“Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it,”(1.5.19-20). Can one be ambitious without being corrupted by evil? The theme of ambition is prevalent in Macbeth, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare that follows Scottish thane Macbeth from his rise to power to his downfall, demonstrated through the corrupted ambition of not only Macbeth, but also Scotland and its other citizens. Through the theme, he also explores gender roles by expressing his explicit aversion to those norms–an unexpected notion in the patriarchal society of Scotland in the early 1600s. Ultimately, Act 1, Scene 5 of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is the most significant scene in the play as it sets the tone for the rest of the play by encapsulating the overarching theme of ambition and moral downfall along with gender roles through the incorporation of a variety of literary devices such as allusions, couplets, …show more content…
In 16th century Scotland, patriarchy and misogyny were prevalent, making Lady Macbeth, a powerful and dominant female, stand out. Despite Macbeth being a ruthless soldier and having mercilessly killed people on the battlefield, she believes that he is not malicious enough and makes it her own “fell purpose” to kill Duncan. She proceeds to call on the spirits to “stop up the access and passage to remorse” and to “take [her] milk for gall,”. (1.5.54-55). Such reaction goes against all expected stereotypes that come with being a woman. Lady Macbeth shows no signs of weakness, compassion, or aversion to violence and instead, Macbeth, the “valiant soldier”, seems to fall short in his valor. Instead of being a concerned and caring wife, she detaches herself from all aspects of femininity that seem to hold her back. Through this scene, Shakespeare criticizes the male-dominant culture, making it a significant part of the play and history as a