Essay about Macbeths ambition - 907 Words

An ambition for power can seem to be true perfection, but one should be careful what they wish for, because that power might be exactly what causes their downfall. In the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare ambition plays a great role and is also a main theme. Ambition is often the motivating force in ones life. It is supposed to be the motivating factor that drives one towards success. The main character, Macbeth has ambition even though it leads him to his downfall. In contrast, Lady Macbeth pursues her goals with greater determination, yet she is less capable of withstanding the outcome of her actions. She becomes guilty which leads to her death since she becomes mentally ill and commits suicide, leaving Macbeth without any†¦show more content†¦IV), Macbeth is angry, he knows to become king he needs to either give up or step over Malcolm (meaning defeat him or perhaps assassinate Duncan). Macbeth begins to plan his betrayal against Duncan as he sees Malcolm standi ng in the way of Macbeth gaining the throne. Macbeth’s ambition to become king leads him to betray his beloved king Duncan. â€Å"Who can be wise, amazed, temprate, and furious, Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man. Th expedition of my violent love Outrun the pauser, reason.† (Macbeth, Act II Sc. II) Macbeth pretends to show sorrow after hearing the news of Duncan’s death, in another way he is asking himself these questions. This shows that Macbeth is already starting to feel guilty of what he has done. To show an unfelt sorrow is an office which the false man does easy.† (Malcolm, Act II, scene III), Macbeth shows false sorrow; he is covering up his lie by showing his sorrow towards Duncan’s death. A liar can easily pretend to feel sorrow even though he doesn’t feel any. Macbeths ambition led him to lose all the trust and loyalty from his army and thanes, as he becomes greedy and overconfident of himself. The witches’ prophecies have led him to think that no one can kill him. The prophecies showing truth are next to impossible. The apparitions shown to Macbeth by the witches include (Act IV Sc. I): He is told to beware Macduff, the Thane of Fife (Apparition 1 - an armed head),Show MoreRelatedAn Analysis of Macbeths Ambition2139 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿ Ambition Essay â€Å"Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principals which direct them.† - Napoleon Bonaparte. Ambition can be defined as the desire and willingness to strive towards achievement or distinction, the motivation in one’s life, it is one of the key sources to success but ambition can blind one from determining what’s right and what’s wrong. On the contrary, driving ambition is theRead MoreCriticism Of Macbeths Ambition1452 Words   |  6 PagesMacbeth criticism Hypothesis: Macbeth is a slave to his overarching ambition. 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The willingness to strive for its attainment†. From this definition I do not even believe that Macbeth really had any ambition of his own. I do not think his ambition was not Macbeth’s greatest weakness but more is gullibility and being able to be swayed into the directions of others. In the story of Macbeth of Macbeths missRead MoreEssay about Driving Ambition in Shakespeares Macbeth1433 Words   |  6 PagesAmbition can be defined as the desire and willingness to strive towards achievement or distinction. On the contrary, driving ambition is the outright desire to achieve a certain goal, regardless of any possible consequences. In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, driving ambition caused Macbeth and his wife to murder King Duncan because of their desire for power. In an attempt to retain his power Macbeth also murdered Banquo and Macduff’s family. Through both of these cruel actions, Macbeth and hisRead MoreComparison Between Lady Macbeth And The Wife Of Bath1544 Words   |  7 PagesAmbition is a key theme in both William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath. This essay will focus on the contrast in ambitions between Lady Macbeth and The Wife of Bath. I will argue that whereas Lady Macbeth’s uncertain ambition that stems from her preoccupation with her maternal qualities – and her apparent inabilities to bear children, the Wife of Bath is liberated and appears to relish her status as an independent woman unconcerned with child bearing, ‘a mother’s uniqueRead MoreThe Ambition of Lady Macbeth in Macbeth by William Shakespeare894 Words   |  4 PagesThe Ambition of Lady Macbeth in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Timothy Leary once said, Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition (Peters 175). But is this true in the case of the classic play Macbeth? In Macbeth it seems to be, that Macbeth the protagonist of the play is influence by Lady Macbeths ambition. Could this be an exception or was Lady Macbeth lying when she ask to be equal to a man so she could commit the murder (1.5.33.45-61). To understand one must look deeply into the