Macbeth Power Of Ambition

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a tragedy in which the main characters are obsessed by the desire for power. Macbeth’s aspiration for power blinds him to the ethical implications of his dreadful acts. The more that Shakespeare’s Macbeth represses his murderous feelings, the more he is haunted by them. By analyzing his hallucinations it is possible to trace his deteriorating mental state and the trajectory of his ultimate fall. Throughout the play Macbeth is never satisfied with himself. He feels the need to keep committing crime in order to keep what he wants most: his kingship. The harder Macbeth tries to change his fate the more he tends to run into his fate. His ambition and struggle for power was Macbeth’s tragic flaw in the play.

Power is something one can find in all aspects of life. Whether in a relationship between two people or over an entire country, many people hold power in their lives. What is done with that power is up to the person who holds it and can be a strong reflection of their character. Too many people in positions of power become so wrapped up in wanting total control, that they lose sight of what is right and wrong. In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, power is demonstrated many ways through many different characters. Power and ambition greatly affects the choices people make everyday.

Macbeth's lamentable statement showcases the consequences of evil actions, which in this case is murder. Even though Macbeth knows that the murder of a good king is fundamentally wrong and is warned by Banquo, who says "the instrument of darkness often mix truth and lies to achieve what they want," he still proceeds with the action, unsatisfied with the wealth and fame he recently acquired through Duncan's graces. Therefore, Macbeth had a perfect knowledge of what he did wrong and he willfully disobeyed, which led to the feelings of guilt that he faced. This illustrates that every action has a consequence that must be faced, symbolized in this case through the blood of King Duncan on Macbeth's hands. When executing this murder, Macbeth attempted to hide from the rest of the world by creating a plan where the guards would be blamed by wiping blood on them.

In Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, destruction is wrought when ambition goes rampant by moral constraints. “Macbeth” amplifies the fight amidst good vs evil, analyzing the psychological effects of King Duncan's murder. This tragedy concerned the plunge of a great man (King) from his position of nobility to humility on behalf of his ambitious pride. This pride causes the downfall of Macbeth that triggers a series of deaths down the line. Ambition is the driving force of the play.

Macbeth’s sense of self seems to diminish as he comes to reality with what he has done and who he has hurt. This leads to him to not being able to sleep because he has “murdered and therefore/Cawdor/Shall sleep no more. Macbeth shall sleep no more” (2.2.55-57). By him not sleeping it shows that he is going crazy, and is not ok with what has happened. Losing his sense of self is also slowly killing his mental state. His conscience is guilty which makes him think less of himself. When Banquo’s ghost appears it makes Macbeth feel as if he were dead. Wanting Banquo to “Take any shape but that,” because he wants him to “be alive again/And dare [him] to the desert with thy sword” (3.4.124-126). When Macbeth’s fears are confirmed about the line of kings all in the image of Banquo his future is shaken. Once being trusted friends this also helps to twist his mental state; and not for the good. Also by him not being stable Macbeth starts hallucinating and feels tempted to grasp what he sees and use it. These visions are a

Macbeth's mental condition continues to deteriorate as his pursuit of power continues to drive him to commit more crimes. After his first killing Duncan to last killing Malcolm's family, the greed only caused him to commit more and more crimes. He would have never totally satisfied, he would always want more, but that is do to his greed that had corrupted his mind and heart.

Ambition has been a driving force of humanity since the beginning of time. Emotions have always had a strong influence on humanity, specifically emotions that tend towards the ruin of others and the gain another. Throughout the history of humanity there have been many examples of people abusing their position of power, to gain something they more than likely did not deserve. Whether it be Hitler and his repulsive ascension to becoming chancellor of Germany, or Kim Jong Un’s obsession with obtaining nuclear weapons at the cost of the people, humanities struggle with greed is unceasing. No one better illustrates this unrelenting thirst for power more than Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is a good, brave, and beloved man at the beginning of the play with the end of his latest battle heralding a new title for him. Fate though, seems to have different plans for the good, albeit, ambitious Macbeth. He is told by the 3 weird sisters that he will one day become king. Thus igniting the flame of greed within Macbeth, signaling his descent into madness and the guilt he feels towards the deeds he has done. Lady Macbeth is much the same in the sense that once she knew of Macbeths own ambition, it hatched her own deep seeded desire for the crown as well. However, there various similarities end with the death of Duncan and the way they both deal with the guilt over what they did. In the play Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have similarly great ambition, but this intense avarice in the end leads to their ruin in differing ways.

Macbeth ambition led him to do stuff out the orderly and made him have a blind spot and a dark side to him, Macbeth is blind to his eager and growing interest in the prophecies causing him to say “I have no spur to prick the side of my intent/ but only Vaulting ambition/ which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other”, (Act 1.Scene 7. Lines 25-28). Macbeth realizes that his ambition is getting out of control. It made him to do something that he know that is wrong, and is against everything he has supposedly stood for, but the witches are at fault because they made a prophecy that Macbeth would become king causing corruption in his mind. The word of the witches have Macbeth having hope making Macbeth think, “murder yet is but fantastical/ shakes my single state of man that function is smother’d in sunrise/ and nothing is But what is not” (Act 1.

Consequently, his killing depicts Macbeth's conflict between power and loyalty. Not only that, Macbeth's inability to help himself clearly reveals his growing apprehension and guilt. Afterwards, he kills Banquo due to the witch's prophecy: Banquo's posterity consists of Kings. Sooner or later, he witnesses Banquo's ghost haunting him after death.

Banquo’s death furthers Macbeth’s evil and hallucinations. Finally, the death and mental suffering of Lady Macbeth represents Macbeth’s own inner suffering and instability. Macbeth’s morals and mental health deteriorate with each death he experiences. When Macbeth decides to murder Duncan evilness is created in him, and the once honorable Macbeth is now murderous and mentally unstable.

Ambition is often the driving force in one’s life. It is supposed to be the motivating factor that drives one towards success. Society also deems ambition a necessary quality of their leader. It can be said that Macbeth exhibits this quality of ambition. He is the strong, valiant warrior who has won in battle and brought victory to Scotland. However, Macbeth’s quest to acquire more power-his ambition-ultimately leads to his tragic demise. How can one allow himself to be destroyed by such a thing? Before Duncan’s murder, Macbeth questions and second guesses his ambitious tendencies and actions. Despite his anxiety, he succumbs to these tendencies and finds himself in an increasingly precarious situation, with his back against the wall and growing ever closer to his almost inevitable end.

In Macbeth, Shakespeare explores the theme of moral decay produced by the temptation of power. When Macbeth hears the witches’ prophecy (1.3.45) he does not understand how he can become King of Scotland; the only way to attain the crown would be through committing the grave and unjustifiable sin of regicide. Despite this, Macbeth ignores his conscience (1.7.80) and when presented with the opportunity, aided by Lady Macbeth, he murders Duncan (2.1.62). Although he immediately regrets his actions and is filled with compunction (2.2.55, 2.2.63-65), Macbeth decides that there is no going back and “things bad begun make themselves strong by ill.” (3.2.55) Macbeth’s allows his inherent lust for power to completely outweigh his moral conscience.

As Macbeth goes to sit down with his wife, he notices the ghost of Banquo sitting in his chair. When Macbeth sees the ghost in the chair he says, “Blood hath shed ere now, i’th’ olden time…And push us from our stools: this is more strange than such a murder” which shows his hallucination of Banquo revealing his ultimate guilt (III.iv.74-82). The visions Macbeth encounter of Banquo signify his guilt for killing someone close to him in order to claim his victory and ambition for his throne. Macbeth’s guilt also foreshadows even more catastrophic deaths that will later appear in the scenes. Macbeth’s lack of sleep results from him murdering of Banquo which has caused him to suffer the consequence of a guilty conscience.

Macbeth’s mental and moral deterioration throughout the play engages the audience illustrating how guilt overwhelms his conscience He believes he hears voices crying “Macbeth has murdered sleep” this demonstrates how he is battling against his morals and his ambition. His good qualities are battling his bad thoughts and this is the main reason for his mental downfall which makes for a deeply engaging plot. Macbeth goes from being a man of bravery, strength, honour yet he slowly loses these qualities. He once believed that killing a good man was an evil, un-worthy thing to do yet by the end of the play he is killing the people he once had close relationships with to get himself out of the mess that was dragging him deeper into despair and tragedy. This process is enthralling for the audience who cannot resist watching him go to any length to save himself as his morals go into deep decline. Ambition has completely taken over him in the soliloquy in which he states; “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o’erleap itself and falls on the other.” In this instance Macbeth is interesting because he realises that the only thing that is making him want to kill Duncan is

“I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’ other‘.” William Shakespeare’s ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ explores the central themes of guilt, ambition and power. Yet Shakespeare’s intentions were to suit the expectations and knowledge of the audience in the Elizabeathan society.