Theme Of Ambition In Macbeth

Improved Essays
Register to read the introduction… 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

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Does ambition have the ability to shake a whole nation to its very knees? The author William Shakespeare wrote a bloody drama titled “The Tragedy of Macbeth”, which took place in the distance past of Scotland, England. In this piece, the main character, Macbeth wanted to become king, and in doing so he murdered anyone in his path. In the end was only slain by the forces of the true air to the throne. The theme of this drama can be portrayed through the ambition of these three men: Macbeth, Macduff, and Malcolm.…

    • 542 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare depicts Macbeth as he is overcome with ambition. When Macbeth first appears in the story, he was described as a hero when he comes to save the Scottish army against Irish invaders. Following the battle, three witches appear to Macbeth informing him that he will one day be king. Putting his faith in the prophecy, he believes that the only way to the throne is to kill Duncan, the current king. While he has his doubts, he is convinced to carry on by his wife Lady Macbeth.…

    • 208 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It is a natural human inclination to achieve success; however, any desire in excess can become a destructive force. This is what happened to William Shakespeare’s tortured protagonist Macbeth in one of the Bard’s most unsettling tragedies. Although Macbeth’s ambition initially appeared to be typical of a soldier’s need to succeed and receive recognition from his leader, it would eventually take over his life, obliterate his conscience, and transform his character from hero to villain. Macbeth was clearly his own worst enemy, but there were others in his life who contributed to the orchestration of his downfall. The witches and his equally ambitious wife fed his ego and whetted his appetite for power.…

    • 253 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Macbeth is ambitious because whatever he wants he will get, and he will do anything to get what he wants. For example he wants to be king, so he kills Duncan. “I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?”(page:234 line #14). This quote shows Macbeth murdered Duncan because he is asking lady Macbeth if she heard him kill Duncan.…

    • 419 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The very thought of her ruling as Queen alongside Macbeth plants treacherous malice in her mind. Consequently, this drive motivates Lady Macbeth so much, that she finally meets guilt head…

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Aspiration and Ambition Ambition is a factor that has affected many individual’s lives throughout history. Some people say that ambition is healthy for individuals and it causes a drive for improvement, and while this may be true, others will argue that it leads to a sense of self-entitlement from controlling others. The desire for success is a struggle for individuals throughout all stages of life, and it can often go awry when selfish intents begin to take hold and change their moral codes. If an individual’s ambition is to gain power, they will often do whatever it takes to protect it, even at the cost of someone’s life, both figuratively and literally. The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, provides a perfect example of how ambition can ruin an individual’s life.…

    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none. So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo ”(Shakespeare, 1.3 67-68). This is where the witches are telling Macbeth that he will be king. Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare for King James VI, and this play is about Macbeth and how he wants power and is trying to gain it. In the play is magic like witches to help tell the story and because King James VI believed in witches.…

    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Tragedy Macbeth, a tragic play written by Williams Shakespeare, shows a couple and their ambition for Macbeth to become King of Scotland. This play implies that ambition can cause people to commit treason or even murder in order to achieve power. This has been shown in other places of literature, such as Lord or the Flies, and in real life as well. Ambition can make people do things that they would never do in order to get power or wealth.…

    • 521 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During the same series of dialogue between Lady Macbeth and her husband, she again displays this tactic of manipulation. Lady Macbeth states that “These deeds must not be thought/after these ways; so, it will make us mad”(2.2.37-38). By telling Macbeth not to even think about his actions, Lady Macbeth basically tells him what he needs to do and doesn’t let him deal…

    • 1169 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Shakespeare reinforces the theme of ambition throughout the passages of the book we have read so far in class, which caused aggressive behavior and regret. In the book there have been multiple themes in the book, but the one theme that stands out the most is ambitions. Ambitions have impacted the lives of multiple characters including Macbeth in his case causing regret. “I’ll go no more I am afraid to think what I have done. Look on ‘t again I dare not.”,(2.2…

    • 178 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Macbeth is aware of the threats of his obsessive ambition saying: I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself / And falls on th’other” (25-28). But witches’ prophecy places a seed of strong temptation in Macbeth’s soul that he was unable to control and eventually succumbed to it. When Macbeth doubts killing King Duncan, Lady Macbeth demands: Was the hope drunk / Wherein you dressed yourself” (35-36)? Ironically, Lady Macbeth must herself rely on intoxicants to “make [her] bold” before executing her ambitious and murderous plans (II ii 1).…

    • 961 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    If a person’s choices involve being greedy or ambitious, things will not turn out well. A person’s tragic downfall is caused by his or her own free will and is enhanced by fatalistic imagery. Blood imagery, clothing imagery, and hand imagery are what help enhance the tragic downfall of Macbeth in William Shakespeare ’s play Macbeth. Macbeth is a noble person that becomes a cruel king due to his greed and ambition.…

    • 1592 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Scottish play written in 1606 is counted among one of Shakespeare’s Four Greatest Tragedies. Macbeth being set in a fatalistic society whilst Macbeth Re-told being set in a consumerist secular society quite obviously reflect different values and ideals however through the composers of each text we are able to gain greater insight to the universal themes that are highlighted in both texts. Macbeth, the valiant, loyal and honorable warrior. Joe Macbeth, the “cooking brave heart”, head chef, and the “kitchen warrior”.…

    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    One may try and argue that Lady Macbeth or ambition drove Macbeth to commit his murderous acts to become king, but they are missing out on the main catalysts of everyone’s actions including Macbeth; the witches. Without these three demonic figures, Macbeth would be a history rather than a tragedy. By sparking Macbeth’s most inner desires, they were able to guide him down his dark path, which ultimately led to his death. The ideas they pushed to the front of his mind eventually drove this heroic man to become as dark as the devil himself.…

    • 1762 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Shakespeare presents an interesting dynamic in Macbeth wherein Lady Macbeth acts as the proverbial devil on the shoulder of her husband, constantly whispering in his ear. Though Macbeth is introduced as a loyal warrior under King Duncan of Scotland, he ponders murdering his king almost immediately after he is told by three witches that he will one day rule the country. Even so, Macbeth’s resolve to carry out this crime is shaky at best. Once his wife gets into his ear, however, that shaky resolution is ever so slowly strengthened. Lady Macbeth begins her work by insisting that to not kill King Duncan would be cowardly.…

    • 737 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays