Ambition In Macbeth

As the play continues, Macbeth's desire for the throne amplifies, ultimately leading him to murder the king and manipulate those around him to secure his maintained his crown. The prophecy becomes self-fulfilling as Macbeth's ambition drives him to carry out terrible acts, which in turn causes his descent into tyranny and, eventually, his tragic downfall. Through this clever foreshadowing, Shakespeare illustrates the corrupting nature of ambition and

Knowing that killing is a wrong, he will not let anything stop him from making the prophecies true. It is as he is under a spell to complete it for the witches. In one of Macbeth’s famous monologues, he states, “I have no spur/to prick the sides of my intent, but only/vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself/and falls on th’ other”(1.7.25-28). At this point, his thirst to become king is stronger than any will left in him, which shows once again that the witches are in total control of him. Another instance, is when he agreed with Lady Macbeth of going through with the plan of killing Duncan.

Once he starts his reign after killing Macbeth, he becomes determined to keep that throne. The fear of anyone overtaking his power gives him the ambition to kill anyone who comes or has the potential to come into his path. For example, Banquo is Macbeth’s best friend, but he still has Banquo and attempts to have his son killed because he is so scared of losing his power. In addition, the witches are the root of the ambition. If the witches wouldn’t have told Macbeth that his fate was to be king, he most likely never would have killed so many people out of ambition for power.

At the same time, Lady Macbeth happens to be ambitious as well as manipulative. She inspires Macbeth's ambition as well as inspires him to kill inside in order to achieve their goals. "glamis, cawdor, as well as

As paranoid as he is, Macbeth is characterized by metaphors as afraid of losing power to anybody. Macbeth attempts to kill Banquo out of vengeance for something that has not happened yet. He and Lady Macbeth have switched roles, because

Macbeth’s greed takes over him as he chases a fool’s dream. Macbeth's ambition leads him to secure his power; he overlooks his guilt and focuses on doing whatever it takes to hold onto his authority. Shakespeare demonstrates, in a variety of techniques, how just ambition alone can bring down the even the greatest of men. “There is something wrong with a individual’s character if opportunity controls their loyalty.” Sean Simmon’s the writer of this quote explains how blinded someone can be when given certain opportunities which can be directly related to the character Macbeth.

Act 3 opens with the tension filled soliloquy, in which Macbeth vents his frustration with reality, going on to create suspense and anticipation by foreshadowing future events. Fears of losing authority are exhausting Macbeth, as he recognizes the vain of his efforts. He states “To be thus is nothing; But to be safely thus”. Macbeth voices that if he does not feel safe, he should not be king. Which sets the mood for the rest of the section which is amplified when Shakespeare builds on this tension as Macbeth exclaims “Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown”, using personification referring to the witches who prophesized that Macbeth would be king, but he has no heirs, as they predicted that Banquo’s offspring would inherit the kingship.

He could even live as King for many years and rule the nation, but he could also be killed. I think that if he chooses to kill the King then the King will not only lose his life, but Macbeth will lose his source of identity. Macbeth will know that he is a murderer, and he will know of

The witches' prophecies provided Macbeth with the intention that he was destined to rule. He killed several people who stood in his path. The witches' predictions lead Macbeth to believe that he was invincible and that nothing could harm him. This false sense of security that he felt led him to make reckless decisions and eventually led the way to his downfall. In Act 1, Scene 3, the witches say to Macbeth, “All hail, Macbeth!

Firstly, he is concerned for what will come in the future not what’s in the present. “Presents fears are less than horrible imaginings;”(136-137) meaning the present dangers of the end of the war are less terrifying than what he is picturing in his head. Then he continues with the thoughts of murdering for the crown and how he would love to do it, but it’s so unlike him to think of murdering the king to gain power makes him unrecognizable to himself. “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man that function is smothered in surmise, and nothing is what is not.’ (138-141).

Of all the failures human beings experience none are as crushing as those that are a result of following someone else’s desires. In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the protagonist self-destructs because of his external forces as well as his own poor choices. An external force that influenced Macbeth includes Lady Macbeth’s strong goals, which she forced on her husband. Additionally, the witches impacted Macbeth’s choices by offering him their tricky prophecies. The blind greed that took over Macbeth’s life also impacted his choices.

Lady Macbeth easily convinces Macbeth to proceed and King Duncan is killed. While waiting for Macbeth to return from the king’s chamber, Lady Macbeth shows some of her own ambition, “That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold” (2.2.1). By successfully pressing drink upon the guards, Lady Macbeth is emboldened. Success turns many people overly ambitious, by seeing what the human race is capable of changes many people into power hungry ants. Lady Macbeth is one clear example of this fault.

To conclude, ambition is a powerful force. It can be fueled by visions of power and lead people to change. This is best seen in MacBeth's character dynamic character. He changes from a good person, to someone who will kill anyone in his way to

Following the witches’ prophecy, proclaiming that Macbeth shall be king, Macbeth is under the impression that “If chance will have [him] king, why, chance may crown [him] / Without [his] stir” (Macbeth, 1.3.145-146). Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth is adamant “That [she] may pour [her] spirits in [Macbeth’s] ear / And chastise with the valor of [her] tongue / All that impedes [him] from the golden round” (Macbeth, 1.5.25-27). Although Macbeth wants to be king, he hesitates to take action and earn it. Lady Macbeth is aware of her husband’s inability to pursue his ambition; she is also aware that, with her persuasion, Macbeth will give in to his ambition and abandon the morals that hold him back.

Act 1 initially commences with three witches setting a dark mysterious mood for the entire play. They predict Macbeth’s future. I find them significant because the play is based upon Macbeth and “his” throne, which is what they notify Macbeth of. Influenced by the witches’ prophecy, Macbeth’s ambition inclined. His urge to become king was noticeable in an immense way.