see! Tour face, my thane, is as a book where men may read strange matters, to beguile the time, look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue; look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under t’. He that’s coming must be provided for: and you shall put the night’s great business into my dispatch which shall to all our nights and days to come give solely sovereign sway and masterdom.” (Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 60-70). Lady Macbeth is telling her husband that he is going to kill the king, she fuels his ambition. Her and her husbands reason is wrought because of the ambition and greed for
Words are the basic elements of the English written language. With words, one can say precisely what one wants to say, a skill that Shakespeare has mastered. In Macbeth, he carefully chooses each word so as to say exactly what he wants to say, and often leaves these words open to the reader’s interpretation. One such carefully chosen word is the word “slave,” a simple word meaning “someone entirely under the dominion of a person or an influence” (Random House, 674). Although this word appears only four times within the play, it’s importance should not be underestimated. Every time that Shakespeare chooses to use the word “slave” he is using it to show a “slave of ambition,” an important symbol within the play.
Key elements in the play substantiate the fact that Macbeth is a serious story, the first elements of Aristotle’s definition. From the first lines of the play, the mood is set featuring witches whom speak of witchcraft, potions and apparitions. Not only do the three witches aid in making this a serious story but also, they appealed to Elizabethans whom at the time believed in such supernatural phenomena. War for centuries has represented killing and feuding, thus, the war taking place between Scotland and Norway provided a dark component. The Thane of Cawdor’s rapidly approaching execution due to his deceiving the king also plays a role in this grim work. Murder throughout all of Macbeth is an essential aspect when dealing with the seriousness of the play. From the beginning, Lady Macbeth urges Macbeth to do anything to overthrow King Duncan, whom is the king of Scotland, the role Macbeth desperately yearns for. During the excursion to become king, Macbeth successfully murders King Duncan, Macduff’s wife and children, and with the help of a group of murderers Banquo; a brave general who will inherit the Scottish throne. Through the whole play, while such dank occurrences are used to create deep mood, Shakespeare also uses strong language and words. Such as when Lady Macbeth calls upon the gods to make her man-like so she will have the fortitude to kill King Duncan herself in this quote, “Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here… Make my blood thick… Come, thick night, and pall thee in the dunest smoke of hell, that my keen knife see not the wound it makes, nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark.” This type of language provokes thoughts of death, blood and darkness though the imagery such dank words create. The play also follows through with its theme of blood by in the end of the play, having both of its lead characters die. Lady Macbeth, distraught by guilt over the bloodshed, commits suicide while Macbeth is murdered and beheaded by Macduff, a Scottish noblemen.
Macbeth feeling this way convinces a pair of men to kill Banquo and his son Fleance. By having Banquo and Fleance murdered, Macbeth believes that it will prevent Banquo's sons from becoming king. Macbeth also hires the murderers to kill Macduff's family. This demonstrates Macbeth's obsession because it indicates that Macbeth values his power over his friends. His obsession with power causes Macbeth to feel guilty and lose his sanity. Macbeth's guilt and loss of sanity is indicated in the hallucinations he experiences. His first hallucination occurs just before killing King Duncan. Macbeth sees "A dagger of the mind, a false creation" (act II, scene I, line 38).
In Macbeth, Shakespeare confronts audiences with universal and powerful themes of ambition and evil along with its consequences. Shakespeare explores the powerful theme of the human mind’s decent into madness, audiences find this theme most confronting because of its universal relevance. His use of dramatic devices includes soliloquies, animal imagery, clear characterisation and dramatic language. Themes of ambition and mental instability are evident in Lady Macbeth’s reaction to Macbeth’s letter detailing the prophecies, Macbeth’s hallucinations of Banquo’s ghost and finally in the scene where Lady Macbeth is found sleep walking, tortured by her involvement.