This paper focuses on the three major elements in Shakespeare Macbeth such as over-ambition, evil and courage. Macbeth has generally regarded as a tragedy of ‘ambition’, and it is to be considerable extent. Over-ambition does act as a determining passion in Macbeth. But, even more than that, we can say this play is a study of fear. Although it is ambition which leads Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to commit the murder of Duncan, it is not an ambition but fear that is analyzed in Macbeth. Fear is one of a pair of passions, Shakespeare has painted this passion against the background of its opposite which is courage. Just as ‘Romeo and Juliet’ sounds its love-hate theme at the beginning, as Hamlet stresses the joy-grief pair of passion. And as Othello develops the love -hatred relationship, so Macbeth develops the theme of fear against the background of courage. And is not an ordinary courage that we have here but an extraordinary courage or audacity or rashness; and this kind of courage must be regarded as a defect because it represents the excess of true fortitude. In both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, the ambition which moves them to rash deeds; and both of them witness the gradual disillusion brought about by fear, Lady Macbeth being led to final self destruction and Macbeth to the final rage of despair.
THE CONFLICT BETWEEN AMBITION AND FEAR:
We can see the first two acts of the play are thus struggle of two passions 'ambition ' and 'fear ' for victory. That struggle has been