The Role of Ambition in' Macbeth'

Ambition is often the driving force in one’s life. It can have an extremely dominant impact on not only yourself, but also many people in your surroundings. You have the ability to control if the outcomes either have a lasting negative or positive effect. When a goal requires determination and hard work to complete, personal morals often take a back seat to the aspiration of accomplishing the goal. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, it is clear that like many other great leaders, Macbeth exemplifies the necessary leadership virtue of ambition. Macbeth’s ambition does not just drive him to do great things. It in fact controls him. The playwright explores the idea of how an individual’s ambition can cause them to deceive others, make irrational

     Macbeth is shown as a vigorous war hero in the opening scene. “And fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling showed like a rebel’s whore. But all’s too weak for brave Macbeth.” (1.2 16.18) The captain expressing the braveness of great Macbeth in Scotland’s battle with the invading Norway hordes. It didn’t take long for the people of

Ambition is defined as a “desire and determination to reach success” ("Ambition." Ambition - Wiktionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 June 2017.). In history, ambition has brought many people success and riches, but when unchecked, it can prove to have a devastating effect on its host. A great example of this is in the 1606 play, Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare. In this play, the titular character, Macbeth, a Scottish army commander, is told by three witches that one day he would become king. Upon revealing this to his wife, Lady Macbeth, she pushes him to kill King Duncan out of greed to gain the royal status. Although Macbeth is not a natural born killer for greed, he eventually acts upon this fatal suggestion and kills King Duncan. After committing this treacherous deed, Macbeth is plagued with guilt for killing such a noble and kind king. Further into the play, Macbeth’s early ambition to become king builds up to the point of driving him mad. He begins to see ghosts, orders numerous assassinations, and uses the supernatural to keep up with his prophecies. Macbeth's greatest downfall is his ambition, sparked by the prophecies of the three witches. This flaw drives him to become someone unrecognizable, and ultimately, carries him to his tragic end.

Ambition is an important quality which all people possess to some extent. It is vital to have this quality to gain the will to improve and be successful in everything that must be done through daily life. Although this characteristic has its significance, the consequences of an exceeding amount of it are criticized in William Shakespeare's Macbeth. The play follows a loyal soldier named Macbeth who receives a prophecy that tells him he will be king. With a spark of ambition, he tells his wife, Lady Macbeth, and her drive is ignited. Lady Macbeth’s strong ambition is the cause of Macbeth’s ultimate demise because her ambition contributes to his growing unruly behavior.

Many Shakespearian dramas, like Macbeth, are inspired by the ancient Greek notion of tragedy and the fall of man; much of which is powered by one’s lust for greater gains. Correspondingly, the play reveals how ambition creates the capability of deteriorating a man’s morality and world. This is presented through the titular character and his “dearest partner of greatness” (P. 23) and the consequences of their actions.

W.H Auden’s analysis of Macbeth really hit the nail on the head. Unlike many others, I morally indicted Macbeth and Lady Macbeth from the start for their actions, and I didn’t love them because of their evil doings “without malice.” Yet I still felt that neither Macbeths were evil people or malicious. This endeared me to the story. The Macbeths ambition for the throne, power, and possibly even love overwhelmed any possible inhibitions that they would have towards the evil deeds that they did. Yet their “streak of goodness,” as Auden writes, ate their thoughts alive. Lady Macbeth’s overt ambition compels her to incite Macbeth into murder, and her subconscious goodness consequently incites her into madness. Macbeth’s actions help him to feel

‘Macbeth’ is a calamitous cautionary tale regarding the dangers of unchecked ambition. This play follows Macbeth who falls under the spell of three witches and begins to go down a path of death and destruction. Lady Macbeth is the wife of Macbeth. For the most part of the play, she demonstrates astonishing strength which was considered unnatural in the Elizabethan age. She also influences Macbeth to pursue his ambition and taunts him so she could provoke his dark side, hence manipulating him with ease.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare a tragedy play performed in 1606 and published on 1623. Lady Macbeth seeks for power in the play but who will get the most. The ambition starts with both trying to be queen or king . The one who really wants it has to fight for it meaning doing extraordinary things to get away with it to become it. Lady Macbeth wants King Duncan dead she wants all power and ambition for herself.

Even though I think that Macbeth is one of if not the most interesting character to look at when it come to ambition. Personally, my favorite ambitious character would have to be

In the gruesome tragedy Macbeth, William Shakespeare explores how the temptation of man, in the form of witches, can “drain one dry as hay.” Temptation cannot create or conceive ideas, it can only act upon the existing flaws and subconscious intentions already planted in the victim's mind. The actions and behaviors that follow are the direct product of the initial act of allowing or preventing ‘gall’ to enter one's mind. This is demonstrated indirectly via character foil, of the two once mighty generals of Scotland's militant, Macbeth and Banquo. Both of these men are subject to the same rootless prophecy from the “Weird Sisters,” however due to their divergent ambitions, decisions, and allegiances in their state of mind is affected to varying degrees, ultimately regulating the lengths to which they will go to achieve their ambitions. If one is to avoid a “life forbid” then they must be able to restrain their “vaulting ambition” through means of “wisdom,” “valour,” and “allegiance clear” as demonstrated by Banquo.

(HOOK) Thomas Hobbes is a 17th century english philosopher who believed that human nature is naturally evil, greedy and ambitious. (THEMATIC) If individuals become consumed by their ambition and becomes blind to the consequences of their choices it can cause rifts in their relationships. (SOURCES) Macbeth is a piece of classical literature by Sir William Shakespeare first performed in 1606.

In the macbeth play written by Shakespeare, a person's personal values and ambitions are clearly show as the play progresses. Shakespeare does a great way of showing how a person's ambitions can intervene with a person's friendships etc. Throughout the play Macbeth is show to be a man of his word and in the beginning of the play it is clear that he is just a man looking to find himself. In the scene when the witches tell Macbeth that he will be king he becomes surprised and intrigued. As anyone would, Macbeth became convinced that the thrown awaited for him but he did not want to wait any longer.

In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare slowly but surely begins to give his readers an understanding of the different themes he uses throughout this play. The most important is the relationship between the main characters which are Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. In my opinion the main theme of this play is that of ambition. Ambition is the compelling force that pushes Macbeth to pursue the crown through lies and evil crimes. Among the characters that ensure Macbeth’s ambition is Lady Macbeth and the three witches.

Ambition is a human nature that can be viewed in many ways. In “Macbeth” ambition plays a huge role in character development. Ambition leads the character to many directions, for example, death. To express ambition, Shakespeare uses irony throughout the play. Due too the human nature of ambition it affected some of the characters such as Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Macduff by the use of literary devices and language.

The main character Macbeth starts out as a brave warrior. At the very beginning the captain describes his and Banquo’s actions on the battlefield: “I must report they were / As cannons overcharged with double cracks, / So they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe" (1.2.37-39).