Ambition In Macbeth

Macbeth decides he needs to take action to keep his crown, “Given to the common enemy of man/ to make them kings, the seeds of Banquo kings/ Rather than so, come Fate into the list” (3. 1. 70-72). After seeing that all of his prophecies come true Macbeth thinks about Banquo and fears losing his crown. Macbeth hires murderers to go and kill Banquo and Fleance so that he remains king.

Macbeth is easily manipulated by Lady Macbeth and questions his manhood. Macbeth’s ambition urges him to prove her wrong and show that he is the one in power, as well as his fearlessness towards his hallucinations of bottled guilt and

In the play Macbeth, by Shakespeare, a frightful prophecy is delivered to Macbeth and his comrade in arms Banqo, which threatens the future of Macbeth’s kingship. Three witches tell both that while Macbeth will become king, it is Banqo’s children who will ascend to the throne, not Macbeth’s. Macbeth fears not only this terrible prophecy but Banqo’s skillful ability to weather any storm unscathed. He also realizes the terrible decision to kill Duncan, which will not help him, but will help Banqo. Macbeth deeply regrets his murder of Duncan because he realizes that Banqos stratagem is so superior that he will have to make no sacrifices to ensure his son’s kingship, while Macbeth had to endure so much pain only to gain an unfruitful kingship.

Secondly, Macbeth sees Banquo as a threat stating, “But to be safely thus: our fears in Banquo” (Shakespeare 3.1.53). Macbeth suggesting Banquo as a threat foreshadows his plan to murder Banquo. Additionally, it proves his paranoia since he is willing to commit another murder to conceal his first. Since, Macbeth did not want anyone to discover his murder, he knows how murder is viewed proving his opposition to

The allure of power is enough to make him want to take it for himself and act that once would have never crossed his mind. However, Macbeth knows how wrong it is and is reluctant to act on his thoughts. This is shown when Macbeth is talking to himself and says, “Present fears are less than horrible imaginings. My thought, whose murder yet is fantastical,/ shakes so my single state of man/That function is smothered in surmise,/And nothing is but what is not” (I.3.137-142). Macbeth expresses his doubts about killing the King and usurping the crown but eventually, his ambition trumps his doubts and he kills the

Macbeth is the Shakespearean play that features the triumphant uprise and the inevitable downfall of its main character. In this play, Macbeth’s downfall can be considered to be the loss of his moral integrity and this is achieved by ambition, despite this, Lady Macbeth and the witches work through his ambition, furthering to assist his inevitable ruin. Ambition alone is the most significant factor that led to Macbeth’s downfall. The witches are only able to influence his actions through Macbeth’s pre-existing and the three witches see that Macbeth has ambition and uses it to control his action. Ambition alone is displayed throughout the play to be the most significant cause for Macbeth’s downfall.

With Macbeth being a general in the Scottish military, he had major influences on people and their daily lives. After the murder of King Duncan, Banquo’s suspicion of who committed the murders arose around a single suspect, Macbeth. Knowing that Banquo most likely knew the truth that Macbeth killed King Duncan, Macbeth went back to his evil ways with ease. Through his attendant, Macbeth summons three murderers. Shakespeare introduces the murders with stage direction “[Re-enter Attendant, with two Murderers]” (Shakespeare, 363), in which Macbeth he uses Banquo as bait in order to gain their graces and loyalty “That it was he in the times past which held you so under fortune, which you thought had been our innocent self: this I made good to you in our last conference, pass'd in probation with you, how you were borne in hand, how cross'd, the instruments, who wrought with them, and all things else that might, so half a soul and to a notion crazed, Say 'Thus did Banquo.'”

First, Macbeth expresses fear when it comes to Banquo’s prophecy. “Then, prophet-like, they hailed him father to a line of kings. Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown, and put a barren scepter in my gripe, thence to be wretched with an unlineal hand, no son of mine succeeding” (Shakespeare 3. 1. 57-61). This shows that in Banquo’s prophecy he will heir kings and Macbeth will not. This proves that Macbeth killed Duncan for no reason and Banquo is making him look like a fool for doing so.

Rather than so, come, fate, into the list, And champion me to th’ utterance!” (Shakespeare 1.1.69-72). Macbeth saw Banquo as a threat and that is why he wanted him killed that's why he hired three assassins to do the job for him. After killing Banquo, Macbeth's plan was successful for a while until he was caught. Macbeth tried to control the future by committing murder but he also kept seeking the witches because he believed in their

This demonstrates that rather let Banquo be king, he is going to challenge and fight him for his crown. Banquo is the only person that knows about the prophecy and he is also suspicious of Macbeth killing Duncan. Instead of letting Banquo's’ son receiving the crown easily, Macbeth is going to challenge him for the crown. In order that Macbeth can be king, he has to kill Banquo and his son, so they don’t take crown from

Macbeth becomes consumed by his desire to become king and is willing to commit heinous acts to make it happen. After Lady Macbeth get the King's guards drunk, Macbeth sneaks in to where the king slumbers and speaks to himself, saying “the bell invites him” and goes to Duncan who is still sleeping and tells him “ hear it not, Duncan, for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven, or to hell.” (II.I.69-71). Macbeth goes as far to kill his own king in cold blood in order to fulfill his own prophecy. This scene starts the breaking point in Macbeth which later descends him down the bath of madness and his character becoming an enemy.

Due to the witches’ prophecy that Banquo’s descendants will come to inherit the throne, Macbeth becomes increasingly paranoid and suspicious of not only Banquo but everyone around him. This fear can is very present in his soliloquy before he orders the murder of Banquo; he states, “He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour…whose being I do fear; and under him my genius is rebuked, as it is said Mark Antony’s was by Caesar” (III.i.54-58). Shakespeare is trying to tell the audience that Macbeth’s psyche fears Banquo because Macbeth knows his kingdom and title are all hollow. He realises that with time he will become irrelevant, his glory overshadowed by those of Banquo’s descendants. As such, he orders the murder of Banquo and his son, Fleance; even when Banquo has been his loyal friend and ally.

Macbeth’s decision to have Banquo killed is a strong moment in the play, as it marks the point at which shows how Macbeth fully embraces how ruthless and ambitious he is. In order to convince the murderers to do his bidding, Macbeth appeals to their sense of pride and desire for revenge. He reminds them of the bad that Banquo has done to them in the past, and tries to get them mad by suggesting that it was Banquo's fault for their difficulties. He then says his death is neccesary to gain more power over Banquo. Macbeth is then able to convince the murders to carry out his plan.

Macbeth expresses how he fears no one but Banquo. As a result, he hires an assassin to kill Banquo and his son. Unfortunately for Macbeth, Banquo’s son

At the beginning of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ the protagonist Macbeth is described as ‘brave’, ‘noble’ and ‘honourable’, however Lady Macbeth’s and Macbeths desire for power consumes them. Macbeth’s ambition overrides his conscience and transformed his greatest strength into his greatest weakness. Macbeth’s inability to resist temptations that led him to be greedy for power, Macbeth’s easily manipulative nature which allowed his mind to be swayed, Macbeth having no self control and his excessive pride was what allowed him to renew his previously honourable and celebrated title into one of an evil ‘tyrant’. Macbeth is led by the prophecies of the witches after they foretell he will become the Thane of Cawdor. Not only the witches, but also his wife easily manipulate Macbeth as she attacks his manhood in order to provoke him to act on his desires.