Essay on Ambition in Shakespeare's Macbeth - 578 Words.
Shakespeare Essay: Ambition in Macbeth Ambition is described by Merriam-Webster as “something that a person hopes to do or achieve,” and as “a particular goal or aim.” In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, you could say that ambition is what drives the story and what causes a series of events to occur that could lead to that ambition being found.
Ambition, along with the influence of his wife, Lady Macbeth, causes Macbeth to deceive his peers in order to attain position as king. The first time the reader sees Macbeth’s ambition causing him to be deceitful, is when him and his wife invite the current King of Scotland into their home for a dinner, with the soul intent of killing him.
Lady Macbeth clearly has both the ambition and evil necessary to commit regicide as opposed to Macbeth who is portrayed as also ambitious but weaker at this point in the play. Later in the play, Macbeth’s ambition is clearly presented as his fatal flaw which ultimately leads to his downfall from the “worthy gentleman” to “hell-hound”.
The one thing he does have is ambition, which he compares to a horse and rider who overestimate their ability to leap over an obstacle, and end up falling down. The passage describes the tension between Macbeth’s unwillingness to move ahead with his plan, and his acknowledgement that his ambition is leading him down a dangerous path.
Role of Ambition in Macbeth Ambition is “an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment” (dictionary.com). Ambition can be understood and judged different ways by different people.
Macbeth: Ambition Gone Wrong Introduction It’s good to have ambition, as it’s the foundation of a successful life. Ambition means to have strong desire towards achieving something. Because of this, it’s true that one without ambition will struggle, however sometimes, our own ambitions and desires can change us for the negative.
Throughout William Shakespeare's play of Macbeth ambition is a prevalent theme in many of the acts. Though ambition tends to coincide with success, in this play it leads to the self destruction of many, including Lady Macbeth, Malcolm and Macbeth himself. Lady Macbeth is a deeply ambitious woman who strives for power.