Shakespeare's Ambition In Macbeth

“Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires”(I, 4, 52-53) This is exactly what the stars did in Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Macbeth wanted Happiness in his life, but to get that he used moral sacrifices that led to his demise and no purpose of living. This is demonstrated in the dagger speech and the Tomorrow speech that will be discussed showing his ambition for power and happiness to his demise. In the dagger speech (II, 1, 33-64) William Shakespeare conveys the message that Macbeth’s ambition overrides his morals to accomplish what he wants and what he thinks will give him happiness. In lines 33-41 of the dagger speech, it portrays the message that Macbeth’s guilt is tearing him apart from the thought of what

In the tomorrow speech(V, 5, 17-28) Shakespeare conveys the message that Macbeth no longer feels emotions and feels if his life is on repeat. In lines 17-23 the message conveyed is everyday is just another day closer to your death that is inevitable. This is shown by the repetition of tomorrow when Macbeth says “ tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.”(V, 5, 19) This illustrates to the audience the dread of going into the next day because Macbeth believes they are becoming longer and more mundane. This is due to Macbeth becoming less and less satisfied with where he stands in life because of his guilt by the way he became king it drags the days along. Macbeth also uses a cold tone that is conveyed when he says “ She should have died hereafter.”(V, 5 ,17) This allows the audience to see how disconnected Macbeth is because Macbeth feels that everyone is similar and life is now just pulling him along until his fatal fall. Macbeth feels like he will now run out of time just like Lady Macbeth. Finally, Shakespeare uses depressing diction such as “petty”(V, 5, 20), “fools”(V, 5, 22) and “dusty.”(V, 5, 23) This shows how low Macbeth views life and people as a whole. Macbeth feels angry that he will die with disappointment of how his life ended, unfulfilled. Shakespeare uses depressing diction to have the audience feel the dragging pace of macbeth’s downfall and creating a depressing part of his

The Candle in the speech is a symbol of death and the wishes of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. When Macbeth said “Out,out, brief candle!” This is the continuation of the theme of darkness. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth asked for darkness so no one could see their crimes they committed. However, as Lady Macbeth became ill, she carried a candle everywhere because she was scared of the dark and now that she is dead the candle is out because Lady Macbeth is now at peace. Macbeth now thinks of light is his calling to die as he feels haunted by their crimes they committed in the dark. The simile “ Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player ....... upon the stage and is heard no more.”(V, 5, 24-25) Shakespeare is comparing life to an actor because an actor is in a play then shortly after the actors life is done and he is forgotten. Macbeth feels he will be nearly a blip in history. Just like an actor after a play forgotten. This shows Macbeth 's hopelessness that his life will not have meaning just like the plays in history that have been forgotten. Lastly, shakespeare uses negative diction such as “idiot”(V, 5, 27), “fury”(V, 5, 27) and “nothing.”(V, 5, 28) This allows the audience to feel the negative connotation Macbeth has towards life and people. Macbeth feels like his life is now meaningless now that he has killed everybody that at one point he considered an acquaintance like Banquo and his death