Lady Macbeth's Ambition

The play of “Macbeth” is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies. It is loosely based on the real King Macbeth of Scotland and takes place in the early 17th century. The play itself relies on ambition as it significantly affects characters such as Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Macduff who will do anything to quench their thirst for ambition.

Macbeth, the once noble and respected member of the hierarchy, is corrupted by the fates “weird sisters” who tinker away at Macbeth to pursue his ambitions. Thus leading to Macbeth's downward spiral to oblivion. Macbeth quotes “Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires. The eye wink at the hand, yet let that be
Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.”(1.4.57-60).

She aids Macbeth, and both do what is necessary to obtain their goals. She calls upon the fates “Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty!”(1.5.42-25). It illustrates that Lady Macbeth desires on becoming the Queen of Scotland if her and Macbeth succeed in regicide. Also, this shows Lady Macbeth hinting at Macbeth’s masculinity and competence as she wants the fates to unsex her so she can perform the regicide by herself. Further shows how hellbent she is on becoming Queen. In the events that soon follow Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have become the monarchs of Scotland but at a price. She quotes “Nought's had, all's spent, where our desire is got without content: 'tis safer to be that which we destroy than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.”(3.2.5-9). To her dismay what she and Macbeth had obtained came with a price as they are both plagued by guilt, paranoia, and nightmares. That “nothing is gained, everything is lost,” and it is better to die than live in a life full of guilt and paranoia. As a result, both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth meet their demise soon

Which left Macduff a shell of his former self, his sole goal is to seek vengeance against Macbeth. Nonetheless, Macduff travels upon the fields of Dunsinane hill and says “That way the noise is. Tyrant, show thy face! If thou beest slain, and with no stroke of mine, My wife and children’s ghosts will haunt me still. I cannot strike at wretched kerns, whose arms Are hired to bear their staves. Either thou, Macbeth, Or else my sword with an unbattered edge I sheathe again undeeded. There thou shouldst be; By this great clatter, one of the greatest note Seems bruited. Let me find him, Fortune, And more I beg not.”(5.7.19-25). It shows Macduff’s ambition which is to kill Macbeth who has become a tyrant. Macduff is eager to kill him with his sword so he can damn Macbeth to suffer from the ghosts of Macduff’s family. When Macduff and Macbeth finally meet, Macduff says “Then yield thee, coward, And live to be the show and gaze o' the' time. We’ll have thee, as our rarer monsters are, Painted on a pole, and underwrite, Here may you see the tyrant.”(5.8.27-32). Macduff has finally achieved his ambition and mocks Macbeth as a monster. Wants “a sight for people to stare at we’ll have thee...pole: like a sideshow. Marvel in a fair, in this picture, painted on cloth and set up in front of a