Shakespeare's play Macbeth tells the story of a Scottish general whose own ambition drives him to pursue power at any cost. The play shows themes of guilt, the high cost of a blind pursuit of authority, and unchecked ambition. The character, Macbeth, is a distinguished warrior who falls to temptation by his own desire to claim the Scottish throne, an action that was prophesied by three witches. As his battlefield expertise transitions into his life outside of combat, his actions become increasingly depraved and immoral, this leads to a downward spiral of violence and paranoia that ends in his downfall. Though it is often said that Macbeth's wife leads him to commit the appalling acts detailed in the play, I argue that his militaristic prowess …show more content…
As a warrior, he is accustomed to conquering enemies on the battlefield. In return for his victories he is often praised for his successes. This is an occurrence we observe at the very beginning of the play. His military background leads him to feel that he can overcome any obstacle in his way through sheer violence and warfare, including the king, Duncan. Macbeth himself openly admits that his mindset and ambition drives him in the quote: “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself and falls on the other" (Act 1, Scene 7). This quote clearly demonstrates that Macbeth is not solely driven by a prophecy or person. Rather, he is heavily motivated by his desire to conquer and expand his …show more content…
This directly stems from his military success. Put simply, he feels untouchable. This, in conjunction with his blind ambition fuel the belief that he is invincible. We see this most clearly in the 5th act’s 3rd scene in which Macbeth declares that he will not fear death until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane. His arrogance fuels the idea that he cannot be defeated by any means and the Witch’s prophecy will come to fruition as a rule. Independent from his actions. This ultimately leads to his downfall, as he underestimates his opponents and becomes increasingly