Macbeth's Ambition Research Paper

Macbeth is a character in William Shakespeare's play. He is a victim of his character to a great extent. Macbeth’s ambition, desire for power, and vulnerability to persuasion ultimately lead to his downfall.

Firstly, Macbeth's ambition and desire for power is the primary driving force behind his downfall. Macbeth is ambitious to the point of obsession, and his desire for power leads him to commit a series of evil crimes. Macbeth's ambition led him to ignore his conscience which is noticeable in Act 2, Scene 2, where he spoke of hearing a voice crying out after he killed King Duncan, saying, "Methought I heard a voice cry 'Sleep no more! / Macbeth does murder sleep' - the innocent sleep, / Sleep that knits up the raveled sleeve of care" (2.2.39-42).

His ambition has taken control of him, leading him to ignore his better judgment and commit evil crimes, which is why he is having these hallucinations. In Act 1, Scene 3, when the witches prophesize that he will become king, Macbeth admits, "My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, / Shakes so my single state of man that function / Is smother'd in surmise" (1.3.138-141). This shows that Macbeth was already considering murder as a means to achieve his ambition, even though he hasn’t yet fully committed to the idea. His ambition and desire for power ultimately led him to commit several murders, including those of King Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff's family. In Act 1, Scene 3, Macbeth was told by the witches that he will become king. This prophecy ignited his ambition and desire for power. He said, "Why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair / And

Lady Macbeth manipulated and controlled him through emotional blackmail and psychological manipulation. In Act 1, Scene 7, Lady Macbeth says, "Art thou afeard / To be the same in thine own act and valour, / As thou art in desire?" (1.7.39-41). She played on Macbeth's sense of masculinity and pride to convince him to murder King Duncan. No man would want to be seen as weak and not manly, so he needed to prove her wrong. He fell into her manipulative trap. Yes, the witches and Lady Macbeth certainly play a role in persuading him to kill but Macbeth is ultimately responsible for his own choices. With his first encounter with the witches, he was initially skeptical of their predictions, but he became so fixated on the idea of becoming king. Lady Macbeth encouraged him to take action, but she cannot force him to commit murder. It was he who had the last say. Macbeth specifically requests that she not "utter [her] thoughts" (1.5.73) on the subject of killing Duncan, showing that he is not completely under her control. In Act 3, Scene 1, Macbeth decided to have Banquo and his son, Fleance, killed to eliminate any potential threats to his power. He said, "Our fears in Banquo / Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature / Reigns that which would be feared" (3.1.51-53). Macbeth's fear and paranoia drove him to make decisions that are both cruel and shortsighted. Macbeth's