Macbeth's Ambition Research Paper

Improved Essays
Being ambitious to attain a goal or dream in life, is what everyone in today’s society does. Shakespeare's Macbeth, comprises of the negative side of ambition, where one may go too far to gain power or strength which will result in negative consequences. Macbeth becomes power-hungry and commits a murder just to attain the crown. However Lady Macbeth, want the power more thus is willing to do anything for her husband to become king. She is the powerful women who persuaded her husband to kill King Duncan after his reluctant thoughts. Lady Macbeth’s ambition comes to a point where she informs her husband to, ‘Look like th’ innocent flower/but the serpent under’t’ (A1, S5). Shakespeare’s use of symbolism enables the audience to understand Shakespeare’s

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s reactions to the murder of Duncan are very different, Macbeth is regretful and Lady Macbeth is calm. Lady Macbeth's biggest concern is hiding all of the evidence. In Act 2 scene 2, immediately after Duncan’s murder the scene is very crazy and a lot of spooky things are happening to nature. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are both nervous, Macbeth says he heard many sounds and two people saying a prayer, he says “Hark!--Who lies i’ th’ second chamber?”…

    • 269 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When looking at the desire within humans that gives people the desire to achieve, the desire known as ambition, is ambition the ingredient that is necessary to completing the sweet recipe of success, or is it the drop of poison that causes the ill will of others when ingested? According to William Shakespeare’s tragedy of Macbeth, it appears that ambition can, in fact, be both. In the story of Macbeth, Macbeth is a Scottish general who served under the King Duncan, who ruled Scotland at the time, but Macbeth aspired to be the King of Scotland himself and thanks to Lady Macbeth, Macbeth murders King Duncan and eventually becomes king, but from thereon is when Macbeth is to meet his downfall. In the gist of the story, ambition was what brought…

    • 1046 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth Macbeth’s self-destruction was ultimately caused by himself. He could of chosen the path he wanted to go along by himself, but he chose destruction. Macbeth’s fate had already been set from the moment he encountered the weird sisters, and told Lady Macbeth about the prophecy. Macbeth was a victim of his own character because he was faulty. He had tragic flaws such as greed, and ambition that went unchecked.…

    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As stated by Benjamin Disraeli, “man is not the creature of circumstances, circumstances are the creatures of men.” At first glance, one may believe Macbeth’s fate to be to be just that - fate. When Macbeth happens upon the witches, they tell him that he is destined to be king and as fate may have intended, it happens. However, after speaking with the witches, Macbeth, instead of letting his fate happen naturally, takes matters into his own hands. Blinded by ambition, Macbeth takes control of his destiny and murders Duncan, all for the sake of becoming king.…

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Are the motives behind Lady Macbeth’s thoughts and actions because she wants the best or her husband, or are they because she wants more power? Lady Macbeth does some pretty extreme things to make her husband King. Some might say she went too far. Lady Macbeth’s characteristics, thoughts, and personality all have a main role in the outcome of Shakespeare ’s play Macbeth.…

    • 1078 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Macbeth The play “Macbeth” was written by a famous English Poet, playwright, and actor, named William Shakespeare. “Macbeth” is a play about the perils of ambition. The character Macbeth, encouraged by his wife, Lady Macbeth, attempts to remove the problems that are preventing him from becoming king. These problems happen to be other characters that are in the play.…

    • 1125 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Ambition In Macbeth Essay

    • 1843 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Powerful Witches, Feeble Humans In capitalist societies, ambition drives enterprising individuals to slave away until they realize their goals. Because of the arduous labor that consumes their lives, entrepreneurs often feel proud of their great accomplishments, thinking that their elevated positions in society are completely a result of their own initiative and hard work. The same can be said, perhaps, about those who wrest political power. William Shakespeare’s Macbeth tells a story that questions whether that feeling of satisfaction is justifiable.…

    • 1843 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth Essay Young or old, male or female, commoner or royalty, people have goals and aspirations. They achieve these goals by actions. In Macbeth, William Shakespeare dramatizes how ambition for power can drive people to make horribly bad decisions and actions. Furthermore, people will do whatever it takes to achieve their goal and acquire their aspiration. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plan to murder the king so that Macbeth will become the king.…

    • 344 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth's Ambitions

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Macbeth’s Ambitions In 1606 William Shakespeare wrote the Tragedy of Macbeth. When Shakespeare composed this work he managed to create a brilliantly dynamic character, Macbeth. When the story opens we are presented with three witches that reveal to Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, that he will become Thane of Cawdor, and then King.…

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ambition can be ones greatest attribute, in this case it could also be ones downfall. The play Macbeth, written by Shakespeare is a play that focuses on a young man named Macbeth who is portrayed as a hero in the beginning. Later on he gets a prophecy that then sparks his ambition to murder the king at first his not so sure but then decides to go for it. Unfortunately for him he is stabbed by Macduff at the end. On the other hand his wife Lady Macbeth is less hesitant with the idea of making the prophecy happen the quicker they kill the king the quicker her husband becomes one.…

    • 1216 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    When one is overly ambitious, it can lead to his subconscious goal. Macbeth’s subconscious goal is to become King. The night King Duncan’s murder is when Macbeth sees a dagger with a handle pointing to Macbeth’s hand and the blade pointing to the King’s room; “Is this a dagger which I see before me, / The handle toward my hand?” (II.i.40-41).…

    • 1592 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In her madness on her quest, Lady Macbeth is willing to take the risk of losing everything and she believes they will get away with it if Macbeth does exactly as she orders. After the murder she continues to persuade Macbeth by telling him “These deeds must not be thought after these ways: so, it will make us mad”, suggesting that if they don’t think about the murder then they can pretend it never…

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Universal Theme In Macbeth

    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages

    English Essay- Macbeth Rose Hillard 10A, Mr Zitser Universal themes are communicated to the audience in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth through the use of varying literary techniques and dramatic effects. This essay will look at the timeless nature of themes such as ambition and appearance versus reality in Macbeth, and how their transcendence of human nature contributes to the play’s relevance today.…

    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth Ambition Essay

    • 766 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Through Shakespeare’s work, the audience is introduced to many individual characters and all are extremely unique. In Macbeth, Shakespeare created some of the most interesting individuals out of all of his work. Macbeth is different from most of his dramas. Macbeth has different themes all throughout the play but what stands out the most is ambition. Ambition in Macbeth is the important theme that stays constant.…

    • 766 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth Research Paper

    • 843 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Drama is a type of medium or style in which emotions, conflicts or contrasts of character, tragedy are depicted. A story that surrounds all these is created (written) and then enacted on the stage. A person is said to be good at acting when he or she is able to bring out or depict the same emotional level at which the author has written it. The most successful dramas have a perfect blend of all these. Shakespearian plays are famous for its tragedy.…

    • 843 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays