What Is The Role Of Ambition And Guilt In Macbeth

Macbeth is a brave and faithful solider who has been convinced by his wife that he must kill King Duncan in order to himself claim the title as king. Once this power has been imposed Macbeth is thrown into a world of guilt and shame prompted by his wife’s greed and the prediction of three witches. As the story progresses we watch as Macbeth turns into a cold and soulless man that he had never wanted to become who is willing to go to any length in order to cover up the horrible murder that he has committed. Clark (2013) tells us that, “Macbeth is a complicated character, and while understanding his complexity does little to expunge his bloody deeds, closer study can identify in Macbeth a profound confusion which fuels his actions, his paranoia, and his eventual downfall.” (Para. 2) Macbeth shows us the effects that ambition and guilt can have on a man who lacks strength of character. In the beginning of the play you could say that Macbeth is labeled a warrior hero and is praised many times over for his courageousness in battle and loyalty to the king. Macbeth seems to be very content with his life and never gives much thought to fame or riches, only to be a noble man determined to do what is right. Macbeth begins to change when he comes face to face with three

Macbeth is a tormented man influenced by many outside sources and was convinced to commit horrible crimes. At the beginning of the play Macbeth was a simple man who was very loyal to his king. He slowly let his reedy wife convince him that he would make a better king and so Macbeth did the only thing he could, commit murder. Afterwards he was going crazy with remorse and of course didn’t want to get caught so he ultimately lived out a life of murder to keep his secret. It goes to show you that you can’t let outside influences take you over or you will never be