Examples Of Macbeth's Vaulting Ambition

Ty Carruthers Ms. Johnson Language Arts 4 April, 29, 2024 The Power of Ambition “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition. Which o'er leaps and falls on each other”(1.7.23-27). To sum up this quote from Macbeth written by Shakespeare, it explains that the main character, Macbeth, is overtaken by a vaulting ambition. Which leads him to make irrational and bad decisions. Because of Macbeth's vaulting ambition, his and other lives are destroyed. Driven by Macbeth's ambition and Lady Macbeth's strong, persuasive words. Macbeth makes a terrible mistake which will destroy the life of someone else. In addition, Macbeth is given a prophecy by three witches to one day become king. This led Lady Macbeth to the idea of killing the king, which later she

Above all, the murder that Macbeth has committed really shows the fact that Macbeth is really driven by his ambition to get anything he wants, even if it includes murder. Equally important, Banquo Macbeth's best friend is suspecting him of committing the murder. This gets Macbeth anxious of getting caught so he sticks to his ambition to become king and doesn't want Banquo in his way. “Ay my good lord, safe in a ditch he bides, with twenty trenched gashes in his head”(3.4.28-30). These were the words from the killers Macbeth hired to kill Banquo. In essence Macbeth had his best friend killed and at this point is where he truly loses himself, he lost the person he fought for and the person he fought alongside. It is at this point that he truly destroyed himself. In addition, Lady Macbeth sees the damage she has caused and the killing monster she has created and for the first time gets an intense feeling of guilt. “The Queen, My Lord, is dead''(5.3.19). That is said after Lady Macbeth threw herself down the stairs to kill herself. In other words, Macbeth's powerful ambition made Lady Macbeth consumed by guilt; she killed