Examples Of Macbeth's Ambition

The Threat of a Man’s Ambition In the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, the uncontrollable ambition that is evident in the anti-hero Macbeth, can be arguably considered his greatest enemy, as it was the major cause of his own inevitable death and tragic downfall. Throughout the course of the play, readers experience Macbeth’s ambition evolving first hand as the author effectively demonstrates its growth from desire to destruction as the play progresses. Furthermore, Shakespeare brilliantly utilizes Macbeth’s greedy and wicked mentality to demonstrate the corrupted ideals of men for generations, when dishonorably placed in a position of power. As a result, the desire for the throne leads Macbeth to his own defeat, as it severely …show more content…
In other words, Shakespeare effectively utilizes Macduff and Malcolm as up-start heroes, in order to contradict Macbeth’s villainous essence so that balance could sustain throughout the Kingdom. Furthermore, the conflict between light and dark in the play is very distinct, as it is exhibited by Macbeth stating “Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires” (1.4.50), symbolizing how appearances are not always as they seem. Consequently, struggling under the harsh conditions of Macbeth’s reign of terror, has struck nothing but fear into the hearts of many of his own people, forcing the Kingdom of Scotland to a state of turmoil, pushing it towards the brink of …show more content…
As a result of this, the demoralization of Macbeth’s human spirit can be displayed through his guilt and regret of his unjust deeds as he is never even seen sleeping pleasantly ever again. Furthermore, another factor that contributes to Macbeth’s overall deterioration of human spirit is the fact that he is troubled with multiple hallucinations frequently throughout the play that remind him of his guilty past. Specifically, the beginning of Macbeth’s utter demise can be traced back to when he first envisioned a bloody dagger before him claiming, “Is this a dagger which I see before me…A dagger of the mind, a false creation” (2.1.33). Although illusions are considered Macbeth’s first test of sanity, it can also arguably be examined as his primary sudden change in character as well, proceeding from innocent to impure extremely quickly. Nonetheless, Macbeth truly never understood the meaning of relinquish, as he is faced with unbeatable odds but refuses to surrender to his own enemies, even though he is completely outnumbered, has tragically lost his wife and found no value in his life anymore.