The Role of Ambition in Macbeth Ambition is “an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment” (dictionary.com). Ambition can be understood and judged different ways by different people. Many people believe ambition is a positive thing to possess, but many people also believe that ambition is a negative thing that should try to be avoided. The people that believe that ambition is good often put ambition into the same category as hope. The people that believe that ambition is bad often put ambition into the same category as greed. As for the character Macbeth, in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, ambition is a negative trait attained by him that turns out to be tragic for Macbeth. Macbeth’s ambition plays a role in causing Macbeth to make awful, malicious decisions, become a ruthless murderer to keep his power, and eventually cause his tragic fall.
The first role ambition plays in Macbeth is that it is a main cause for Macbeth making awful, malicious decisions to gain more power. There …show more content…
After becoming the king and gaining all the power, he is so ambitious to keep his power so much that he actually decides to murder some people that he is suspicious of finding out his secret of murdering Duncan or that may be a threat to his throne. Except for this time, he actually hires murderers to kill the people. In Act Ⅲ, Scene 2, he convinces the murderers to kill Banquo by saying, “Both of you/ Know Banquo was your enemy” (Ⅲ.ⅱ.114-115). He also hires murderers to kill Macduff and his family in Act Ⅳ, Scene 2. Macduff is not there, because he had fled Scotland to join Malcolm’s army to gain Scotland back, so the murderers kill all of Macduff 's family. The ambition overtook Macbeth’s mind so much that he did not show any remorse or guilt after the murders of Banquo and
The first role ambition plays in Macbeth is that it is a main cause for Macbeth making awful, malicious decisions to gain more power. There …show more content…
After becoming the king and gaining all the power, he is so ambitious to keep his power so much that he actually decides to murder some people that he is suspicious of finding out his secret of murdering Duncan or that may be a threat to his throne. Except for this time, he actually hires murderers to kill the people. In Act Ⅲ, Scene 2, he convinces the murderers to kill Banquo by saying, “Both of you/ Know Banquo was your enemy” (Ⅲ.ⅱ.114-115). He also hires murderers to kill Macduff and his family in Act Ⅳ, Scene 2. Macduff is not there, because he had fled Scotland to join Malcolm’s army to gain Scotland back, so the murderers kill all of Macduff 's family. The ambition overtook Macbeth’s mind so much that he did not show any remorse or guilt after the murders of Banquo and