The Central Theme Of Ambition In Macbeth By William Shakespeare

In the dramatic play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, which took place in Scotland, the renowned author, William Shakespeare wrote about a brave Scottish general whose unbridled desire for power leads to his own damnation. The most prominent theme of the tragedy is Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s ambition to gain ruler over Scotland. Throughout the play there are several pieces of evidence that support the central theme of ambition. To begin with, the two main characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, exhibit the character traits of an ambitious person. Macbeth’s personality is one of bravery and determination which can be seen throughout the play. For instance, Macbeth removed anything in his path of becoming king and even said that he would fight to the

In the beginning of the play, Macbeth says “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o 'erleaps itself and falls on th’ other.” (Act I, scene vii, ln. 25-28) In other words, Macbeth admits that he has no righteous reason to kill Duncan because the king is near perfect. However, Macbeth’s ambition is to have the power which Duncan possesses. Another quote that allows the reader to see the ambition of the cast is after Lady Macbeth reads the letter from her husband that tells of the witches’ prophesy and the messenger tells of Duncan’s coming. Lady Macbeth says, “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood, stop up th’ access and passage to remorse that no compunctions visiting’s of nature shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between th’ effect and it!” (Act I, scene v, ln. 40-47) To summarize, Lady Macbeth is praying for her feminine compassion to be taken away so that she can be the ruthless backbone to Macbeth’s actions and encourage him to do anything for absolute power. This demonstrates her ambition because she is the driving-force to Macbeth’s scheme. This convincing evidence proves the theme of Shakespeare’s dramatic play is Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s ambition to fulfil their longing for power. Their determined and persistent attitudes, blood-thirsty actions, and overall aspiration to gain power are all undeniable pieces of evidence. The reader can clearly see the role that ambitions played in helping the characters achieve their