Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

The Effects Of Macbeth's Ambitions.

Good Essays
1309 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Effects Of Macbeth's Ambitions.
"He who blinded by ambition, raises himself to a position whence he cannot mount higher, must thereafter fall with the greatest loss." - Niccolo Machiavelli. This preceding quote effectively describes Macbeth's fight to gain and maintain his role as King of Scotland. Throughout the play, Macbeth did anything necessary to become King. When he feared his reign was at risk, he again did whatever he thought was necessary to ensure his role. His ambitions caused him to take part in many regretful acts, resulting in havoc throughout Scotland. Later in the play, his prerequisite knowledge allowed him to fear nothing, which essentially caused him to lose his reign as King. The effects of Macbeth's ambition are: multiple deaths, his and Lady Macbeth's relentless feeling of guilt, and the change of Kingdom leaders.

The first most prominent effect of Macbeth's ambition is the murder of multiple people. The first person that is killed as an effect of Macbeth's ambition is King Duncan. Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth that he will prosper if he kills Duncan. Therefore, under the forceful direction of Lady Macbeth, he murders Duncan for his own gain, even though he currently realizes that what he is doing is wrong. The result of his actions can be seen when he says: "I go, and it is done; the bell invites me. / Hear it not, Duncan; for it is a knell / That summons thee to heaven, or to hell." (II.i.62-64). Macbeth felt so strongly that he would become King that he decided to kill the current King of Scotland himself. The next person who is murdered as an effect of Macbeth's ambition is Banquo. Banquo voiced his suspicion over Macbeth's contribution to Duncan's murder, therefore, Macbeth felt Banquo was a threat to his reign as King, and had him assassinated. Macbeth's role in the murder of Banquo can be seen when he says to himself after conversing with the murderers: "It is concluded: Banquo, thy soul's flight, / If it find heaven, must find it out to-night." (III.i.141-142). Macbeth felt the need to murder his best friend because he feared the safety of his reign. The final people who are killed as a result of Macbeth's ambition are the members of Macduff's family. Macbeth fears that Macduff grew too suspicious of him, and thus he ordered the murderers to kill his family. Macbeth's role in the murder of Macduff's family can be seen when he states to himself:

"The castle of Macduff I will surprise; / Seize upon Fife; give to the edge of the sword / His wife, and babes, and all the unfortunate souls / That trace him in his line." (IV.i.151-153).

Murdering Macduff's family seemed like the only way to make Macduff silence his suspicions. This point showed Macbeth's poor judgement in that murdering Macduff's family only made him more revengeful. Macbeth's main reasoning behind killing numerous people was his need for control over Scotland. To summarize, the first effect of Macbeth's ambition is the murder of multiple people.

The second effect of Macbeth's ambition is his and Lady Macbeth's relentless feelings of guilt. His guilt is first seen when he experiences sleepless nights. His sleeplessness is shown when after killing Duncan, he says:

"But let the frame of this disjoint, both the worlds suffer, / Ere we will eat out meal in fear, and sleep / In the affliction of these terrible dreams / that shake us nightly." (III.ii.16-19)

He is having trouble sleeping because he is having nightmares of the murders. If he did not kill Duncan, there would be no substance to his nightmares, and thus, he would not experience them. Macbeth's feeling of guilt can also be seen during his dinner party when he sees the ghost of Banquo. He voices his feeling of guilt while he is being asked to sit down, but refuses as he sees the ghost of Banquo in his chair. He says: "Thou canst not say I did it: never shake/ Thy gory locks at me." (III.iv.50-51). He is so deeply affected by killing his best friend that he is seeing his ghost, when it really is not there. He is trying to tell Banquo that he did not kill him. Had Macbeth not killed his best friend, he would not be facing constant guilt, and in turn, complete insanity. Lady Macbeth also experiences a strong feeling of guilt as a result of Macbeth's ambition. Her guilt can be seen while she is sleep walking. She says to herself: "Here's the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes / of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh! oh! oh!." (V.i.48-50). Lady Macbeth cannot stop herself from feeling guilty. The blood she tries to rid her hands of is representative of her guilt. She wants to cover it up, but feels there is nothing she can do in order to do so. Macbeth's own actions were the main cause of all of his and Lady Macbeth's guilt. If he had been the cause of numerous murders, he would not be feeling terrible guilt. To conclude, the second most prominent effect of Macbeth's ambition is his and Lady Macbeth's relentless feelings of guilt.

The third most prominent effect of Macbeth's ambition is the change in Kindom leaders. Macbeth's ambition first alters the Kingdom leaders when he murders Duncan and thus, takes over his role as King of Scotland. The reader can see that Macbeth has become King when Banquo speaks of the witches' prophecies coming true. He states: "Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis, all, / As the weird women promis'd..." (III.i.1-2). This quotation shows that as a result of Macbeth's actions, he is now King. The next point in which the Kingdom of Scotland encounters a change is when Macduff murders Macbeth. Macduff wants revenge against Macbeth, for he is enraged with him for killing his family. Macbeth's murder is shown when he says: "Before my body / I throw my warlike shield: lay on, Macduff, / And damn'd be him that first cries, 'Hold, enough!'" (V.vii.61-63). Immediately after this quotation, Macduff sounds the call of triumph, declaring the death of Macbeth. Macbeth lacked the better judgement to restrain himself from killing Macduff's family, and therefore, suffers by means of his murder. The final change in Kingdom leaders that occurred as an effect of Macbeth's ambition is Malcolm becoming King. Macbeth's ambitions made him lose all control over his actions and essentially caused his own death. After his death, Malcolm was pronounced the new King of Scotland. This can be seen when Macduff says: "Hail, king! For so thou art. Behold, where stands / The usurper's cursed head: the time is free." (V.vii.83-84). Had Macbeth not killed so many people, causing bystanders to develop suspicion towards him and if he did not murder Macduff's family, Macduff would not have such strong intention to kill him. To sum up, the third most prominent effect of Macbeth's ambition is the change is Kingdom leaders.

In conclusion, the effects of Macbeth's ambition are: multiple deaths, his and Lady Macbeth's relentless feelings of guilt, and the change of Kingdom leaders. Throughout the play Macbeth made many detrimental decisions, which, although seemed positive immediately, for all intents and purposes caused him harm in time. Macbeth wanted to be named King, and therefore he did whatever he deemed necessary to gain and maintain the crown. He was not extremely effective as his later actions proved to be the cause of his own murder and in turn, the loss of his crown as King. Macbeth is a great example of what can happen to a person when they become overly concerned with their social status. Although in most cases, the results will not be as drastic, they will always lessen a person's character and the impression they portray to other people. In the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "Most people would succeed in small things if they were not troubled with great ambitions."

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Macbeth is his own enemy. He is the Thane of Cawdor, he has a wife who is devoted to him, and his king thinks he is the best that ever lived. Instead of being happy, Macbeth oversteps his boundaries which ultimately gets him killed. He wants more than to be Thane, he wants to be king. He will do whatever it takes to become king. In the start of the play this was not the way of Macbeth at all, he was a noble, honest man. As the play progresses Macbeth is noticeably wanting more and more power. He murders his king, deeper into the story we find out the eventual prophecies of what will happen so Macbeth is forced to kill many people to stop these prophecies from happening. Macbeth turns into something he never wanted to be and it was all due to…

    • 149 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    At the start of the play Macbeth is brave and loyal and displays many of the attributes of a great king. However after conversing with the three witches his state of mind goes on a downward spiral eventually ending in his demise. His thirst for power and wealth cause him to act foolishly and with haste rather than waiting to see if the witches’ predictions come true. It is clear from Macbeths reaction to King Duncan telling Malcom that he will be Prince of Cumberland that Macbeths desires have already started to take a toll on his mind ‘That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, For in my way it lies.’ (I. IV. 48). This clearly shows that ambition is taking away Macbeths rational thoughts and he is choosing to act without thought towards the consequences and is only focused on his goal of becoming…

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A knight’s moral code, that is taken by heart, is to always protect and serve. The Tragedy of Macbeth by Shakespeare is a tragedy about how a knight is stuck in between loyalty and ambition. Three witches tell Macbeth he would become Thane of Cawdor and later king. Once Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth pressured by his wife, begins to see his future as king, but realizes he has obstacles in the way. Pressured by Lady Macbeth, the three witches, and his ambition for the throne, Macbeth commits murder under trust and treason.…

    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeths Ambition

    • 468 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Political ambition undermines man’s loyalty. In the play, Macbeth decides to kill his king because of his ambition for position. At the beginning of the play, he portrays himself as a noble person. He fights in the battle against Norway and proves his loyalty; however, as soon as the witches prophesize that Macbeth “shall be king hereafter” (1.3.53), he is not longer trustworthy. Ambition for power starts creeping into his head. After Macbeth’s internal conflict over whether or not to kill Duncan, he decides to do it quickly (1.7.3) in order to hasten the predictions. He decides to kill the king because he wants to extend his power all over the country by becoming the new monarch. He desires to be more wealthy and respected by the nobility as well as by the common people. Becoming king represents the highest rang in the political pyramid. The act of murdering is the only way to make his dreams come true because Duncan’s fair and prosperous rule over Scotland experience the support of the whole population. As Malcolm…

    • 468 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth Persuasive Essay

    • 483 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The words of the witches are what influence Macbeth into his first killing. Since he has learned that he will no doubt be king, he decides to betray his loyalty for personal greed and kills King Duncan. Macbeth is not totally being controlled by his desire for power at this point. He stresses the fact of the deed, mentally he begins to lose a bit of his sanity. As Macbeth takes power, he becomes obsessed with it. As the storyline of the play progresses Macbeth becomes paranoid, overthinking the foretelling words of the witches. He feels that his deed of killing Duncan will be meaningless if he does not subdue Banquo as well. And so he seeks to kill his friend, and Fleance, his son.…

    • 483 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Macbeth's Ambition

    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The thematic importance of ambition is revealed throughout MacBeth in a manner that is not always instantly visually evident to a conscientious reader. Although it is responsible for MacBeth's rise to power, his "vaulting ambition" is also to blame for MacBeth's tragic downfall. MacBeth would not have been able to achieve his power as King of Scotland, or have been able to carry out his evil deeds, if it was not for his ambition. In these instances, ambition helped MacBeth achieve his goals to a certain subdued degree. Consequently, however, MacBeth's ambition has another face and is what leads him to his disastrous fall from grace. Had he not been fixated with becoming King and remaining powerful, he would not have continued to kill innocent people in order to keep his position. In due course, MacBeth's removal from power is attributable to these killings, along with his over bearing attitude.…

    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ambition In Macbeth

    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Macbeth’s ambition is apparent when he hears the witches’ prophecy, “all hail Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter”, to which he later commands “stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more”. This change in Macbeth’s personality sparks the first signs of ambition he has to become king, and Banquo notices this, quoting “Look, how our partner’s rapt.” This in effect can be said to be the catalyst to Macbeth murdering Duncan for his title of King of Scotland. Because of this, Macbeth lives in constant fear of being overthrown, and his madness to hold power over everyone else is illustrated through the spying of every lord. “There’s not one but in his house, I keep a servant fee’d.” Consequently, Lady Macbeth also suffers her wrongdoings, and in her madness, she leads herself to her own…

    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Being a victim is an uncontrollable position that most people do not deserve to suffer through. In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Macbeth is victimized in a variety of ways due to his surroundings which purloin his real character. Lady Macbeth’s uncontrolled ambition takes a turn for the worse on Macbeth, as she pressures him to murder the king. However, it all started from the witches’ prophecies that put the thought through Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s head that Macbeth could potentially become the next king. This thought expanded Lady Macbeth’s gender giving her freakish manly ambition triggering her to take over her husband. It is through Macbeth’s destiny, Lady Macbeth’s uncontrolled ambitions, and the influence of power that victimized Macbeth forcing him to murder former acquaintances, and altered him into a hated man by the end of the play.…

    • 1100 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In William Shakespeare's, Macbeth, a tragedy written 1606, Shakespeare brings to attention the complex intellect between the ideas that man must face in making decisions. This play takes place in eleventh century Scotland. Macbeth, a once noble and loyal soldier turns to evil ways for things he desires such as power and approval. He murders his precious king, friend, and other innocent civilians to become king. He takes advice from three witches and his wife, neither of whom gives just advice. He then kills and becomes a villainous tyrant, mad on his lustful and wanton thirst for power. With Macbeth's mind going and in his undulated state Macduff and Malcolm overthrow him. He dies by the hand of Macduff in a final battle. His gullibility and listening to others become the tragic hero's major weakness in the play.…

    • 541 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ambition is presented as dangerous quality. It has caused the downfall for Macbeth and triggered many deaths in the play. In act 3, scene 1, he decides to kill his best friend, Banquo so he can stay king. To be king is nothing. To stay king... that's what matters. My fear of Banquo runs deeps. It's his natural nobility that’s so threatening .” pg 51. Macbeth has killed Duncan to make himself king of Scotland, but he fears that it will be all for nothing if in the long run if Banquo's descendant rather than his own are destined to wear the crown. So he hires assassins to murder Banquo and tries to murder Fleance, in effort to destroy the family that someday will take his place on the throne.…

    • 846 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lady Macbeth also strongly influences Macbeth’s ambitions. Lady Macbeth, being quite an ambitious woman herself, wants to be queen so she tells Macbeth how he should get his title. “Art not without ambition, but without/ The illness should attend it” (I, v) She urges him to act on his desires and seeing as Macbeth is ambitious and wants the title as well, he agrees to murder King Duncan. After becoming king, Macbeth feels he must continue to gain more power or else the murder was worthless. I am in blood/ Stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no more/ Returning were as tedious as go o'er.” (III, v). He sees how the prophecies are coming true and tries to control his future. His ambitions begin to grow since he now possesses power and strength that he hadn’t before. He feels a new sense of control and begins to make decisions on his own. He no longer hesitates to commit crime and will do anything to ensure his title as king, even if this means killing those whom he was once loyal to such as…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the beginning of the play, Macbeth knows the right from wrong, even when he does wrong he can’t justify to himself why he is doing wrong.…

    • 917 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Macbeth and Ambition

    • 851 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Ambition is a strong feeling of wanting to be successful in achieving a goal (Encarta Dictionary). An example of an ambition is in the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare. The main character, Macbeth is described as “not without ambition,” (Shakespeare, 1.5. 19) to become the king. Therefore, he has the drive, and he desires for the success of becoming the king. However, by achieving his goal and satisfying his ambition, the character’s soul and characteristics are gradually corrupted. As Macbeth satisfies his goal, he will change from being a kind natured person to someone who is ill. He will lose his honesty. He will also lose his holiness and begin to become evil. In Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the theme, satisfying one’s ambition can lead to corruption of the soul, is demonstrated in Act 1, Scene 5, lines 15 – 33 through metaphor, alliteration, and connotation.…

    • 851 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    people like the witches and his wife who influenced him, but it was his choice…

    • 455 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Often times, people set goals for themselves to accomplish. These goals create great desire and ambition which fuels all action. However, when the ambition in question becomes uncontrollable, the outcome can be negative. The excessive and uncontrollable ambition of Macbeth, the brave warrior in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, leads to his downfall. This uncontrollable desire for power leads Macbeth to lose his morality, identity and his friends and family. With little care for the journey, Macbeth neglected all consequences which leads him to his death.…

    • 198 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays

Related Topics