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Macbeth's Ambition Research Paper

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“Ambition is but the evil shadow of aspiration” - George MacDonald. In the play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth gets a prophecy from 3 witches that he will become king. Macbeth, out of his ambition and selfish desires to rule, kills the king with the help of his wife, Lady Macbeth. Macbeth goes on a murder spree, but is eventually bested by his rival, Macduff. Ambition leads people to commit violent acts out of their own selfish needs. Macbeth ultimately decides to murder King Duncan, out of his ambition to become king. Macbeth talks to himself, going back and forth, thinking if he should kill King Duncan, and ultimately decides to kill him and solemnly states “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but …show more content…

Lady Macbeth, in her letter to Macbeth tells him that he has too much kindness, and is not manly enough to kill King Duncan. “Yet do I fear thy nature. It is too full of ‘the’ milk of human kindness”. This quote means that Macbeth is too filled with kindness and compassion to ever think of murdering someone, nor attempting to do it. Although Lady Macbeth and Macbeth have done terrible things, they have expressed emotions such as regret and guilt, showing that they are not heartless. Lady Macbeth mourns over the blood on her hands, and desperately tries to wash it off, but it does not come out. ““Out damned spot!... Yet who would have thought that the old man had so much blood in him? Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.”(Macbeth Act 5, Scene 1).” This quote means that Lady Macbeth is astonished by how much blood is on her hands, and she cannot sweeten or clean her hand off. Macbeth continues to remind readers that ambition can be a good thing, but too much of it will result in violence and mania. It is important that we do not let ambition get to our heads, as has happened before with various leaders, the most infamous being Adolf Hitler. The play “Macbeth” perfectly illustrates the words of George McDonald “Ambition is but the evil shadow of

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"Here's the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand" (5.1.50-51). Lady Macbeth went on a delirious rant while sleepwalking during the final act; during which she exclaimed how guilty she felt and she won’t be able to escape her past mistakes. Her delirious state would eventually end with her demise, as most iterations of the play have her committing suicide off stage. To conclude, Lady Macbeth in the end fell to her demons, as her guilt led to a declining mental state which would end up in her

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The Destructive Force of Human Ambition In Shakespearean time and within his plays, ambition was viewed as a downfall in character and a defiance to human nature. In today’s world, ambition is viewed as a respectable attribute in both males and females. Yet, In William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, the destructive force of ambition transcends time. Although centuries apart, Macbeth, a noble who wants to seize the position of King, and Tonya Harding, a figure skater who wants to win an Olympic gold, are two examples of ambition, its misuses and consequences.

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But, as the consequences of their actions begin to come to light, Macbeth becomes more determined while Lady Macbeth loses her forceful spark. Although apathetic for the most part, guilt over her involvement in the murders inevitably riddles Lady Macbeth. This guilt drives her into a state of distress where she believes “[h]ere’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of / Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, Oh, Oh!”

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Shakespeare employs blood to accentuate how guilt ultimately drives Lady Macbeth’s implied suicide. Between Macbeth receiving the initial prophecy and the death of Banquo, Lady Macbeth does not actively exhibit any remorseful qualities, such as guilt or regret. However, before the final battle, she subconsciously reveals her fears, acting and speaking in her sleep. Holding a taper, she repeats an “accustomed action” of “washing her hands”; she agonizes that her “hands [will] ne’er be clean” no matter what “perfumes of Arabia” she uses (Shakespeare 5.1.24-25, 5.1.37, 5.1.43). Contrary to the once ambitious and assertive character, Lady Macbeth is now plagued by anguish; she stresses that the blood of Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff’s family will never fully wash out–she is unable to cleanse her hands.

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Ambition is a powerful motivating force, but can you ever really be too ambitious well in Macbeth ambition cause him to become a murder to try to reach his goal. This dark path cause him to kill and left him with a mentality twisted consions and all thanks to his big desire of power. This desire of power started when he met the witches in Act 1 scene 3 where they tell him “ All hail ,Macbeth, hail to the Cawdor!” “All hail, Macbeth, thou stalt be king here after!”

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• In the play ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare, ambition is characterised as dangerous and irrational. To have an ambition is to have a strong desire to achieve something, in the play Macbeth himself has a strong desire to become king, causing him to act irrationally and certifiably insane. Macbeths ambition is dangerous as he believes the only way to become king (after hearing the witches prophecy) is to murder King Duncan. Macbeth believes that Duncan’s death will bring him success he believes it to the point of being willing to risk his life, ‘we’d jump the life to come’ (I.VII.7). Lady Macbeth’s ambition is for Macbeth to become king and for them as a couple to have more power.

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Ambition can have either a positive or negative affect on a person’s decisions. In most cases, an ambitious person is viewed as someone who is very determined towards achieving their goals. However, the other type of ambitious people are those who have a strong desire to be powerful, usually in a negative and controlling way. These ambitious people tend to have unrealistic and immoral goals, usually in a way for them to gain competence. In Macbeth, written by the famous playwright William Shakespeare, the main character Macbeth is seen to portray these traits.

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That is not entirely accurate. Macbeth didn’t want to kill Duncan. Before he killed him, he said “I have no spur to prick with the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other” (1.2.25-28). This is Macbeth being honest with himself and realizing that there isn’t really a good reason to kill Duncan. He just wants the power of king to himself.

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Despite her efforts to cleanse herself, she cannot escape the reminder of the blood on her hands. The mention of Arabia, known for its strong scents, emphasizes the overwhelming sorrow she feels. This quote highlights the intense guilt she battles against. In the end, she is unable to bear the weight of her guilt and it consumes her. Lady Macbeth struggles to get over the fact that knowing what she has done can't be reversed.

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During her delusion, she says, “What, will these hands ne’er be clean?” (5.1.39) and then later says, “Here’s the smell of blood still. All the / perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little / hand” (5.145-47). Lady Macbeth is unable to let go of her guilt and take responsibility for her actions. She decides she is unable to continue living as such and decides to take her own life.

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Macbeth then starts to realize that there 's no reason for killing King Duncan but Macbeth wants

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Lady Macbeth has failed to escape the grasps of fear, she has failed to escape the mental consequences of bloodshed. Although no human authority has brought her to justice her ever grown fear and paranoia sentenced her to death. During Lady Macbeth's consultation with her doctor she Says, “Here’s the smell of blood still. All/ the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. O, O, O!”

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