The Tragedy Of Macbeth: Ambition That Kills
The Tragedy of Macbeth: Ambition that Kills
In The Tragedy of Macbeth Macbeth the themes of ambition and power corrupting are presented as vices of the protagonist, Macbeth, and serve to cause his tragic downfall. In the beginning he was known throughout for being a good and honest man. He was known for being courageous and unyielding warrior. He was a hero and was able to defeat the Thane of Cawdor for betraying the king. But with the influence of the Witches and the influence of Lady Macbeth Macbeth was led to his tragic downfall. In my paper i will prove that it was the influences of others that cause the tragic downfall of Macbeth.
In The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth is influenced by the Witches to become king which leads to his downfall. In act one Scene 3 three witches appear in front of macbeth and banquo to speak of macbeth 's fate. The first witch states “ All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!”
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In The Tragedy of Macbeth Macbeth was also influenced to become king because of his wife Lady Macbeth who persuaded Macbeth to kill Duncan when he came over for Dinner. In Act 1 Scene 5 lady macbeth states that when Duncan if there at the castle that he should “ Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye, Your hand, your tongue; look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent underneath” She is telling macbeth to be friendly and open to him but be evil and deceitful while doing it. She bullies him into killing duncan and when the deed is done macbeth can’t seem to bring himself to say amen along with the soldiers. He goes to Lady Macbeth and starts to feel despair at all the blood on his hand. But lady macbeth who is cool and collected through this states that “ A little water clears us of this deed;How easy it is then!” she tells not to feel guilty and to man up and stop seeming weak and crazy. If lady macbeth hadn’t persuaded macbeth into killing Duncan then macbeth wouldn’t have become king and gone insane from the guilt that lead to his
Macbeth Human Ambition Analysis
1720 Words | 7 PagesThe Destructive Force of Human Ambition In Shakespearean time and within his plays, ambition was viewed as a downfall in character and a defiance to human nature. In today’s world, ambition is viewed as a respectable attribute in both males and females. Yet, In William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, the destructive force of ambition transcends time. Although centuries apart, Macbeth, a noble who wants to seize the position of King, and Tonya Harding, a figure skater who wants to win an Olympic gold, are two examples of ambition, its misuses and consequences.
Evil Vs Villainy In Macbeth
794 Words | 4 PagesLady Macbeth puts on a fierce and intimidating front but proves incapable of the egregious act of murder. Macbeth, however, actually commits murder and determines to do any vile deed to fight for the crown. He holds this disposition even until the point of death, unlike Lady Macbeth who dies repentant. Macbeth’s murderous actions and attitude prior to death ultimately demonstrate that he is the worse villain of the
Examples Of Persuasive Essay On Macbeth
541 Words | 3 PagesWhen we are first presented with the character of Macbeth he is pictured as a noble and loyal warrior. However, once his future is presented to him by the witches saying that he, Macbeth, is to become the next great King of Scotland, he begins to lose focus and makes the wrong decisions. Macbeth begins to only make choices that will benefit only himself and to gain power. Becoming almost unrecognizable to the person he once was. After confronting his wife, Lady Macbeth, he isn't the only one with a lust for power.
Macbeth Quotes Analysis
682 Words | 3 PagesMacbeth is the Shakespearean play that features the triumphant uprise and the inevitable downfall of its main character. In this play, Macbeth’s downfall can be considered to be the loss of his moral integrity and this is achieved by ambition, despite this, Lady Macbeth and the witches work through his ambition, furthering to assist his inevitable ruin. Ambition alone is the most significant factor that led to Macbeth’s downfall. The witches are only able to influence his actions through Macbeth’s pre-existing and the three witches see that Macbeth has ambition and uses it to control his action. Ambition alone is displayed throughout the play to be the most significant cause for Macbeth’s downfall.
Unchecked Ambition In Macbeth
1878 Words | 8 PagesAmbition is a natural part of human existence, every person has it at least a little. It is when ambition grows too large and takes control of us that it becomes dangerous. It becomes obsessive and soon nothing will stop the person obsessed. Just by looking around at our world today, one can clearly see the results of unchecked ambition. Unchecked ambition can be destructive to a society and cause the society's downfall.
Essay On Lady Macbeth Responsible For Duncan's Death
805 Words | 4 PagesMacbeth states to Lady Macbeth, “we will proceed no further in this business” (I, VII) since he almost finally decides to refuse to kill Duncan. However, Lady Macbeth uses different manipulative methodologies towards Macbeth and persuades him to consult the killing of Duncan. “So green and pale” (I, VII), Lady Macbeth even called him a coward. From the same scene, she mentions, “From this time, such I account thy love”, implying that if Macbeth cant stay steady concerning the murder of the king, then she will consider his love for her to be as similarly conflicting. Later in scene, Lady Macbeth states that if she had made such a promise as Macbeth did to her, she would “dash the brains out” of her own child as “it was smiling in her fail”.
Internal And External Forces In Macbeth
1241 Words | 5 PagesMacbeth’s ambition is what is causing him to intervene with his prophecy and pursue his goal (rather than leave it to chance). In a way, it is Macbeth’s own “black and deep desires” that make him kill in the first place as the witches never tell him to do so. Furthermore, apart from ambition, it is Macbeth’s own weak will and moral system that causes him to do the actions that result in his downfall. Macbeth’s weak will is undeniable and is illustrated before killing Duncan. “I have of spur/To prick the sides of my intent, but only/Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself/And falls on the other” (I, VII, 25-28).
Ambition For Power In Macbeth
935 Words | 4 PagesIs it not weird how ambition for power corrupts one corrupt and leads them to their destiny? Ambition for power is lust which tempts one to be corruptive to acquire and protect it. However, in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, it is evident that ambition for power ultimately leads to corruption when Macbeth’s ambition for power causes the assassination of King Duncan, when Macbeth’s ambition for power compels him to execute those who obstruct his inheritance to the Scottish Throne, and finally, when Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to assassinate the people who impede his Kingship of Scotland out of lust for power. Macbeth’s ambition for power is the root cause to King Duncan’s assassination.
Ambition In Macbeth's Downfall
688 Words | 3 PagesWhat is ambition? Ambition is the determination to achieve one’s goals. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare the protagonist, Macbeth, possesses ambition, which led to his downfall. In the play Macbeth’s ambition is driven by prophecies from witches and his wife’s aspiration. Ambition caused Macbeth to commit multiple homicides and after those wrongdoings Macbeth is left with nothing.
Causes Of Macbeth's Downfall
876 Words | 4 PagesMacbeth started off as a valiant and courageous soldier, who would do anything for the king. By the end of the play, Macbeth was a tyrant and a horrible leader who killed those who trusted him to maintain the throne. It takes many factors to take a strong man and transform him into an evil monster. Macbeth’s downfall was caused by the deception and temptation of the witches and their prophecies, Lady Macbeth’s greed and aspirations for her husband to be king, and Macbeth’s own greed, jealousy and ambition.
Manipulation In Macbeth
769 Words | 4 PagesLady Macbeth persuades and manipulates Macbeth by pointing out his insecurities successfully and pressuring him into murdering the king. Along with this, Lady Macbeth also questions Macbeth’s manhood and masculinity when he does not want to carry out the plan when she says “When you durst do it, then you were a man;//And to be more than what you were, you would//Be so much more the man” (Shakespeare 1.7.49-51). By saying these things, Lady Macbeth persuades her husband to believe that murdering the king will be his redemption from being a
Macbeth's Strengths And Weaknesses
824 Words | 4 PagesAt the beginning of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ the protagonist Macbeth is described as ‘brave’, ‘noble’ and ‘honourable’, however Lady Macbeth’s and Macbeths desire for power consumes them. Macbeth’s ambition overrides his conscience and transformed his greatest strength into his greatest weakness. Macbeth’s inability to resist temptations that led him to be greedy for power, Macbeth’s easily manipulative nature which allowed his mind to be swayed, Macbeth having no self control and his excessive pride was what allowed him to renew his previously honourable and celebrated title into one of an evil ‘tyrant’. Macbeth is led by the prophecies of the witches after they foretell he will become the Thane of Cawdor. Not only the witches, but also his wife easily manipulate Macbeth as she attacks his manhood in order to provoke him to act on his desires.
What Is Lady Macbeth's Ambition
1279 Words | 6 PagesLady Macbeth then gradually begins to bear the guilt "where our desire is got without content 'tis safer to be that which we destroy than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy". She says in a soliloquy, which Shakespeare uses to portray her deepest thoughts as she is afraid of killing more. Lady Macbeth feels that nothing was gained by killing Duncan because even though she and Macbeth got the crown, it wasn’t worth it because they can never be truly happy about it. She thinks death is better to have than living a life with questions of their future
Ambition In Shakespeare's Macbeth
1015 Words | 5 PagesMacbeth is also a power hungry man who would do just about anything to achieve his goal of becoming King. When Macbeth first hears the prophecies from the three witches he instantly became invested with the journey to become king. Similar to Lady Macbeth, nothing was going to come between him and his potential power, “My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, shakes so my single state of man. That function is smother'd in surmise, and nothing is but what is not” (1.3.52-55). This quote exemplifies how Macbeth’s initial solution to becoming king was murder.
Death And Despair In Macbeth
689 Words | 3 PagesA story of tragedy is not uncommon with William Shakespeare and his works of prose. In his plays, death and despair is more likely than honor and prosperity. This is an included facet to Macbeth as well, having sinister themes of greed, manipulation, and brutality. Macbeth, by the infamous playwright, Shakespeare, presents us with multiple aspects factoring into whether the main character controls his actions that lead to the tragic events.
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