Ambition is a personal desire and determination to achieve success, although it cannot always be viewed as positive. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the danger of power and unchecked ambition proves to be tragic. Macbeth is surrounded by many influences and challenges and continually fails to take the correct approach. All of Macbeth's struggles are inflicted by his biggest weakness which are his temptations. His temptations become tragic due to their power to overtake morals and values to fulfill his personal ambitions. This is evident when Macbeth realizes his desires and begins to give into them, loses his control over his thoughts and actions, and when Macbeth has to face his final fate. Macbeth is an everyday hero in eleventh century Scotland, but that quickly changes when he is delivered a prophecy. Macbeth's evil ambitions soon begin after talking with three witches and being told he would become thane of …show more content…
Everything Macbeth has wanted is now out of reach and he has lost hope. This is apparent when Macbeth expresses, “From this moment/The very firstlings of my heart shall be/The firstlings of my hand" (Macbeth, Act 4.1.146-148). Macbeth, now in despair, has given up and has decided not to face his own battle, but act immediately on everything that comes his way without putting any thought into it. Macbeth recognizes the mistakes he has made and communicates them by saying, "My way of life/Is fall’n into the sere, the yellow leaf,/And that which should accompany old age,/As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends,/I must not look to have, but in their stead/Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honor, breath/Which the poor heart would fain deny and dare not" (Macbeth, Act 5.3.22-28). Macbeth, now aware of what is truly important, knows he has lost the privilege to obtain what really matters. Macbeth's beliefs are what contributed to his tragic
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, first published in 1606, is an endearing tale outlining the dangers of unchecked ambition and moral betrayal. In the subsequent centuries after first being performed, Macbeths critics have been divided upon whether Macbeth himself was irrevocably evil, or if he was guided by the manipulation and actions of the women in the play to his ultimate demise. Although Lady Macbeth and the witches were influential with their provocations in the opening acts, it is ultimately Macbeth’s inherent immorality and his vaulting ambition, that result in the tragic downfall. It was Macbeth’s desire for power that abolished his loyalty and trustworthiness and led him down a path of murder. It is evident through his actions and words
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
‘Brave Macbeth,’ (1.2.18.) as he is first introduced, possesses a valiant temperament, is adored by his generous king and all those who have viewed his prowess on the battlefield. Noble and righteous, Macbeth is portrayed as a respectable man who – although it being prophesied by the three witches before he obtains knowledge of his good fortune – gains his title of Thane of Cawdor solely through his loyalty to his kingdom. At first glance, the play’s protagonist ostensibly has a near perfect balance of both ambition and pride. However, as the plot progresses and the Weyard Sisters equivocate the future in their familiar groups of three, the reader may discern an imbalance that contradicts early perceptions of the protagonist’s personality. ‘[Yielding] to that suggestion whose horrid image doth … make [his] heart knock against [his] ribs against the use of nature,’ (1.3.144–47) Macbeth has already succumbed, albeit only in thought, to his overwhelming ambition, adding more weight to his formerly balanced internal scale, thus raising pride raising slightly higher, as ambition takes precedence. Yet this change is relatively minute, and balance is retained, as he has no desire to act upon these thoughts, wishing to gain power only ‘if chance will have [him] king … without [his] stir.’ (1.3.154–55) It is not until his wife asks him, ‘If thou are afeard
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
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.
Humans have an instinctual desire for what others possess. However, when these desires are acted upon, it can lead one to stray from their true human character. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, greed and ambition cause characters to deviate from principled behaviour to an evil nature. Ambition freed from moral guidelines may fulfill one’s desires, but at the cost of distancing oneself from their true personality. Each character’s ambition results in selfish tendencies and causes them to focus on futile wants, which poorly reflect what truly matters in life. Within the play, paranoia, guilt, and loss of innocence are direct consequences of unchecked ambition and evidence of the deterioration of one’s essence. Heightened paranoia indicates that
Throughout the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the reasoning of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is completely subverted and undermined by their insatiable ambition. Macbeth was at first reasonable enough to keep his ambition in check, however it eventually became to strong for even Macbeth and therefor over powered him. To the contrary, Lady Macbeth was overcome by her ambition from the very beginning. Reasoning was abandoned after the decision to kill Duncan was made. At that point we see no serious questioning of the motives of the three witches when they told their cunning and misleading predictions. Macbeth even went as far as to ask for their advise a second time - this second time would of course lead to his downfall. The decision to kill Duncan also signified the last serious attempt at moral contemplation on the part of Macbeth. Throughout the novel we see that the Macbeth's ambition completely subverted their reasoning abilities and eventually lead to their downfall.
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.
Why would you keep going if you know you’re going to fail? Ambition in Macbeth by William Shakespeare is used well to show the downfall of negative ambition. Ambition for Macbeth didn’t end well at all. Hopefully these points will show you the negative side of ambition.
William Shakespeare was the most influential writer who ever lived. For more than four hundred years, people all over the world have been reading, watching and listening to the plays and poetry of the famous writer. Years and years after his death, his works have continued to have a miraculous life of their own. So what is it about the centuries old stories that still resonate with audiences and how do we keep Shakespeare’s work so alive and well after four hundred years? Wright has the right answer.
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.
Macbeth is a brave man who is not naturally inclined to perform evil deeds, yet he desperately wants and desires power and succession. At the end, he is not happy with what he has accomplished, "I am afraid to think what I have done; look on `t again I dare not" (Shakespeare Macbeth 2.2.51-52). He kills Duncan against his own logical judgement and later drowns in paranoia and guilt. Macbeth is led to wicked thoughts by the prophecies of the three witches, especially after the witches' prophecy that he will be made Thane of Cawdor comes true. Macbeth is a powerful man and...
...rn day society, illusive ambitions can be incredibly detrimental, just as they are demonstrated to be in Macbeth. Ambitions, if they are untamed, can be an impediment to free will; they can overpower your good conscience, possibly leading you into causing death and destruction. They can also corrupt one’s mental health, while practically morphing that person’s perception of reality into something demonstrably wrong and twisted. Finally, they can boost ones ego to a point where that person is engulfed and imprisoned in the vehemence of their own denial, which can ultimately bear fatal consequences. If one’s hopes and desires are innately destructive, then it logically follows that that one’s ambition is also innately destructive; be wary of one with an immense ambition.
The vigorous desire to achieve and willingly attain something holds the capability to greatly affect one's life. William Shakespeare's play Macbeth establishes the immense effect and influence of ambition. After gaining power over his country Scotland, the protagonist, Macbeth, experiences an internal downfall as he battles between his wants and moral judgement. He struggles to maintain stable relationships with others as his selfish desires and goals hurt those around him when achieved. In addition to clashing with himself and others, he is seen as a tyrant leader and is slowly turned against by Scotland's nation as well as England. Shakespeare's play Macbeth provides the reader with a clear understanding of ambition's corrupting power in Shakespeare's tragic character Macbeth, through his inner conflicts, struggle to maintain stable relationships with those surrounding him, and clash with society.