Banquo's Ambition In Macbeth

The story of Macbeth is one of the most well-known and remarkable works by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed in 1606 for James I, England’s new king, who had been king for Scotland. Macbeth is based on a historical fact as Shakespeare incorporated many real characters of James’ ancestors and used real historical incidents of Scotland. In brief introducion of the story, it is a dark, relentless tale of a noble Scottish man encouraged by the dark prophecies of the three mysterious witches, becomes obsessed with endless ambition and starts to doubt his fate, ended up murdering several characters in the play including King Duncan. Eventually his break of chain of being brings a whole destruction in Scotland as well in himself resulting

At the beginning of the play, Macbeth’ ambition starts to grow that makes him consider immoral acts to fulfil his ambition and desire to become the king of Scotland. In Act 1, Macbeth and Banquo encounter the three witches, who prophesied to each of them regarding their fate. The three witches intentionally tell Macbeth that he would be the thane of Cawdor and the king of Scotland and to Banquo that his sons would become the king. And the unexpected title of thane of Cawdor given by the king has made one of the surprising prophecies come true and has given Macbeth the strong belief that the latter of the prophecy, him becoming the king, would become true as well. For his strong belief, he starts to ponder whether the prophecies of the witches are good or bad; and meanwhile he finds himself thinking about murdering the king and is extremely surprised by his immoral ideas as can be seen when he says, “why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair / And make my seated heart knock at my ribs.” (Act 1, scene 3, line 136-138) At the very beginning of the play, Macbeth is described as a noble hero who is brave and loyal to his king as he had devoted himself in the battles for his country. However, his love and loyalty towards the king and for his country has suddenly vanished and lead him to consider murdering the great king. Thankfully, despite his decline in his

Macbeth’s re-selecting the righteous and restraining his ambition at the beginning of the play starts to vanish as he transforms to a new kind of a character. After he had told his wife that he would no longer go on with their wicked plan of killing the king, his wife starts to taunt him and mock his virtue of changing his mind. Greatly encouraged by his wife, his ambition starts to grow deeper and deeper, transforming him into a monster as can be seen when he says, “I am settled, and bend up / Each corporal agent to this terrible feat.” (Act 1, scene 7, line 79-80). Fueled by his vicious wife, Macbeth’s changes in his character is fairly imperceptible. His statement regarding his final decision to commit this crime reveals his urge and desire to murder King Duncan and eventually to become the king himself. He does not reconsider his evil thoughts any more, instead relapse into vice, which portrays his larger decline in his morality due to his greater unchecked ambition. After he had murdered King Duncan and risen to the king of Scotland, his ambition evolved even more. As a king, he has now greater power and authority to implement his evil ideas. He uses them to fulfil his desire of staying on his power. At this point of the story, his decline in his morality is completely observable as he