Macbeth Blind Ambition

The tragedy, ‘Macbeth’, composed by William Shakespeare is a play of manipulation and blind ambition. This is clearly depicted through the character of Macbeth, a great man fallen from God’s grace. Initially, Macbeth’s is presented as a character with noble qualities, who earns himself the trust of King Duncan and admiration of his people. However, the meeting with the weird sisters takes a toll on his personality for the worse, as they ambiguously prophesise that Macbeth will become King of Scotland. Upon hearing this, Macbeth takes fate into his own hands and embarks on a journey of blind ambition. Ultimately, Macbeth’s character deteriorates and is destined to fall. Therefore, through the dramatic elements of the play, we anticipate the downfall of valiant Macbeth as a ramification of the fatal flaw of blind ambition.
Blind ambition comes at the cost of our humanity. Macbeth aligns himself with the supernatural elements, which are associated with darkness and evil. Originally, Shakespeare introduces Macbeth as a great man, as depicted through the similes of "Yes, as sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion" and “Signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine…” This reflects Macbeth’s bravery, as he is bequeathed the gift of stars by King Duncan. Quite soon, however; we witness how he morphs into a two-faced, conniving snake, as illustrated through this simile “Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under it.” The audience immediately recognises the disparity between the dark supernatural elements and the elements of goodness and light. We expect the power play will be evoked through the illusions and half-truths through the paradox of “Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” A strong illusion that Shakespeare evokes to dramatise the mental state of Macbeth is the dagger soliloquy, “Is this a dagger which I see before me.” Whilst we see him in inner conflict over his intention to assassinate King Duncan, we recognise that he will not deviate from the path of