The Nature Of Unchecked Ambition In Macbeth

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How does Shakespeare explore the destructive nature of unchecked ambition in his play Macbeth?

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth incorporates a wide range of stylistic devices, including figurative language, symbolism, repetition, soliloquy and foreshadowing to explore the destructive nature of unchecked ambition. Shakespeare explore the role of the supernatural, and questions the influence of fate and free will on people’s actions. He also examines how gender lines are blurred due to the ambiguous nature of gender, leaving ambition unchecked, and how false appearances are a consequence of this unchecked ambition.

Firstly, Shakespeare explores the nature of unchecked ambition by questioning the nature of fate versus free

When Banquo, a commander of the Scottish army, and Macbeth encounter the witches for the first time, the idea of the ambiguous nature of gender is first hinted, when Banquo tells the witches “you should be women, and yet your beards forgive me to interpret that you are so”, where Shakespeare blurs gender lines. When Macbeth first mentions the possibility of murder to Lady Macbeth, declares that Macbeth is “too full o’th’milk of human kindness”, and is shown to be very manipulative in the same soliloquy, which Shakespeare has incorporated so the audience has an insight into Lady Macbeth’s thoughts. Lady Macbeth takes on the dominant role in the relationship, and in another of her soliloquies says “unsex me here...make thick my blood”, where Shakespeare uses characterisation and blood imagery to portray how Lady Macbeth wants to be powerful and possess masculine characteristics. She decides that Duncan will be murdered at their household, and begins planning the murder. The stereotypical roles reverse, with Lady Macbeth emasculating Macbeth, asking him “are you a man?” when Macbeth suggests they don’t murder Duncan, to which Lady Macbeth responds that while breastfeeding her baby, “while it was smiling in my face, Have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums And dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn As you have done to this.”, suggesting Macbeth is a coward. Shakespeare incorporates this vivid imagery to characterise Lady Macbeth to show how gender lines have vanished. When Macbeth murders Duncan, he is overwhelmed with guilt, portrayed through Shakespeare's use of blood imagery, when he says “Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No: this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red.”, to which Lady Macbeth brushes him off, telling him to