Macbeth and Ambition
The fall from grace; driven by ambition and power
Macbeth is driven to madness by fierce ambition and power, resulting in a fall from grace in Shakespeare’s shortest tragedies, Macbeth. Macbeth’s long journey towards possessing the throne travels through many high hurdles. With most of them resulting in murder and despair. The first hurdle, which is a sign for further hurdles, is the murder of Duncan the king. The build-up to the killing of Duncan begins with the witches prophesying that Macbeth will be king. Macbeth wants to fulfill this prophecy due to his high ambitions. However, the prophecy is fulfilled only because Lady Macbeth leads her husband through the barriers. It is Macbeth’s wife who causes the death of Duncan.
The play begins with the brief appearance of a trio of witches and then moves to a military camp, where the Scottish King Duncan hears the news that his generals, Macbeth and Banquo, have defeated two separate invading armies—one from Ireland, led by the rebel Macdonwald, and one from Norway. Following their pitched battle with these enemy forces, Macbeth and Banquo encounter the witches as they cross a moor. The witches prophesy that Macbeth will be made thane (a rank of Scottish nobility) of Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland. They also prophesy that Macbeth’s companion, Banquo, will beget a line of Scottish kings, although Banquo will never be king himself. The witches vanish, and Macbeth and Banquo treat their prophecies skeptically until some of King Duncan’s men come to thank the two generals for their victories in battle and to tell Macbeth that he has indeed been named thane of Cawdor. The previous thane betrayed Scotland by fighting for the Norwegians and Duncan has condemned him to death. Macbeth is intrigued by the possibility that the remainder of the witches’ prophecy—that he will be crowned king—might be true, but he is uncertain what to expect. He visits with King Duncan, and they plan to dine together at Inverness,
Macbeth is driven to madness by fierce ambition and power, resulting in a fall from grace in Shakespeare’s shortest tragedies, Macbeth. Macbeth’s long journey towards possessing the throne travels through many high hurdles. With most of them resulting in murder and despair. The first hurdle, which is a sign for further hurdles, is the murder of Duncan the king. The build-up to the killing of Duncan begins with the witches prophesying that Macbeth will be king. Macbeth wants to fulfill this prophecy due to his high ambitions. However, the prophecy is fulfilled only because Lady Macbeth leads her husband through the barriers. It is Macbeth’s wife who causes the death of Duncan.
The play begins with the brief appearance of a trio of witches and then moves to a military camp, where the Scottish King Duncan hears the news that his generals, Macbeth and Banquo, have defeated two separate invading armies—one from Ireland, led by the rebel Macdonwald, and one from Norway. Following their pitched battle with these enemy forces, Macbeth and Banquo encounter the witches as they cross a moor. The witches prophesy that Macbeth will be made thane (a rank of Scottish nobility) of Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland. They also prophesy that Macbeth’s companion, Banquo, will beget a line of Scottish kings, although Banquo will never be king himself. The witches vanish, and Macbeth and Banquo treat their prophecies skeptically until some of King Duncan’s men come to thank the two generals for their victories in battle and to tell Macbeth that he has indeed been named thane of Cawdor. The previous thane betrayed Scotland by fighting for the Norwegians and Duncan has condemned him to death. Macbeth is intrigued by the possibility that the remainder of the witches’ prophecy—that he will be crowned king—might be true, but he is uncertain what to expect. He visits with King Duncan, and they plan to dine together at Inverness,