Macbeth doubts his plan to murder Duncan and is unable to motivate himself to take action. There is tension between Macbeth's unwillingness to move ahead with his plan and his acknowledgment that his ambition is leading him down a dangerous path. Macbeth notes, “I have no spur to prick the sides for the intent, but the only vaulting notes ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’ other” (1. 7. 25-29). Macbeth knows that he has lacked motivation and ambition, and he knows that it’s the only thing preempting disasters to come his way as he makes mistakes.
Shakespeare presents the theme of ambition in Macbeth. Ambition is a strong desire to do or achieve something, ambition can also be presented in a positive and negative way. Shakespeare presents ambition in a negative way through some characters who are Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and King Duncan. The reason these characters present ambition in a negative way is because they end up dying. Ambition is also present in a positive way through some characters who are Macduff, Witches and Malcolm these are the characters who survive in the play showing that you can be ambitious but not too ambitious.
Macbeth uses his ambition to chase his dream of being king of Scotland but it affects him in more of a negative way than a positive way. In Macbeth, ambition can be a good thing but at the
No boasting like a fool; This deed I’ll do before this purpose cool, (iv, ii, 149-153) This shows macbeth's ambition because he is willing to kill kids and a whole family just so he can stay king. Macbeth is a tragic hero because he meet that first requirement which is Hamartia This shows the that Macbeth is very desperate to stay king. By now, Macbeth has changed a lot.
Macbeth; Ambition to Culpable Although ambition can be useful in getting situations taken care of, it can also have a negative impact on decision making if not under control. Ambition can persuade a person to put other people’s needs aside and become selfish by seeking to fulfill their own goals. Consequences of this can lead to a person becoming aware of the dishonorable results of their choices, especially if those choices were harmful. Unfortunately, we watch Macbeth take this misfortunate path multiple times throughout “Macbeth”. From malicious decisions to choices that were forced upon him, ambition is seen ruining the life of Macbeth and anyone who gets in the way of his “destiny”.
Ambition throughout the history of mankind has been productive and destructive. A theme of a play is a message an author is trying to convey to the reader. In the tragic play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, the tragic hero Macbeth and his wife are both victims of their tragic flaw, ambition. The play starts with Macbeth being told his prophecy by three witches, and this prophecy is that he would one day be king of Scotland. Instantaneously, Macbeth starts thinking about murdering the king, without even being told that is what he must do to become the king.
Macbeth has always had ambition, but at the beginning of the play the integrity of Macbeth’s soul was maintained by a balance between all of his other good qualities. This was reinforced in the scene where Macbeth met the three witches and heard his prophecy, about becoming king. When Macbeth discovers hears from Ross that he has been appointed the Thane of Cawdor, it signified that the second part of the witches’ prophecy had come true and therefore allowed Macbeth to believe in the third part of the witches prophecy that he would become king of Scotland. When Macbeth began to believe that he would one day become king, his ambition flared up and presented him with a “horrid image” that made his “heart knock at [his] ribs” (1.3.137; 1.3.138). Macbeth’s ambition had presented him with a surefire way of becoming king--murdering the current King Duncan.
Throughout the years, ambition has been essential for individuals since it helps us set our objectives. By having an ambition, they are setting up a goal. In addition, the feeling of success that an individual receives is great once the goal is achieved. Also having an ambition, whether it’s a small or large one, indicates that you have a value in life and that you want to become better. Ambition is important for some people because it helps us set our goals.
What is ambition?Ambition is the thing that drives you to achieve a strong desire. You could say MacBeth has the strongest ambition throughout the book , since he kills the king with his own hands and then continues to have people killed throughout the book to reduce any risks of someone over throwing him or finding out the truth on how Duncan was actually killed. Even though MacBeth's ambition is strong , some may argue Lady MacBeths is even stronger , after all she was the one to push him into becoming king. After hearing of macbeths encounter with the witches , lady Macbeth immediately springs into action and begins a plan. Lady macbeth announces on line 39 , “unsex me hear”.
Like all of Shakespeare’s other plays, “Macbeth’s” protagonist Macbeth is incredibly successful but suffers from one fatal flaw, his great ambition. His ambition will be the cause of his great success but ultimately also of his downfall. The man’s ambition drives him to seize every opportunity to promote his own agenda. His ambition hurts him the most when he decides to kill King Duncan and Macduff.
Ambition is defined as a strong desire to achieve and Macbeth is a perfect example of ambition. Macbeth’s ambition started at the beginning of the play when three witches told him his prophecy about him becoming king and a thane. Of course, Macbeth is skeptical about it and did not believe the prophecies but after the prophecy
Macbeth’s ambition is one of the most prominent things that drive Macbeth in the play and truly becomes evident when he hears of the Witches prophecies. When the witches stop talking, he demands to know more. “Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more” (I, III, 73-74). This portrays his excessive curiosity on the subject as well as his craving for more desirable prophecies. This ambitious nature and craving for power is also demonstrated only moments after hearing the witches, when he starts formulating a plan to kill Duncan in order to make the third prophecy come true.
Throughout the story of Macbeth, Macbeth’s ambition for power, provoked by his significant other, Lady Macbeth, and the witches’ prophecies consumed his life. At first he committed murder against King Duncan so he could become king himself, but the one murder had a domino affect. Although ambition can be a positive attribute for someone to acquire, Macbeth’s ambition began in Act One and proved dangerous as his death approached in Act Five. In Act One of Macbeth, Macbeth and Banquo meet three witches that tell them three prophecies.
The next step the reader sees of Macbeth’s growing ambition is in Act II. Macbeth is writing a letter to his wife informing her of the prophecies made by the Weird Sisters, and also of the King’s intentions to visit their household that evening. Reading this, Lady Macbeth promptly concocts a plan to murder the King in their household. That night, Macbeth tries to draw off the plan, “We will proceed no further in this business” (1.7.31). This shows that Macbeth’s ambition has not become so strong as to kill someone, nonetheless, this does not last long.
What is ambition? Ambition is the determination to achieve one’s goals. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare the protagonist, Macbeth, possesses ambition, which led to his downfall. In the play Macbeth’s ambition is driven by prophecies from witches and his wife’s aspiration. Ambition caused Macbeth to commit multiple homicides and after those wrongdoings Macbeth is left with nothing.
