The tragedy "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare examines the deadly consequences of excessive ambition. The play was originally performed in 1606 as a memorial to King James and to warn people about betraying him through lying or regicide. The meaning of this tragedy is still relevant to modern audiences because of the cautionary lesson it tells about the tragic hero's collapse, despite its numerous specific connections to King James. The plot of Macbeth illustrates how the continuous quest for status and power will ultimately result in moral deterioration and catastrophic outcomes. The story of Macbeth focuses attention on the corrupting effect of power that results from uncontrolled ambition. After his first encounter with the witches, Macbeth's …show more content…
He decides to kill Banquo because his conscience starts to fail and he starts to develop paranoia over the prophecy that says Banquo "shalt have kings." He accomplishes this without requiring Lady Macbeth's help, even going so far as to conceal his goals from her by telling her to "be innocent of the knowledge dearest Chuck." There is a shift in the dynamic between these characters as evidenced by Macbeth's paternal tone and the term of endearment he employs to speak to his wife. She had criticized him earlier in the play for having a "heart so white," a metaphor that emphasized her vulnerability to ambition. Nevertheless, he is now capable of murder for his cause without his wife's influence. After the deed is completed, Macbeth's guilty conscience reappears as Banquo's ghost, to which he sobs in front of his large party, "Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake thy gory locks at me.” This aside's devastating phrasing emphasizes Macbeth's ability to continue seeing the wickedness of his deeds. He acknowledges that he has "in blood stepped in so far that, should [he] wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o'er." despite his conscience, he said. His use of metaphors illustrates how his crumbling conscience, driven by his constant thirst for power and need to avoid punishment, justifies his following