How Influential Is Macbeth’s Ambition? Essay

In Macbeth, a play set in Scotland, William Shakespeare wrote a cataclysm of one mans ambition. It is the shortest of Shakespeares tragedies, and has a very fast pace. It tells the story of Macbeths ambition to be king, and the chain of damage he causes by pursuing this ambition. This ambition is the fatal flaw that causes his ultimate downfall. Once Macbeths lifelong ambition seems to be fulfilled, it causes consequences that his mind can non handle. The play shows that one may derive easily influenced by other people when he/she is over- ambitious. Ambition is something that everyone can identify with, and Macbeth is a compelling study of how ambition can destroy you, so the audience are automatically interested in Macbeths char fiddleer.When we are archetypical introduced to Macbeth, he is already ambitious. But by being tempted to the extremes by both sources of external evil the witches and his wife, his ambitions are only increased by making them seem like they could be a reality. The witches and lady Macbeth, whom are both rightfully evil figures, influence Macbeth heavily throughout the play, and both exploit his ambition to become king. Their influence is the rea parole Macbeths ambition spirals so out of bid and ends in tragedy.Our first impression of Macbeth is of a heroic, famous, popular man who is well liked by the king In Act 1 diorama 2 Duncan refers to Macbeth as noble Macbeth. We first meet Macbeth in Act 1 mental picture 3, when he and Banquo have arrived to meet the witches. Macbeths first words So foul and fair a day I have not seen immediately associate him with the witches, because they say in Act 1 Scene 1 Fair is foul and foul is fair, so evil is brought to mind. Macbeth is connected with the supernatural in the audiences mind from the onset.This is the first thing that is not consistent with Macbeths image of a war hero. In this scene, the witches declare that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and also king of Scotland. Ma cbeth strongly believes the witches words, especially after the first part of the prophecy comes true, he begins to think the second part may also come true. Their prophecies influence his ambition as seen in an aside, when he begins to estimate murdering Duncan, the current king of Scotland. The aside follows closely Macbeths proclivitys and doubts he does not know whether these prophecies are good or bad, scarcely he dearly wants to be king.If good, why do I yield to that suggestion/ whose horrid image doth unfix my hair/ and make my seated heart knock at my ribs,/ against the use of genius?.However, we can guts that Macbeth doesnt actually want to murder Duncan, as he is horrified by these murderous thoughts. But Macbeth cannot stop thinking near what the witches have said, showing that he is considering the idea and is drawn to it, and that he has ambitions to be king within him already.In Act 1 Scene 5, Macbeths wife, gentlewoman Macbeth, also influences Macbeths ambiti on. She is revealed to be very driven and ruthless, and she clearly wants Macbeth to be king. She says Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it, meaning that Macbeth is not without ambition, but lack of ruthlessness that is needed to become king. She influences him to blot out Duncan.She also encourages him to conceal his feelings, telling him to Look like the innocent flower but be the ophidian undert. Lady Macbeth is telling Macbeth to look respectful and welcoming and happy on the outside, but to hide his plotting and scheming and evils inside. Lady Macbeths capacity to influence her husband leads us to believe that she is the primary cause for the destruction of Macbeth. She is the biggest encouragement to his ambition, since she uses her husbands trust to change her own future.In Act 1 Scene 7, evidence that Macbeth has a benignant side and is very worried is found in a long soliloquy a speech where Macbeth is alone on stage so we can again see wh at Macbeth is thinking. He is worried about his eternal soul, and what his punishment will be in heaven if he kills Duncan.He thinks of reasons why he should not kill Duncan, and comes to the conclusion that the only reason he is doing it is because of his strong ambition. When Macbeth decides not to continue with their plan to murder Duncan, Lady Macbeth urges him to act on his desires and ambition or he will think of himself as a coward. She exploits his ambition by questioning it when she says Art thou a frighted(predicate)/ To be the same in thine own act and valour As thou art in desire?She manipulates him further, calling him a coward and insulting his manhood, subtle that Macbeth will want to prove himself. This shows that Lady Macbeth is somewhat responsible for Macbeths downfall because, she drives him to go through with the murder and makes up the details of the plan to kill Duncan, while Macbeth was considering not even going through with the it.Although Macbeth had the thought of killing Duncan, he would not have acted on that thought unless Lady Macbeth persuaded him. Lady Macbeth is a sly person, able to manipulate her husband, and this ability to manipulate Macbeth makes her partially responsible for the destruction of Macbeth. She makes sure he will perform the deed by victorious an active role in preparing for the murder framing the two chamberlains and cleaning up afterwards. As Macbeth worries about failing to carry out the plan, Lady Macbeth tells him to couple up his courage and they wouldnt fail.Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan who stays as a guest in his castle. Macbeth then becomes king of Scotland. Although Macbeth becomes king, he cannot have peace. His sempiternal ambitions lead him into misery. Being obsessed by the witchess prophecies, he even tries to control his future.He remembers the witchess predictions that his friend Banquos sons will be kings of Scotland. Macbeth considers Banquo and his son Fleance as threats to his security as King. Although outwardly friendly to Banquo, Macbeth is jealous and fearful of him. Plagued by worry and to prevent this from happening, Macbeth orders three men to kill Banquo and his son. Macbeths desire to gain wealth and status completely overpowers him. He becomes more ambitious than his wife, and finds himself drained and drained of emotion, as we see in Act 3 Scene 1. He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valourto act in safety. There is none but heWhose being I do fear and under himMy genius is rebuked, as it is saidMark Antonys was by Caesar.Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown,And put a barren scepter in my gripe,Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand,No son of mine succeeding .Throughout the play Macbeth is undermined by his insatiable ambition. Macbeth was at first reasonable enough to hold back his ambition in check, however it eventually became too strong for even Macbeth and therefore over-powered him. Reasoning was abandoned a fter the decision to kill Duncan was made. At that conduct we see no serious questioning of the motives of the three witches when he is told of their cunning and misleading predictions. The decision to kill Duncan also signified the last serious try out at moral contemplation on the part of Macbeth.Throughout the novel we see that the Macbeths ambition completely subverted their reasoning abilities and eventually lead to his downfall. Macbeth, whom initially was a very reasonable and moral man, could not hold off the lure of ambition.Macbeths excessive ambition motivates him to murder Duncan, and once the evil act is accomplished, he sets into motion a series of sinister events that ultimately lead to his downfall. We see this when he says I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go oer. Macbeth is saying that he is so alter to the idea of murder that he will now be able to wade through a sea of blood. This is very ironic, as previo usly in the play, Macbeth had feared that he would never be able to wash the blood from Duncas murder off his hands.During the course of the play, Macbeth changes from a person with some moral sense to a man who will stop at nothing to get and keep what he wants. Although we are presented with his deterioration from good to evil, we can see his human side throughout the play, which makes it a tragedy. Once Macbeths ambition has set the ball rolling, events happen quickly in the play as it gathers momentum. This graphic ambition leads to his downfall.