Ambition is a goal to improve something about ourselves. It can be something small - such as doing better on a school subject, or big - such as a promotion. The majority of us work towards ambition in a way that does not hurt others. In the Shakespearean play Macbeth, the darker side of ambition is revealed. The play focuses on the negative effects of one man’s ambition. He tears himself apart mentally and physically throughout the play due to his ambitions, isolating himself from his friends, family, and from society. Through his choices, he loses his mind and neglects nobility, kindness, and ultimately his humanity. The mental and physical effects that Macbeth’s ambition causes are insomnia and hallucinations. After killing King Duncan
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He chooses to be corrupt and violent instead of doing it fairly in order to reach his ambition. Unlike Macbeth, Lady Macbeth was unable to keep herself together, causing her to lose her mind and giving in to her conscience. Unable to bear it, she kills herself out of guilt. When Macbeth hears of this, he nonchalantly says, “She should have died hereafter, There would have been time for such a word.” (5.5:16-17) This reveals the fact Macbeth no longer cares about his wife. He does not even cry or mourn for her, he just comments that she would have died sooner or later, and that she should have died after the war so that they would have time to mourn. The reader should be able to quickly sense the fact that Macbeth is no longer the loving husband that he once was. He has transformed into a dead butcher. Later on in the play, Macbeth encounters Macduff - a Scottish than who leads the opposition against him. Macbeth treats Macduff as an obstacle, and tries to dishearten him by killing his wife and son. Macduff cries out, “Oh, I could play the woman with mine eyes, and braggart with my tongue! But, gentle heavens, Cut short all intermission. Front to front, Bring thou this friend of Scotland and myself, Within my sword’s length set him; if he ‘scaped, Heaven forgive him too.” (4.3:237-243) This shows a great difference with the reaction of …show more content…
This reveals that he had these murderous thoughts before encountering the witches. Later on after killing the kind, he frames the two drunken guards that are by King Duncan’s door by putting the daggers he used to kill Duncan with, on top of them with the help of Lady Macbeth. The day after, Macduff, Lennox and Macbeth gather together and Macduff goes into the king’s room to wake him up. To his horror, he discovers that the king has been murdered, Macbeth kills the guards “out of anger.” He states, “...Th’expedition of my violent love Outrun the pauser, reason.” (2.3:106-107). He claims that his love for King Duncan has overpowered his reasoning, causing to murder the guards. However, the truth is that he was simply afraid that the guards may deny the accusation and the possibility of Macbeth being caught exiting Duncan’s room
He chooses to be corrupt and violent instead of doing it fairly in order to reach his ambition. Unlike Macbeth, Lady Macbeth was unable to keep herself together, causing her to lose her mind and giving in to her conscience. Unable to bear it, she kills herself out of guilt. When Macbeth hears of this, he nonchalantly says, “She should have died hereafter, There would have been time for such a word.” (5.5:16-17) This reveals the fact Macbeth no longer cares about his wife. He does not even cry or mourn for her, he just comments that she would have died sooner or later, and that she should have died after the war so that they would have time to mourn. The reader should be able to quickly sense the fact that Macbeth is no longer the loving husband that he once was. He has transformed into a dead butcher. Later on in the play, Macbeth encounters Macduff - a Scottish than who leads the opposition against him. Macbeth treats Macduff as an obstacle, and tries to dishearten him by killing his wife and son. Macduff cries out, “Oh, I could play the woman with mine eyes, and braggart with my tongue! But, gentle heavens, Cut short all intermission. Front to front, Bring thou this friend of Scotland and myself, Within my sword’s length set him; if he ‘scaped, Heaven forgive him too.” (4.3:237-243) This shows a great difference with the reaction of …show more content…
This reveals that he had these murderous thoughts before encountering the witches. Later on after killing the kind, he frames the two drunken guards that are by King Duncan’s door by putting the daggers he used to kill Duncan with, on top of them with the help of Lady Macbeth. The day after, Macduff, Lennox and Macbeth gather together and Macduff goes into the king’s room to wake him up. To his horror, he discovers that the king has been murdered, Macbeth kills the guards “out of anger.” He states, “...Th’expedition of my violent love Outrun the pauser, reason.” (2.3:106-107). He claims that his love for King Duncan has overpowered his reasoning, causing to murder the guards. However, the truth is that he was simply afraid that the guards may deny the accusation and the possibility of Macbeth being caught exiting Duncan’s room