Shakespeare’s Macbeth, written in 1606, is a tragic play that follows the story of protagonist, Macbeth’s, desire to be king and his ultimate downfall due to that unchecked desire. Lacking the ability to complement their ambition with morality, causes the undoing of many characters in the play. However, not all characters who present ambition are unable to rationally. Shakespeare suggests that the extent a character will take their ambition to depends heavily on who their object of desire serves. Characters who have ambitions that serves their own purposes are much more likely to let unchecked ambition overrule their morality. Shakespeare characterises Macbeth as being captivated and held hostage to his uncontrollable sense of ambition and suggests through his portrayal that Macbeth’s desire to be king drives and shapes his …show more content…
This shows that Macbeth is not a bad person at heart, who believes his actions are just, but he simply is too consumed by the benefits obtaining his object of desire will give him. Similarly, to Macbeth, Lady Macbeth’s ambition is also for her own purposes, which leads her to ignore her morality and help Macbeth in his plot to murder Duncan. Macbeth becoming king would mean a better life for Lady Macbeth as well as a lot more power. While Macbeth had ambition, he is “without the illness should attend it” unlike Lady Macbeth. She has far greater strength of will than her husband. While he hesitates and is distrustful of his powers, she never wavers. She needs no supernatural temptations to urge her on. She appears to be perfectly aware of her own strength, and of the influence which she possessed over the weak will of her