The Tragedy of Macbeth is a well known story that revolves around the word “ambition” but this ambition isn’t always self driven by someone, but rather through the influence of someone else who maintains control of the situation. The story is about a man whose desire to be the king and have power leads to the murders of those who might stand in his way. Throughout the story we see many characters who play major parts in how one event follows another, and how some characters seem to completely have control of the events in the story. Although in Macbeth the Three Sisters and Macbeth exhibit some control over the events, Lady Macbeth has the most responsibility.
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a testimony to the difference between greed and ambition, good and evil, and right and wrong. The story shows that when one becomes obsessed with power, they will often resort to methods of manipulation and retaliation to achieve their desired outcome. In the case of Macbeth, he is approached by the Three Witches who inform him that he will one day become Thane of Cawdor and the King of Scotland. Additionally, they inform Macbeth’s comrade Banquo that his sons will one day be kings.
In Macbeth, Shakespeare intensifies the theme that unchecked ambitions cause an individual to partake in wrongdoings, resulting in an immense amount of guilt, by using the motifs of blood and sleep. The story of Macbeth is about Macbeth, an honorable soldier, getting a prophecy that he'll become king. He becomes King, but to maintain his status, he kills an increasing number of people with growing paranoia and guilt. Unchecked ambition is an excessive desire to achieve a certain goal, blinding an individual from possible consequences. This excessive desire is demonstrated by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth throughout Shakespeare’s play.
Macbeth's first initial thought after hearing the prophecies of the three witches, he wonders if this fate will come to him naturally or if he must take action in order for the prophecies to be fulfilled. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth has no intentions of doing wrong, he is a simple minded individual with no violent thoughts. Macbeth later says “I'll go no more: I'm afraid to think what I have done” in Act 2 Scene 2, Document C. After Macbeth kills King Duncan, Macbeth is ashamed and does not want to come into terms with the horrific deed he just committed. Macbeth's greed slowly gets the best of him, but after the murder we see Macbeth's good conscience coming through as he is suffering from paranoia and fear of what it means to have done something horrific. In Act 4 Scene 1, Document D, Macbeth makes the comment, “but yet I make assurance double sure,.thou shalt not live.”.
As individuals, we have a certain degree of control over our own lives and the decisions we make. While external factors such as social pressure, cultural norms, and personal circumstances can influence us, ultimately, we have agency in choosing how we respond to those factors. This is portrayed through William Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth, the titular character Macbeth is the protagonist, a Scottish general who receives a prophecy from three witches that he will become king. Consumed by ambition and spurred on by his wife, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne for himself. However, his guilt and paranoia lead him to commit more murders in order to maintain his power, and he becomes increasingly tyrannical as his
Before Macbeth’s entanglement in bloody deeds, Shakespeare portrays Macbeth as rational. When he first encounters the three witches, he says, “Speak if you can. What are you?” (1.3.50). “Speak if you can” is an imperative sentence, giving direct command to the witches.
In Shakespeare's classic play, Macbeth, the theme of greed and power is central to the narrative. The protagonist's descent into madness and ruthless ambition paints a vivid picture of the dangers of allowing these vices to take hold. Act V, Scene V, is a particularly poignant moment in the play where Macbeth finally realizes the consequences of his actions. The news of his wife's death is the catalyst for his introspection and the beginning of his journey towards self-reflection.
Power is always coveted in any society and the world of Shakespeare’s Macbeth is no different. In the play, Macbeth, a noble lord, shows his hunger for power with thoughts to remove an heir to the throne from power. Macbeth’s impatience to be king leads him to stain his honor by using murder. Macbeth travels further down the path of evil by arranging the assassination of a friend.
Unfortunately, society often perceives women as weak and inferior. They are frequently treated as ignorant and objectified. This issue is evident in William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth. Despite being the most powerful female character in any of Shakespeare's plays and the Queen of Scotland, Lady Macbeth's power is vastly different from Macbeth's power. Macbeth's power is political as he is a king and holds authority over the churches.
He murders innocent people out of paranoia that he may be found guilty. Macbeth attempts to control the future and bury the past by listening to others, committing numerous murders of innocent people, and doing anything to keep his title as king. Macbeth attempts to control his future by becoming influenced by the witches and listening to his wife's plan for him to become king. In Scene III of Act 1, the three witches prophecy to Macbeth and Banquo that he will be king, as will Banquo's kids "thou shalt get kings, though thou be none" and "Your children shall become kings" (Shakespeare 1.3.68,87).
A man, goaded by his wife, murders time and again to satisfy his hunger for power, slowly driving himself into insanity through his ambition. Ambition, both a blessing and a curse, lead Macbeth to a series of betrayals and murders of and by those closest to him. Conspiring with his wife in Act 1, Lady Macbeth had convinced Macbeth that by killing Duncan, King of Scotland, he could become the next King. He and Lady Macbeth planned the whole thing; who they would frame, how they would get past the guards, which one of them should be the one to do it, and how would they hide the knives once the deed had been accomplished. At the last second, Macbeth appeared to have a change of heart, but then his wife taunted him, insulting his manhood.
Composers throughput history have written stories and plays with exploring the different aspects of power. In this particular context, power is defined as: the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events. In the year 1606, a now globally famous playwright, William Shakespeare, composed the play titled Macbeth. It is believed to be a response to the Gun Powder Plot which was a failed assassination of King James I. Shakespeare explores the repercussions of too much ambition for an abundance of power through the demise of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The tragedy dramatises the psychological and physical affects of such pursuit for power.
As humans, the desire to want control or influence is natural. However, some people may go to greater extremes than others to obtain this power. For instance, in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth was characterized as a good man, well renowned for winning a battle. His wife, on the contrary, Lady Macbeth, has a strong urge to obtain power and she is willing to do anything to acquire it. She implemented the thought of destroying everyone who stood in the way along the path to reach royalty in Macbeth’s mind by making him feel like he as though he is less of a man if he decided not to.
William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the main character; Macbeth, is seen as an evil character. The play is based off of Macbeth’s decisions and his actions to become King. In the beginning Macbeth starts out as a hero in Scotland’s war with Ireland and towards the end he is transformed into a murderer. Macbeth is not wholly evil because of is heroism in the war, his love for Scotland, and because he didn’t want to kill King Duncan initially. Macbeth was brain washed by his wife and tricked into killing the King.
Twisted by power, Macbeth is a thrilling tale revealing just how far a man will go to retain his rule. “Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown And put a barren scepter in my grip, Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand, No son of mine succeeding. If ’t be so, For Banquo’s issue have I filed my mind,” Macbeth stated, showing his deteriorating mental state, and immense hunger for power. This play was a work of fiction, nevertheless the reality of the issue is all too real. This disastrous tale was written in 1606 by William Shakespeare, and was designed specifically for King James, who was renowned for hunting witches throughout his life.
