Shakespeare presents the theme of ambition in Macbeth. Ambition is a strong desire to do or achieve something, ambition can also be presented in a positive and negative way. Shakespeare presents ambition in a negative way through some characters who are Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and King Duncan. The reason these characters present ambition in a negative way is because they end up dying. Ambition is also present in a positive way through some characters who are Macduff, Witches and Malcolm these are the characters who survive in the play showing that you can be ambitious but not too ambitious.
To conclude, ambition is a powerful force. It can be fueled by visions of power and lead people to change. This is best seen in MacBeth's character dynamic character. He changes from a good person, to someone who will kill anyone in his way to
Ambition and self-fulfilling prophecies two seemingly unrelated things that are actually intertwined with one another. Ambition is the thing that drives many people to do the things they love. Self-fulfilling prophecies are a direct result of ambition by the person subconsciously doing things to get their foreseen future. These things help the advancement of people’s lives. It is part of life to want to succeed and have dreams be fulfilled.
In the play of Macbeth, Shakespeare tells a story of a man and wife whose ambitions get the best of them. The couple seek to gain power in their kingdom, however there is already a king in power. Lady Macbeth is determined to become queen of the throne, and decides to push her husband to do so as well. Their determination to hold power brings out the dark demons in them while causing them to lose everything. The natural and moral evil in them is exposed as they push their moral boundaries to keep their power.
Among the 37 plays Willam Shakespeare has written, Macbeth is the one that captured the astounding struggle of ambition. Unyielding ambition often leads people down a perilous path, resulting in greater losses. In Macbeth’s desperate pursuit of power, he loses his lover, honour, and mental stability. Macbeth was lucky to have a devoted wife named Lady Macbeth, who showed unconditional love and support in everything he pursued.
At the end of the play Macbeth ambition was too big and it made him went to the wrong path which led to his death. First reason, Macbeth was thinking about murdering the king and it’s not a good choice. Then he finally did his unforgivable move which is kill the king when the king was visiting his castle. He couldn’t control himself because his ambition was getting too big and it swallow him. A quote in the play said ”
Ambition is to have the desire to achieve a goal threw hard work and determination, and must people in the world have ambition some really strong some not as much and others without any ambition. Those who do have ambition tend to cut down any tree that stands in there way and most will do whatever it takes to achieve that goal even in most cases that means to kill. We see ambition almost everywhere we turn in society like Macbeth, The Lorax, Edgar Hoover, Bernie Madoff, and even Snow White. In the shakespeare play “No Fear” we can look at Macbeth and Lady Macbeth who show us a type of ambition that would drive one to become insane.
The choices we make reflect ourselves and represents what we have been through with our lives and what experiences we have with certain areas in life. In the play Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses the concept of ambition to explore its impact on Macbeth’s personality and thoughts. Evil motivation is one of the ultimate outcomes of excessive ambition. Motivation is always apparent when the reward for accomplishment is very appealing. For Macbeth, his drive to obtain more power through evil was his ultimate downfall.
Macbeth was the Thane of Cawdor but he wanted to be king more than anything. The witches had told him that he would one day be king but he did not know how long that would take so when King Duncan had been invited to stay the night at his house he exclaimed that “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,/ shakes so my single state of man/ that function is smother 'd in surmise,/ and nothing is but what is not”(1.3.52-55). He felt that if he were to kill King Duncan that he would have a better chance of becoming king. Though the witches had never told him that someone would need to get murdered for him to become king, his ambition tempted him to quicken this process the only way he felt he could. This was the beginning of the murderer that the witches had created with the fortune telling.
Ambition is a candle; a leading light with a willpower that guides one to the next light. Yet a wind appears in the opposite direction; making its way to the candle. The strength of the flame will not remain as the wind reflects the malicious change. Poet, William Shakespeare, in his play, “Macbeth”, portrays an intrepid man who loses his humanity and rushes his fate of becoming king; turning into the most hated man in his kingdom. Shakespeare’s purpose is to expand the consequences of leading with an egocentric mentality and depicting the limits of one’s ambition.
What is ambition? Ambition is the determination to achieve one’s goals. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare the protagonist, Macbeth, possesses ambition, which led to his downfall. In the play Macbeth’s ambition is driven by prophecies from witches and his wife’s aspiration. Ambition caused Macbeth to commit multiple homicides and after those wrongdoings Macbeth is left with nothing.
Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor, All hail Macbeth! Thou shalt be king hereafter” and to Banquo “… Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none” (Act 1, Scene 3). After Macbeth hears of his promotion to Thane of Cawdor, he quickly begins to believe the witches and prophecies
Macbeth’s ambition is one of the most prominent things that drive Macbeth in the play and truly becomes evident when he hears of the Witches prophecies. When the witches stop talking, he demands to know more. “Stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more” (I, III, 73-74). This portrays his excessive curiosity on the subject as well as his craving for more desirable prophecies. This ambitious nature and craving for power is also demonstrated only moments after hearing the witches, when he starts formulating a plan to kill Duncan in order to make the third prophecy come true.
Ambition is a natural part of human existence, every person has it at least a little. It is when ambition grows too large and takes control of us that it becomes dangerous. It becomes obsessive and soon nothing will stop the person obsessed. Just by looking around at our world today, one can clearly see the results of unchecked ambition. Unchecked ambition can be destructive to a society and cause the society's downfall.
/ It is the bloody business which informs / Thus to my eyes” (2.2.45-50). Macbeth is not satisfied with the thane of Cawdor. He ignores the kinship with Duncan, and desires the most powerful position, which is Duncan’s throne. His ambition is manipulated by his loyalty, which he is difficult to make a decision.