Macbeth ultimately fails to stay in power because of his ambition. Macbeth fails because he is overly ambitious, lacks loyalty to his friends and his people, and is overly gullible and easily manipulated by the witches and Lady Macbeth. Nonetheless, Macbeth’s ambition makes his emotions get the best of him, and ultimately fails to stay in power. Macbeth killing Banquo results in Macbeth losing another loved one. Banquo being his closest friend, this had a stronger effect on Macbeth's conscience especially when he “dare… Approach thou like… rugged Russian bear”( Shakespeare 3.4.121-122). Macbeth is approached by Banquo's ghost and feels threatened to the point where he feels the need to “desert with thy sword”(Shakespeare 3.4.126). This shows how Macbeth's emotions hold him back and his ambitions make his situation worse when he tries to act bravely and stubbornly. …show more content…
Macbeth's suspicions towards Banquo make him decide that he is an obstacle to staying in power, thus he decides to hire murderers and manipulate them into thinking that Banquo “held you so under fortunes…had been out innocent self”(Shakespeare 3.1.83-86). Macbeth persuades the murderers that Banquo is the root of all of their problems and that he must die. This shows how he chose power over his best friend. Lastly, Macbeth's ambition makes him overly gullible and easily manipulated. Lady Macbeth’s need for power makes her put Macbeth's feelings aside and manipulates him into killing King Duncan, along with making other bad decisions, by questioning his manhood, and telling him to “Be…more than man”… “I had given suck”(Shakespeare 1.7.58-62). Macbeth is easily manipulated by Lady Macbeth and questions his manhood. Macbeth’s ambition urges him to prove her wrong and show that he is the one in power, as well as his fearlessness towards his hallucinations of bottled guilt and
To begin, Macbeth demonstrates desperate and ruthless choices as he reaches for power which doesn’t belong to him. For example, when Macbeth is talking to himself about what he should do about the second part of the prophecy. Banquo, one of Macbeth's friends, also received a prophecy that his children would be their heirs to the king. Wanting to keep the power of the throne he says “Given to the common enemy of man/To make them kings, the seeds of Banquo kings./Rather than so, come fate into the list,/And champion me to th’ utterance”(3.1.74-77). Macbeth is not willing to take any chances when it comes to keeping the power he has been handed.
Macbeth decides he needs to take action to keep his crown, “Given to the common enemy of man/ to make them kings, the seeds of Banquo kings/ Rather than so, come Fate into the list” (3. 1. 70-72). After seeing that all of his prophecies come true Macbeth thinks about Banquo and fears losing his crown. Macbeth hires murderers to go and kill Banquo and Fleance so that he remains king.
When Macbeth becomes king, he begins to spiral out of control as he continues to commit murder to maintain his power. Macbeths actions lead to the death of Banquo, Lady Macduff, and her children, among others. These murders leave Macbeth feeling guilty and paranoid, and he becomes increasingly isolated and disconnected from those around him. His choices reveal that he is ultimately responsible for his own fate, as he could have made different choices that would have led to a different outcome. Macbeths actions show that he is unable to resist temptations and his own desires.
While power may seem alluring to many, Shakespeare’s Macbeth highlights the destruction and harm that comes with great power. Throughout Macbeth’s journey for more power, Shakespeare is able to demonstrate the cognitive changes Macbeth endures with his power gain. Macbeth is seen getting more violent and apathetic as the play goes on, showing how power corrupts the mind. Soon after Macbeth has a great increase in power, Act Three Scene One emphasizes how the determination for more power affects Macbeth. Macbeth is shown with little remorse for causing the death of one of his former friends, blinded by the desire for power.
In the story, Macbeth becomes nervous that Banquo will over power him. “But to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature Reigns that which would be feared. ' Tis much he dares, And to that dauntless temper of his mind To act in safety. There is none but he Whose being I do fear.”
His noble characteristics have been corrupted by his ambition and his fear of losing his newly acclaimed power makes it easier for him to take drastic measures; such as murder, to keep it. This can be seen when Macbeth is speaking to the hired murderers and says, “That every minute of his being thrusts/Against my near’st of life” (III.I.116-117). In these lines, he is referring to Banquo and how the mere existence of Banquo threatens Macbeth’s position. To Banquo from figuring out what he did to King Duncan, he has him killed (III.IV.16). Macbeth has no serious qualms about having Banquo killed and makes the order with surprising ease.
He orders the murder of his friend, Banquo, and his son, Fleance, out of fear that they will threaten his reign. He also becomes obsessed with maintaining his power, even if it means killing innocent people. His ambition blinds him to the consequences of his actions, leading to his eventual downfall. Lady Macbeth also suffers from the consequences of her ambition. She initially encourages Macbeth to kill Duncan, but she is haunted by guilt and becomes increasingly unstable as the play progresses.
However, the play also explores the darker side of ambition and the consequences that come with it. Macbeth's unchecked desire for power leads him down a dark path, ultimately resulting in his downfall. He becomes consumed by his ambition and loses sight of his moral compass. Macbeth's decision to murder King Duncan sets off a chain of events that ultimately leads to his own demise. His ambition also leads him to commit a series of heinous acts in order to maintain his power, including ordering the murder of Banquo and his son, and later having Lady Macduff and her children killed.
( I.III)” Upon hearing the witches prophecy about Macbeth being king, his ambition kicked in and he began to think greedly. All that was left on Macbeth’s mind was the thought of murdering King Duncan to gain power. Macbeth wanted his name to be forever remembered and he felt saw Banquo’s prophecy as a threat to the throne. He ordered his murder, diregarding the consequences becuase macbeth thought of himself as unstoppable, and noone was going to stop his ambition.
Her ambition and desire for power drive her to persuade Macbeth to commit regicide. Lady Macbeth's attempts to rid herself of guilt are evident in her constant hand-washing and attempts to dissociate herself from the murders. However, her guilt becomes too much to bear, and she ultimately takes her own life. Lady Macbeth's struggle highlights the consequences of unchecked ambition and the importance of maintaining one's honour and integrity. Banquo is a foil to Macbeth, as he maintains his integrity and honour throughout the play.
and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee! Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; thou hast no speculation in those eyes which thou dost glare with!" The paranoia caused by Banquo's ghost indicates the guilt Macbeth feels for betraying his friend and the fear of getting caught for his misdeeds. Greed occurs in the play via Act 2 Scene 1, where Macbeth follows the illusion of a dagger to King Duncan's chamber.
Macbeth’s decision to assassinate Banquo causes permanent damage and haunts him throughout the remainder of the play. No issues exist between Macbeth and Banquo, but the moment the witches plant a seed of desire in Macbeth’s head, he becomes paranoid and merciless. This incident began Macbeth’s downfall because it led others to suspect him of foul play and distrust him, eventually leading to a revolution. This decline of
21-22). Because the murderers failed to kill Banquo's son, it’s possible that the witches' saying may still come true. Because of Macbeth's extreme drive for power it causes him to go too far and causes problems for him mentally. Since he sought out to kill Banquo, during the dinner, he continues to hallucinate the ghost of Banquo sitting among them which really disturbs him as he tries to get Banquo's ghost to go away by saying “Avaunt, and quit my
Macbeth’s decision to have Banquo killed is a strong moment in the play, as it marks the point at which shows how Macbeth fully embraces how ruthless and ambitious he is. In order to convince the murderers to do his bidding, Macbeth appeals to their sense of pride and desire for revenge. He reminds them of the bad that Banquo has done to them in the past, and tries to get them mad by suggesting that it was Banquo's fault for their difficulties. He then says his death is neccesary to gain more power over Banquo. Macbeth is then able to convince the murders to carry out his plan.
She told him to kill King Duncan so he could take his place, but Macbeth said he felt guilty because Duncan was a good man and deserved better. Eventually he does kill Duncan but immediately feels remorse, guilt, and even hallucinates. After Duncan’s murder, Macbeth kills the guards as to not have any witnesses. The he begins focusing on killing Banquo because the prophecy said that his sons would one day be kings. He persuades some assassins to kill Banquo and his son by blaming their problems on Banquo.