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The Responsibility Of Duncan's Ambition In Macbeth

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Overpowering someone can often bring out the worst in them. People almost never have the perspective to use that power in a responsible or consistent way, and they always mess it up. A Scottish nobleman, Macbeth, encounters three “weird sisters” after a bloody fight who prophesy that he will become king. Macbeth starts to believe that the only way he can rule Scotland is by killing Duncan the current king. Macbeth is the person most responsible for the tragic ending in Shakespeare’s Macbeth because of his reckless ambition and his choice to believe the witches' prophecies, both of which lead to Macbeth’s downfall. Macbeth’s gruesome acts appear to prove his constant ambition to rule Scotland, but ironically, his regrets demonstrate the opposite, demonstrating how …show more content…

Having a strong desire to rule, Macbeth is extremely ambitious. His ambition outweighs any other quality, making it undesirable. Nothing would stand in the way of Macbeth’s success once he set his mind towards something. Macbeth doesn’t have any reason why should kill King Duncan. As he is talking with himself trying to get one, the only reason to go through with the plan is because of his ambition getting in the way. “I have no spur/ To prick the sides of my intent, but only/ Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself/ And falls on th’ other”(1.7 25-28). In reality, Macbeth’s ambition is what drives him to murder King Duncan. In fact, ambition, according to Macbeth, may cause people to put themselves first. It is at this point that Macbeth begins his downfall because he has too much ambition to stop the murder. Macbeth’s ambition is out of control and is now beginning to take over. Another example of Macbeth’s reckless ambition that demonstrates his downfall is when he realizes how good of a king King Duncan was, but how his ambition overcame his goodness, which lead him to kill King Duncan. Macbeth tells himself and Lady Macbeth

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