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Role Of Ambition In Macbeth

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In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth Macbeth’s descent into madness is a major theme in the story. Throughout the play we witness him try to reach his ambitions, but also witnessing his descent into madness. What caused this descent though? Macbeth had many influences in his life telling him where to go and what to do. His wife, Lady Macbeth telling him to chase after his ambitions, and the three witches supposedly prophesying that his ambitions will be reached. Who was responsible for the final outcome of his descent? Lady Macbeth and the three witches were major influences in his descent, but ultimately was Macbeth responsible for his own destruction? To be able to identify who is really responsible for this unfortunate outcome, one must examine each person’s role in in the play and in Macbeth’s descent into madness.
It is only logical to look at the three witches first, since they were the ones who planted the ideas of being King in Macbeth’s head. How do they get the idea into his head? Well they first call him by his title and then two other titles that were not his. “First Witch: All hail, Macbeth!Hail to thee, than of Glamis! Second Witch: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane if Cawdor! Third Witch: All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!” (Shakespeare Act I Scene III) The Witches call Macbeth by his title thane of Glamis, but then they also call him thane of Cawdor and king. He knew that he wasn’t the thane of Cawdor and he certainly wasn’t king, so at first he

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