Macbeth Ambition Essay

Many believe that having ambition is generally a good thing, however, ambition can also lead people down a dark path. Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis portrays his ambition early on as the reader finds out that he is a war hero. Macbeth and his friend Banquo encounter three witches at a bleak place near the battlefield. After a brief interaction with the witches, the two learn about the prophecy where Macbeth will become king and Banquo’s children will become kings. Ross and Angus enter quickly after their interaction with the witches and announce that Macbeth will be promoted to Thane of Cawdor. After a good fortune of events, Macbeth writes a letter to his wife about what has happened since they last saw each other. After hearing this, Lady Macbeth

After hearing the witches’ prophecy, Macbeth channels his ambition towards his goal of becoming king. Throughout his journey, Macbeth murders King Duncan in his sleep, and frames the guards. He sends murderers in an attempt to murder Banquo and his son, Fleance, however, the murderers are only successful in taking Banquo’s life as Fleance manages to escape. He also murders Macduff's family since he views Macduff as a major threat. After eliminating all his competition, Macbeth goes to talk with the witches. The witches tell Macbeth half truths, leaving his ego at an all-time high. Later on in the play, in act five, scene five, Macbeth’s castle is surrounded by Macduff and the rebel Scottish army. Macbeth then recites his soliloquy in which he comes to a realization that his life has no meaning. In his soliloquy, Macbeth says, “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” (Shakespeare 5.5.24-28) Macbeth's ambition led him to be in the position in which he is questioning the meaning of his life by using metaphors, indicating that Macbeth’s ambition to become king led to him questioning the meaning of his

In the beginning of the play, the two seem happily married and even work together to plot and carry out the murder of King Duncan. However, later on in the story, the two begin to grow distant from each other, as Macbeth becomes less dependent on his wife and does not consult her about major decisions such as the murder of Banquo. Towards the end of the play, the two become very distant from each other, so much so that when Macbeth receives the word that his wife was dead, his response was “she should have died hereafter.” (Shakespeare 5.5.17) Macbeth’s cold response to his wife's death shows that their relationship was destroyed and that he was incapable of even feeling grief over the death of his wife. Lastly, Macbeth’s ambition also affects his decision making as it clouds his judgment since he is only focused on becoming King. Macbeth murders King Duncan in hopes of becoming the next King. In act two scene two, Macbeth enters with bloody daggers and says, “I have done the deed” (Shakespeare), indicating that he has murdered King