Ambition is a key theme in Macbeth. Macbeth’s ambition is what drives him to kill Duncan and seize the throne. But this ambition is also his downfall, as it leads to his paranoid and tyrannical rule.
Shakespeare shows how dangerous ambition can be by making Macbeth’s ambition blind. Macbeth does not see the consequences of his actions, only the prize he wants to achieve. This blindness leads to his downfall and ultimately his death.
While Macbeth’s story is a warning about the dangers of ambition, it also shows that ambition can be a powerful force for good. Macbeth’s ambition is what drives him to be a great general and ruler. without it, he would never have achieved anything.
Thus, ambition is a double-edged sword. It can lead to great success, but it can also lead to destruction. Macbeth’s story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of blind ambition.
The motivation behind Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s insatiable hunger is completely subverted and deflated throughout the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare. At first, Macbeth was rational enough to restrain his ambition, but it eventually grew too powerful for him.
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were quickly corrupted by their ambition and it became the driving force behind all of their actions. Even before Macbeth was introduced to the witches, he was ambitious. When Duncan named his son Malcolm as heir to the throne, Macbeth showed his first signs of being overcome by his ambitions. Macbeth wanted to be king, and he wanted it now.
He would not wait for nature to take its course and for Duncan’s death to come naturally. Instead, Macbeth would hasten the process by any means necessary. We see this same pattern of behavior throughout the play as Macbeth’s ambition continues to grow stronger and stronger.
As Macbeth’s ambition grows, we see him become more and more ruthless. He murders Duncan, his best friend Banquo, and Macduff’s entire family. Macbeth will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He is even willing to sacrifice his own sanity and reason in order to maintain his power.
In the end, Macbeth’s ambition leads to his downfall. His actions have caught up with him and he is eventually overthrown and killed. Lady Macbeth fares no better, as her guilt over the murders she has helped commit drives her to madness and suicide.
The decision to kill Duncan was the last significant attempt at moral deliberation by Macbeth. Throughout the novel, we see that Macbeth’s ambition corrupted his sense of right and wrong, eventually leading to his downfall. Macbeth, who was originally a level-headed and ethical person, succumbed to the allure of power.As Macbeth’s ambition increased, his reasonableness and morality decreased. In the end, Macbeth’s ambition was what lead to their undoing. While it is clear that Macbeth’s ambition was responsible for their downfall, it is important to consider the role that other factors played.
For example, Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, was a key figure in convincing Macbeth to kill Duncan. It was her ambition and desire for power that initially spurred Macbeth on to commit murder. While Macbeth may have eventually gone down the path of ambition without her influence, it is clear that she played a significant role.
It is also worth considering the role of fate in Macbeth’s downfall. Macbeth is informed by three witches that he will one day be king. This prophecy clearly preoccupies Macbeth and leads him down the path of ambition. While it could be argued that Macbeth would have eventually become ambitious without this prophecy, it is clear that it played a role in his eventual downfall.
The following passage expresses the notion: “One of the most important reasons for Macbeth’s continuing critical appeal is that he symbolizes mankind’s universal inclination to temptation and sin. Once Macbeth murders Duncan, he sets in motion a chain of horrible events that lead to his downfall.” (Scott; 236). Three witches tell Macbeth that he will become Lord of Cawdor and eventually king, while they fly over a seemingly random and isolated region.
Macbeth kills Duncan, and Macbeth becomes Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth’s ambition is what ultimately leads to his undoing. The witches play an important role in Macbeth’s ambition. The witches are the reason that Macbeth’s ambition is fueled. Macbeth is told by the witches that he will become Thank of Cawdor and eventually king.
If Macbeth had never met the witches, his ambition would not have been as strong. Macbeth’s ambition is what ultimately leads to his downfall. The witches are responsible for Macbeth’s ambition, and therefore, they are responsible for Macbeth’s downfall.
As he doubts their intentions, Macbeth does not come to the logical conclusion that these three evildoers are pushing him down a road of evil and despair. He states that their presence “cannot be bad” and goes on to explain why this is the case. At least we see here that his ambition has not entirely overwhelmed him. Not only does Macbeth at first question the witches’ motives, but he also queries the ethical consequences of murdering Duncan.
Macbeth’s ambition is not blind, but it is misguided. Macbeth is a tragic hero not because he is evil, but because he is human. And like all humans, he is fallible. While Macbeth’s ambition may be his downfall, it is also what makes him a tragic hero.
Without his ambition, Macbeth would never have killed Duncan and taken his place as king. It is his ambition that drives the story forward and without it, the play would be quite dull. Macbeth’s ambition is what makes him interesting and ultimately tragic.
Banquo speaks these words after Macbeth is informed that he will be the new Thane of Cawdor. It’s a clear warning of logical deduction and reasonable thought on Banquo’s part, coming just minutes after he has spoken about his own prophesy – about the future glory of his children and their descendants.
Instead, Banquo goes on to live a long and prosperous life, dying of natural causes. Macbeth, on the other hand, is consumed by ambition and his actions lead to his downfall.
Macbeth’s ambition is what ultimately leads to his undoing. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is content with his station in life and seems to have no desire for more. However, after meeting with the witches and hearing their prophecies, Macbeth’s ambition is awakened.
He starts to believe that he is destined for greatness and begins to plot how he can make this happen. Macbeth’s ambition blinds him to the consequences of his actions and he becomes increasingly ruthless in his pursuit of power. In the end, Macbeth’s ambition leads to his downfall and he is killed by Macduff.
While Macbeth’s ambition is ultimately what leads to his undoing, it is important to note that Shakespeare presents ambition as a complex trait. Ambition can be a positive force, driving people to achieve great things. However, it can also be a destructive force, leading people to make choices that they would not normally make.
In Macbeth, Shakespeare shows that ambition can be both positive and negative, depending on how it is used. Macbeth’s ambition starts off as a positive force, driving him to be a successful general. However, his ambition eventually becomes a destructive force, leading him to commit murder and other atrocities.
Lady Macbeth was overtaken not only by her ambition, but also by it. Lady Macbeth, unlike Macbeth, was immediately overtaken by her ambitions. She made the decision to do anything necessary to obtain the throne and queenly status right after reading Macbeth’s letter, which spoke of the new title and witches’ predictions. Again, ambition overrides rational thinking. She does not even consider why these three evil sisters or whether or not murdering Duncan is ethical like as Macbeth does.
She is only concerned with one thing, the fulfillment of her ownambition. While Macbeth’s ambition is what leads him to his downfall, it is Lady Macbeth’s ambition that propels them both towards their doom. We see that without her urging and goading, Macbeth may have never killed Duncan and started down the path of destruction. While Macbeth may have been ambitious, it was ultimately Lady Macbeth’s blind ambition that led to their undoing.