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Common Themes In Macbeth

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Macbeth was written over 400 years ago, yet the play’s themes are still applicable. The themes ambition, betrayal, and deceit are still being portrayed in stories and movies today. These themes not only make for an entertaining story, but also teach lessons. Macbeth longed to be king so badly that he killed for it. When a person kills to get what they want is an example of excessive ambition. Ambition is the one of the most important themes in Macbeth. Ambition in moderation is normal, setting goals, working overtime, etc., but tremendous ambition can be destructive. Ambition led Macbeth to kill Duncan and take his throne. It led Macbeth to kill his friend, Banquo, because he was suspicious of him and he feared he would be an obstacle. Even Macbeth’s wife experienced excessive ambition and is the person who came up with the plan to kill the king and blame it …show more content…

Macbeth won everyone over and earned their trust making it easier to deceive them. After he was declared Thane of Cawdor, the king came over to celebrate and thank him for his loyal service. Duncan stayed the night after the celebration and Macbeth killed him proving he had no true loyalty or respect for him. They drugged the guards and made sure that they used their weapons to kill Duncan so they could plant the weapons on them. Macbeth lied, framed, and killed two innocent men for his personal benefit. When Macduff came to get the king the next morning, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth pretended to be horrified that the guards would commit such a crime. Macbeth only became King because of his deceit and lies not because he deserved it. The story of Macbeth goes to show how flawed and prideful people can be. All Macbeth did was harm and lie to people for his personal gain. In the end, he lost everything, even his own life. This play may be very old, but it still teaches important lessons that readers can learn from

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