ipl-logo

Examples Of Ambition In Act 1 Of Macbeth

578 Words3 Pages

In Act 1 of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth transitions from a noble soldier to a murderer. During battle, Macbeth demonstrates loyalty when he kills the Norwegian Lord who betrays King Duncan. He remains faithful towards his king and never contemplates treason. After visiting the witches, Macbeth develops ambivalence about whether becoming king will require trust in fate or his own free-willed actions. However, Lady Macbeth officially chooses for him as she informs Macbeth that he will need to kill the king to succeed to that title. Lady Macbeth uses Macbeth’s manly weaknesses and cowardness to control him. Even though Macbeth continues acting trustworthy, his mixed feelings and desire for power leads him down a murderous path that he soon regrets. …show more content…

After Ross informs him that he received the title of Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth feels excited. He figures that since he already possesses the duty of Thane of “Glamis, and [now] Thane of Cawdor, The greatest is behind” (1.3.117-118). Macbeth believes that the new honor confirms that he will attain the throne and proof that the witches’ prophecies are true. After his pronouncement of Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth refuses to believe Banquo’s skepticism and warning of the witches’ possible evil intentions and the developing risks of remaining faithful to the prophecies. At this point, Macbeth develops contrasting thoughts about whether he should trust that “chance will have [him] king…[and]crown [him]without [his] stir” or kill Duncan to guarantee his title (1.3.144-145). However, between hearing about Malcolm’s designation to succeed Duncan’s throne and his “black and deep desires” for power, Macbeth makes the final decision to believe in free will rather than fate by concluding that murdering the king is necessary in order to immediately acquire King Duncan’s title

Show More
Related
491 Words | 2 Pages

Macbeth knows that if he kills Duncan, he gets the satisfaction in being king. Once Macbeth receives the position of “Thane of Cawdor” for his bravery so easily. “If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my sir”(1.3.143-144). So he begins to think that since he received this higher position with doing nothing, then maybe doing nothing can crown him king. Although he was a very nice person, down deep he wanted to become king.

Read More
777 Words | 4 Pages

Macbeth at first wants to avoid doing anything to become King. In the killing of Duncan, Lady Macbeth manipulates him into killing Duncan to become King. " But screw your courage to the sticking place, And we'll not fail. When Duncan is asleep – Whereto the rather shall

Read More
644 Words | 3 Pages

Despite the influence of Lady Macbeth and the witches' prophecies, Shakespeare depicts Macbeth as he is in control of his own destiny, satiating his desire for power through his wicked deeds and interactions. Oftentimes, one's behavior is fueled by their true motives regardless of outside manipulation. Such is seen by the measures that Macbeth comes up with and carries out, as his hunger to gain and maintain his power pushes him forward. Prior to the murder of Duncan, Macbeth thinks that “whiles [he] threat, [Duncan] lives. Words to the heat of deeds too cold breath gives”, and he decides to “go, and it is done” (Shakespeare Act 2.1 73/75).

Read More
1445 Words | 6 Pages

That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o’er-leap” (1.4.55-56). However, once he gains the throne by committing treason and obtains all that he once wished for, Macbeth still holds envy towards others, wishing that he held positions of others rather than his own. Taking King Duncan ’s position through murder plants another seed of envy in him, as he begins to feel insecurity over the situation he has unrightfully placed himself in and realizes what could be done against him rather than the previous ruler now. “In restless ecstasy, Duncan is in his grave, after life’s fitful fever he sleeps well, treason has done his worst: nor steel, nor poison, malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing, can touch him further!

Read More
510 Words | 3 Pages

Ambition is normally restrained by mortality, rabid actions or ideas introduced by someone’s ambition are shot down by someone’s moral compass. This emotion is expressed by Macbeth after his first encounter with the witches causing him to realize he could become king if he killed Duncan, however, the idea is almost silenced by his internal monolog, pleading in his brain that “Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself / And falls on the other” (1.7). Macbeth in this quote is arguing with his ambition which is pleading for him to not kill Duncan, bringing up how overexpression of Ambition only causes one to fall on himself and fail miserably. This shows how his moral compass is trying to use logical reasoning to leash his ambition and prevent Macbeth from committing a heinous

Read More
453 Words | 2 Pages

Bill Bradley once stated that, “Ambition is the path to success.” (“Bill Bradley Quotes”) If this is the case, than the play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, has proven that no matter how clear that path of ambition is, it can always be ruined by the vices that a person may encounter in life. More specifically, Macbeth proves that greed and power can corrupt those who are ambitious, as shown by the innocent people Macbeth kills and the way his personality changes throughout the play.

Read More
847 Words | 4 Pages

Macbeth, learning from the witches that he will become king, decides that the Thane of Cawdor is not enough and, with the help of Lady Macbeth, schemes to murder King Duncan. Macbeth becomes so struck with greed that he gets upset when Malcolm is named Prince of Cumberland. "Noble Banquo, That has been no less deserved, and it must be known no less to have been done so. Let me enfold thee and hold thee to my heart." (1.4.28-33)  This is Duncan talking to Banquo about his reward for risking his life and fighting for the prosperity of Ireland.

Read More
1096 Words | 5 Pages

He was left in deep troubling contemplation when the first prophecy came true, unsure of what to do. Before his encounter with the witches, Macbeth's character had no ambition of becoming king; nevertheless, once the witches intervened in his life, Macbeth started to worry about matters beyond his control. As a result, Macbeth decided to control his destiny by killing King Duncan. The witches took advantage of Macbeth's weakness—his desire to control the uncontrollable—and once he became king, he began to instill a false sense of confidence in the witches and their prophecies. Macbeth's admirable traits were being stripped away by his decision to murder.

Read More
740 Words | 3 Pages

Lady Macbeth is boldly loyal to her husband and encourages him to take action and seize the throne, making her the driving force behind Macbeth’s descent into darkness. Although Macbeth is initially hesitant to act on her plan,

Read More
1590 Words | 7 Pages

During this time he goes through an internal conflict with himself. He argues with himself over whether or not to trust the prophecy and three witches, “This supernatural soliciting/Cannot be ill, cannot be good: if ill,/Why hath it given me earnest of success” (1.3.243-245). Unfortunately for Macbeth the King’s son Malcolm is to named the predecessor of King Duncan. Macbeth recognizes that this means the prophecy cannot come true despite the Thane of Cawdor prediction becoming a reality. This displeases him greatly despite the fact that the king has bestowed upon him a great honor.

Read More
1161 Words | 5 Pages

As Macbeth strives to become king, he is greatly influenced by Lady Macbeth as she wants to become queen more than Macbeth wants to become king. Macbeth receives prophecies from three witches telling him that he needs to become king, however he is told not to believe them. Lady Macbeth receives word of this and develops a scheme to abolish Duncan and his reigning power. Macbeth becomes engulfed in the idea of Duncan’s murder and the plan of his death. At this point Macbeth isn’t given a choice of whether or not he wants to be behind the murder of Duncan, there are too many things

Read More
175 Words | 1 Pages

When the play opens it is instantly visible to the reader that Macbeth is faithful and loyal to the king. After Macbeth listens to the witches prophecy of him becoming the king, he is indecisive on either breaking rules to eliminate Duncan or if chance will have him king why chance may “crown” him (I.iii.144-145). His thoughts lead him to be loyal to the king and let fate decide who will be the next king. Later in the play, Macbeth is thinking about killing Duncan to become king himself, but faithful thoughts cross his mind. He says to himself, “First, as I am his kinsman and his subject...who should against his murderer shut the door” (I. vii.

Read More
1731 Words | 7 Pages

Macbeth seems, by all accounts, to be staggered to hush. At the point when Banquo asks of his own fortunes the witches react incomprehensibly saying that he will be not as much as Macbeth, yet more joyful, less fruitful, yet more. He will father a line of lords, however he himself won 't be one. While the two men wonder at these declarations the witches vanish and another thane, Ross arrives and educates Macbeth of his recently gave title, Thane of Cawdor, as the past Thane of Cawdor should be killed for injustice. The principal prediction is in this manner satisfied and Macbeth already incredulous instantly starts to harbor desire of getting to be above all

Read More
1015 Words | 5 Pages

Macbeth is also a power hungry man who would do just about anything to achieve his goal of becoming King. When Macbeth first hears the prophecies from the three witches he instantly became invested with the journey to become king. Similar to Lady Macbeth, nothing was going to come between him and his potential power, “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man. That function is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is but what is not” (1.3.52-55). This quote exemplifies how Macbeth’s initial solution to becoming king was murder.

Read More
934 Words | 4 Pages

The road to a fatal outcome can be observed through many different qualities but excessive ambition is one of the main downfalls for most of us in society. Evil motivation due to uncontrollable and unnecessarily high ambition produces difficult obstacles in our lives. We could also become blind to making the right and moral decisions when our ambition is unrestrained. Additionally, all of the paths and routes for immoderate ambition leads to destruction and disorder. Another important note to keep in mind is that chaos and complications will be rooted from not only extravagant ambition but also poor decision making.

Read More

More about Examples Of Ambition In Act 1 Of Macbeth

Related Topics

Open Document