Macbeth Ambition Essay

Ambition in Macbeth Analytical Essay

Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’ is a tragedy following Macbeth and his Wife as they rise to power, throughout the play the concept of ambition is a common theme. Ambition is an inherent force of will that influences a persons decisions and their achievements throughout their life. And as such, ambition is a driving factor for all people and the characters in Macbeth are no different. In ‘Macbeth’, characterisation is used to demonstrate the destructive abilities of ambition and the consequences that follow. In the first performance of the play in 1606 Jacobean England, the audience is invited to view the concept of ambition through various lenses and means. Macbeth has a type of ambition that leads him

Lady Macbeth drives her husband to commit the first killing. The ambition of Lady Macbeth, as with Macbeth, leads to her death, unlike Macbeth however, the death of Lady is caused by the guilt that came from committing such vile acts. She slowly begins to descend into madness and leads to her suicide. Throughout the play it is made obvious that her ambition has been left unchecked, she begins to look to evil for the power to commit the acts that Macbeth was reluctant to carry out. “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty” (Act 1, Scene 5), this quote shows her willingness to give up her womanhood in order to become a man and be able to carry out the vile acts that were require for their rise to power, her ruthless ambition leads her to take each and every single opportunity to gain power, to gain this power she uses her influence over others to persuade them to do what she wants. Lady Macbeth begins to drive her husband away after he committed the murder of Banquo, at this point in the play it is obvious she is beginning to feel guilt and remorse for her ambition. As the play progresses, Lady Macbeth bears witness to more and more atrocities committed by her husband, slowly she begins to delve into madness. She becomes passive in watching her husband commit the vilest of acts and feels guilt towards the people she is

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Throughout the play the two work together to gain power. However, with their great ambition came their demise. The fatal flaw of the two was their ambition, Macbeth is driven to madness and paranoia whereas Lady Macbeth slowly delves into the depth of insanity. At the beginning of the play, the witches announce macbeth as “All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!” (Act 1, Scene 3) This quote is spoken by the witches, addressing Macbeth by his title as the Thane of Glamis, fuelling his ambition and his subsequent rise and fall of power. However, it was not only Macbeth who benefitted, this prophecy gave Lady Macbeth the ability to control Macbeths first murder of duncan. It is made clear throughout the play that Macbeth is paranoid, this paranoia eventually becomes intertwined with his ambition and causes him to seek out the witches in order to understand what will happen. Macbeth begins the play as a puppet for Lady Macbeth, she drives his ambition, telling him “When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man” (Act 1, Scene 7) this comment specifically attacks his manhood. She tells him that he would become more of a man if he decided to kill Duncan, the ambition of the two is the driving factor that forces Macbeth to commit the murders. The