Macbeth Monologue Analysis

Throughout Shakespeare’s Macbeth, readers are given insight into the importance that imagination has on the Scottish general’s ambition and motivation to become King of Scotland. Macbeth allows himself to become consumed by the mental images and visions that serve to further amplify his desire to commit murder and gain a hold of the throne. These paranormal occasions include that of a vision of a bloody dagger, the ghost of a bloody Banquo, and most importantly, the prophecies of three witches. The first prophecies stated by the three witches seem to be the initial spark of his continuous hunger for power, as evident through the following monologue by Macbeth: I. 3. ll. 130-142.
The aforementioned soliloquy serves to explain Macbeth’s initial indecision on interpreting the nature of becoming king, in …show more content…
In fact, Macbeth explains that “Present fears/ Are less than horrible imaginings” and that “nothing is/ But what is not.” (I. 3. ll. 137-138 and 141-142). In other words, he is exclaiming that the repercussions he would face scare him less and are valued less than the horrifying thought of killing Duncan, and that non-reality has eclipsed reality. This can be interpreted as the initial indication that Macbeth was to lose his morals and generosity while on his “journey” to becoming king. For Macbeth, imagination eventually surmises reality, as the image of himself as king does come true. It also contributes to his overall ambition to achieving the throne, because of the satisfying images put in his head. The toxic ambition that takes over his state of mind becomes unrestrained by any form of morals and leads to the destruction of not just Duncan, but many others. With this, it is clear that imagination plays a critical role in Macbeth’s motivating