A Study of Ambition and its Consequences in Shakespeare's Macbeth

This essay delves into the theme of ambition in William Shakespeare's Macbeth, examining its central role in the play's tragic narrative. The analysis explores how Macbeth's ambition, fueled by the witches' prophecies and Lady Macbeth's influence, leads to a series of destructive actions, including the murder of King Duncan and the subsequent downfall of Macbeth. The essay highlights the contrast between Macbeth's initial honorable position and his descent into tyranny, emphasizing the psychological impact of ambition and the consequences of misinterpreting prophecies. It also discusses the play's relevance to modern society, suggesting that the themes of unchecked ambition and its detrimental effects remain pertinent today. The paper uses textual evidence from the play to support its claims, referencing characters like Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, and the witches, and ultimately concludes that excessive ambition leads to the protagonist's moral and physical destruction. The essay also emphasizes the importance of understanding human psychology and the impact of ambitious goals on individuals and their surroundings.

Running head: AMBITION IN MACBETH
AMBITION IN MACBETH
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1AMBITION IN MACBETH
Ambition is one of the major traits that is present within the psyche of human beings. The
ambitious nature as demonstrated within the human psyche is one of the major traits that lead to
the downfall of the given person. Macbeth is one of the most celebrated plays that has been
composed by William Shakespeare. The playwright has demonstrated the theme of an unjustified
ambition within the play. The playwright highlighted the fact that the protagonist of the play,
Macbeth, has been under the influence of a great ambition that was not his to maintain. The
decline to the evil nature of Macbeth is in stark contrast to the honorable position that he
maintained as one of the army generals of the country of Scotland. The following paper
highlights the issues that are presented in the life of Macbeth due to the high amount of the
ambition that was instilled in him by the three witches. The paper highlights the ways in which
the issues presented in Macbeth bears a proper relevancy in the modern ages as well.
The play in discussion, Macbeth, is one of the most celebrated Shakespearean plays that
has a huge relevancy in the present days as well. The play highlights the fact that there has been
a huge tragic flaw that is maintained by the character. The character is known to have been
dealing in the ambition that he is gaining on the basis of the prophesies that were highlighted by
the witches who had met the general on his return from the battlefield (Bradley, 2015). The
witches had interrupted the war generals, Macbeth and Banquo on their return from the
battlefield. The witches are known to have been appraising Macbeth with a number of titles. The
witches highlight the various accolades that have been received by Macbeth and are yet to be
received.
FIRST WITCH: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Glamis!
SECOND WITCH: All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!

2AMBITION IN MACBETH
THIRD WITCH: All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!
(Shakespeare, 2019)
The legitimacy of the comments is questioned by the general and are observed to have
been coming true. The prophesy of the second witch is observed to have come true in a very
short time when Ross confirms the accolade that had been granted to Macbeth on winning the
battle. This leads to the increase in the ambition of Macbeth though he is yet not observed to
have been acting out of the dire need to establish the truth of the prophecies that are highlighted
in this scenario. This highlights the humble nature of Macbeth and his honorable nature as has
been highlighted in this scenario. The conditions as have been observed in this stage of the play
highlights the fact that Macbeth has not been operating out of any corruption (Youtube.com,
2019). The confirmation of the news regarding the accolade and the title that was bestowed on
Macbeth was accepted by the general in a good heart and he had been extremely happy with the
title of the “Thane of Cawdor” (Shakespeare, 2019). The changes that are observed in the general
are highlighted when he is influenced by Lady Macbeth in order to acquire the post of the king of
Scotland as had been prophesized by the third witch. The instigations on the part of Lady
Macbeth fills the mind of Macbeth and almost forces him to take steps so as to assassinate the
good old King Duncan (Sisson, 2017). Macbeth is observed to have yet been shaky in the
completion of the act yet proceeds with the same due to the several instructions and instigations
from his wife, Lady Macbeth.
The innocence in Macbeth is observed to be present even after the murder of the king.
Macbeth is observed to have been hearing a typical noise. This noise depicts that sanity is still
left in the minds of Macbeth. The sanity as maintained by Macbeth is observed to have been
demonstrating the fact that the corruption has yet not affected Macbeth.

3AMBITION IN MACBETH
MACBETH: I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?
(Shakespeare, 2019)
The assassination of King Duncan is observed to have been marked the onset of the
detrimental state of Macbeth. The above statement highlights the fact that the Macbeth has been
dealing in the matters that are related to the anxiety that he has been facing after the heinous
crime of the assassination of the king. The murder of Duncan at the hands of Macbeth is
observed to have opened the gateway of the sins for Macbeth. A series of various murders and
other such crimes follow the assassination of Macbeth. The major incidents that follow the
murder of Duncan is observed to have been leading to the crowning of Macbeth as the king of
Scotland (Youtube.com, 2019). The kingdom faces the conditions of distress and chaos after the
coronation of Macbeth. the downfall of Macbeth is clearly highlighted through the murder of
Banquo and the attempted murder of his son Fleance. This has been effective in demonstrating
the over-ambitious nature of Macbeth in retaining the kingship of the country of Scotland.
Macbeth is further observed to have been visiting the witches in order to gain a better
understanding of his upcoming future as well. The aitches highlight the fact that not a single
person who has been born of a woman could kill him. The witches prophesize on the fact that
“The power of man, for none of woman born/Shall harm Macbeth” (Shakespeare, 2019). This
statement is misinterpreted by Macbeth in which he emphasizes on the fact that he is invincible
as well. This leads to the conditions wherein the confidence of Macbeth is observed to have been
soaring high. The escalating ambition of Macbeth leads to the conditions wherein he has
acquired the post of being a tyrant in the kingdom of Scotland. This has been one of major
consequences of the ambitious nature of Macbeth. The misinterpretation of the prophesy on the
part of the witches had led Macbeth to rage a war against Malcolm who had been backed by the

4AMBITION IN MACBETH
English army (Spurgeon, 2015). The ambitious mind of Macbeth had led him to misunderstand
the prophecies as were highlighted by the witches and the apparitions. This had eventually led to
the downfall of Macbeth. The exponential nature of the ambition that is maintained by Macbeth
is known to have been backing up the downfall of the war general. The greater amount of the
desires on the part of Macbeth is known to have been leading up to the lack of his consideration
for the humanity and his fellow-beings. He is observed to have been on a killing spree with a
cold-heartedness (Johnson, 2015). The over ambitious nature of the protagonist is one of the
primary reasons that brought about his downfall at the end of the play.
The conditions as have been highlighted throughout the play is known to have been
highly evident in the present days as well. The witches in the play of Macbeth is known to have
been representing the unsaid desires that are not often expressed by the human beings. The play
in discussion highlights the fact that the ambitions that have been highlighted by the people
might not be helpful in case they have been shooting over the top. The inclusion of the issues
that are highlighted in this case helps in the understanding of the fact that the high amount of the
ambition on the part of the individual might further lead to the conditions wherein the concerned
individual would end up hurting people who have been around them (Griffiths, 2015). The
overambitious nature of the individuals tends to have been posing issues in the matters that are
related to the overall development of the individuals as well as the society at large.
The character of Macbeth as demonstrated in Shakespeare’s Macbeth is known to have
been dealing in the ambition that he is gaining on the basis of the prophesies that were
highlighted by the witches who had met the general on his return from the battlefield. The
witches had interrupted the war generals, Macbeth and Banquo on their return from the
battlefield. This is known to have been dealing in the matters that are related to the overall

5AMBITION IN MACBETH
understanding of the human psyche and the impacts on the same due to the overambitious nature
of the human beings. The other factor that is highlighted in terms of the overwhelming nature of
the human ambition highlights the fact that a majority of the psychological issues are helpful in
the understanding of the activities that are undertaken by the human beings in order to attain the
ambitious goals that have been set by the concerned individuals (Spurgeon, 2015). It is generally
observed that the ambitious goals of the person have been affecting the people who have been
present in his vicinity as well. The escalating ambition of Macbeth leads to the conditions
wherein he has acquired the post of being a tyrant in the kingdom of Scotland. This has been one
of major consequences of the ambitious nature of Macbeth. The misinterpretation of the
prophesy on the part of the witches had led Macbeth to rage a war against Malcolm who had
been backed by the English army (Griffiths, 2015). The ambitious mind of Macbeth had led him
to misunderstand the prophecies as were highlighted by the witches and the apparitions. This is
often observed in case of the present-day scenario as well.
In conclusion it can safely be concluded that overambition on the part of the individuals
have been harmful for the person in the longer run. The decline to the evil nature of Macbeth is
in stark contrast to the honorable position that he maintained as one of the army generals of the
country of Scotland. The humble nature of Macbeth and his honorable nature as has been
highlighted in this scenario. The conditions as have been observed in this stage of the play
highlights the fact that Macbeth has not been operating out of any corruption. The ambitious
mind of Macbeth had led him to misunderstand the prophecies as were highlighted by the
witches and the apparitions. This had eventually led to the downfall of Macbeth. The exponential
nature of the ambition that is maintained by Macbeth is known to have been backing up the
downfall of the war general. The inclusion of the issues that are highlighted in this case helps in

6AMBITION IN MACBETH
the understanding of the fact that the high amount of the ambition on the part of the individual
might further lead to the conditions wherein the concerned individual would end up hurting
people who have been around them.

7AMBITION IN MACBETH
References
Shakespeare, W. (2019). The tragedy of Macbeth. Folger Shakespeare Library
Bradley, A. C. (2015). From Shakespearean Tragedy. In Macbeth (pp. 45-57). Routledge.
Sisson, C. J. (2017). Shakespeare's tragic justice. Routledge.
Spurgeon, C. F. (2015). From Shakespeare’s Imagery and What It Tells Us. In Macbeth (pp.
155-164). Routledge.
Johnson, S. (2015). From The Plays of William Shakespeare. In Macbeth (pp. 3-3). Routledge.
Griffiths, C. (2015). More things in heaven and earth: the role of ghosts and the supernatural in
Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Macbeth. Diffusion-The UCLan Journal of Undergraduate
Research, 1(1).
Youtube.com. (2019). Macbeth 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2019, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skGV_8L-HUs