Ambition in Macbeth Essay

Julius Caesar once said When the gods wish to take revenge on a man for his crimes they usually grant him considerable success and a period of impunity, so that when his fortune is reversed he will feel it all the more bitterly. This quote instantaneously reflects the problem with over ambition in effective all cases. Being over ambitious keep bring someone to great heights but usually also leads to their downfall. In William Shakespeares Macbeth, the item is no different. Macbeth, the protagonist in the play, is cursed with over ambition. This affliction brings him to great heights in his move however ultimately leads him to his downfall. Three main examples of Macbeths blind ambition go as follows. boney the beginning of the play Macbeth is awarded the surname of the Thane of Cawdor by the late Kind Duncan after he managed to capture the forward thane on crimes of t solid ground. Macbeth is temporarily content with his title but that was not to last. Upon his wife, named Lad y Macbeth, receiving word of a forebode regarding Macbeth becoming king she begins to hatch a plot to have Macbeth seize power from Duncan. Macbeth, hesitantly accepts the plot after much prodding from his wife by saying I am settled, and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show false face essential hide what the false heart doth know. (1.7. 89-93) This simply means that he must hide his true intentions from Duncan ahead he starts him.Shortly after his coronation, Macbeth begins to fell unsafe with his position. He feels the guilt feelings bearing down on him at almost every moment in the day and he has trouble sleeping. He ponders the witches anticipate and realizes the next step that he must take. The witches stated that Banquo Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none So all hail, Macbeth and Banquo (1.3.70-71) Given this knowledge, Macbeth is worried that Banquo may overthrow Macbeth. He hires three murderers to go out a nd kill Banquo and his son Fleance. He saysWell then, nowHave you considerd of my speeches? issueThat it was he in the times past which held youSo under fortune, which you thought had beenOur innocent self this I made good to youIn our last conference, passd in probation with you,How you were borne in hand, how crossd,the instruments, Who shaped with them, and all things else that might To half a soul and to a notion crazedSay therefore did Banquo. (3.1.80-90)By saying this, he basically pins all of their troubles on Banquo and thus giving them reason to kill him.The third and ultimately final example of Macbeths reckless ambition occurs when Macbeth has the family of MacDuff, one of his Thanes, killed to simply rank a message to the people of Scotland that he was not to be trifled with. Coincidentally, the reason that spurred him on to do this and the reason MacDuff manages to convince Prince Malcolm are quite closely connected. MacDuff escapes to England to raise an army agai nst Macbeth, upon arriving he is questioned by Malcolm who had escaped antecedently as to the reason for his arrival. The only thing that allowed MacDuff to convince Malcolm to do this for him was the furor he had mustered upon receiving word of his wild family. He exclaimsO, I could play the woman with mine eyesAnd braggart with my tongue But, gentle heavens, foreshorten short all intermission front to frontBring thou this fiend of Scotland and myselfWithin my makes length set him if he scape,Heaven forgive him too (4.3.269-273)In conclusion, these three events had temporarily positive effects and long lasting extremely negative effects on Macbeth and ultimately lead to his death. He did not remain content with the title bestowed upon him by Duncan and instead strive after the title for king for himself. He sought to stopthe prophesy bestowed upon him by the witches by having Banquo killed but revealing his guilt afterward. Finally he had the family of a potentially opposing tha ne murdered to send a message to him. unchecked ambition has been the bane of powerful men and women throughout history and nothing has changed in William Shakespeares Macbeth.