...Readers get the idea of negative ambition throughout the play Macbeth. The play Macbeth, is another brilliant written piece by the famous playwright William Shakespeare. The play is about a great warrior, who gets the wrong idea about ambition after being told that he will become King of Scotland. Macbeth believed that the only way to achieve power and wealth is to kill anyone who gets in his way to the throne. Specifically, the use of irony, motif and characterization all prove that negative ambition can...
Words: 1524 - Pages: 7
...Violence There are many battles in Macbeth; it features the murder of men, women and children; suicide and beheading Macbeth shows that once one violent act is done, it only leads to another, and this does not stop. This means, violence usually does not fix anything. In Macbeth, as soon as his ambition took over and he became a serial murderer, it didn't turn out well in the end - Macduff killed Macbeth. This is similar to many problems of society today, especially in teenage boys. Many people believe physical violence is the only way to fix their problems, which actually, it will most likely only cause a bigger one. Fights can never end up good - someone will always come out of it second best, and the other may even be caught out by the police or teachers! This leads to my next point, masculinity. "Dispute it like a man I shall do so, but I must also feel it as a man, I cannot but remember such things that were most precious to me." This is a quote from Macbeth (IV.3.26) where Macduff is ready to prove he is the more 'manly' one of both him and Macbeth. Even Lady Macbeth is willing to become more masculine so Macbeth can become king, shown in the quote under Ambition. Like Macbeth, Macduff and Lady Macbeth, people nowadays still 'need' to prove their masculinity by violence, especially teenage boys, and that is why the theme of violence is so relevant in today's society. Ambition and Power Ambition is the most obvious theme seen in Macbeth. We see ambition...
Words: 447 - Pages: 2
...will do whatever it takes to remain in control. Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, utilizes psychoanalysis to portray how the Macbeths’ lust for power ultimately leads to their downfall. To begin, Macbeth’s thirst for power commences upon hearing the Witches’ prophecy. The Third Witch proclaims, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.51). Macbeth and his companion, Banquo, find this prophecy of being king absurd to the point of being funny. Yet Macbeth secretly...
Words: 1860 - Pages: 8
...Macbeth and Atticus both from different novels but have their similarities and differences. They both face situations in there lives and through out the novel both Macbeth and Atticus develop an attitude. So Macbeth from the novel ‘’ Macbeth ‘’ and Atticus from the novel ‘’ To Kill a Mockingbird ‘’ are both protagonist of those novel and they faced situations and to compare them how each one of these protagonist valued the common good and each one faced it in a different way. Macbeth faced it with individual interest through violence and Atticus faced it with putting his own interests as risk in order to defend his beliefs about the common good. The two protagonist are going to be compared by the decisions took in dealing with the conflict,...
Words: 988 - Pages: 4
...because his themes of ambition, fate, violence and even the unnatural world is seen so often in our lives. We see ambition run amok in both Macbeth and his wife, who try so hard to fulfill their desires. For example, Macbeth a good, loyal and honest general os overrun by his ambitious personality was so dangerous, and destructive it led to his downfall. Lady Macbeth was overly - ambitious, too. In her eagerness to kill the king she prays to the unnatural saying "come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the toe – top – full of the direst cruelty. Make thick my blood,". Ambition relates to our lives today, as like Macbeth, many people aren't happy with what they have - they only want to attain power to attain more. Both today and in the Tragedy of Macbeth, ambition overthrows morals and virtues. Both Banquo and Macbeth question fate when the witches prophesies that Macbeth will be made thane (a rank of Scottish nobility) of Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland. Macbeth is rapped with ore at this possibility. This theme definitely relates to today, as so many people try and plan their future and believe they know what they will be doing in a decade, but in many circumstances, they end up doing something very different, due to choice. Macbeth shows that once one violent act is done, it only leads to another, and this does not stop. This means, violence usually does not fix anything. In Macbeth, as soon as his ambition took over and...
Words: 857 - Pages: 4
...is a question asked by those who have read Macbeth, and those who have thought about watching the Great Performances: Macbeth. Even though this is a simple yes or no question, the answer to this is complex in nature. This is apparent when comparisons are drawn between the film and the play; likewise, the comparison allows the audience of both works to see that the movie and the play are drastically different from one another. Moreover, the answer to this question is no; this becomes apparent when the viewer compares how Rupert Goold conveyed various themes, developed various elements of the story, and created his own story. The way that Goold conveyed various themes is the first reason why the film is not as...
Words: 1342 - Pages: 6
...wrong. But when we ignore our feelings of guilt, it can lead to the destruction of our conscience. In his play Macbeth, Shakespeare incorporates his idea of guilt into images for the audience. Blood and water are two symbols in Macbeth that function as keys to unlock the hidden message of the effects of guilt. Blood is used to remind Macbeth and Lady Macbeth of their violent actions, while water represents a way to cleanse their minds of the remorse they feel. Shakespeare’s use of blood and water are a chilling reminder of the power that guilt may have on people or how a person might overcome guilt, but become emotionally dead. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are two characters that are responsible for the bloody actions that occur in Macbeth. Blood is a reoccurring image that travels with the characters, not only on their hands, but in their minds. Wherever violence takes place in the play, blood is shown on the characters immediately after the crime. When Macbeth is involved in one of these crimes and kills Duncan, he soon regrets what he has done. But the blood on his hands shows the evidence of the act and that it can’t be undone. Lady Macbeth suggests to get rid of the evidence by putting the blood on the guards so “it must seem their guilt” (2.2.73). The symbol of blood can be seen as “the image of death” (Holloway 108). It represents the violence, since Macbeth says, “blood will have blood” (3.4.153). The characters want to escape their feelings of guilt and forget the murder...
Words: 1603 - Pages: 7
...Violence is something that is very prominent and affects our world today in many different ways. Violence happens all over the world on a daily basis, and acting violent is very tempting due to this. People have many different drives to their violence, for example to fight for their own survival, to gain power, and to get revenge on others. In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, and the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, violence is a major theme. In All Quiet on the Western Front, soldiers in World War I have to fight for their own survival every day. In The Odyssey a soldier returns to his kingdom after a twenty year journey from the Trojan War only to have to fight to reclaim his throne and revenge on the people who attempted to steal it. And in Macbeth, a man cheats his way into becoming the king of Scotland and then kills anyone who he believes is a threat to his throne. Humans are driven to engage in violence when they are fighting for their survival, revenge on others, and for their own power. Humans turn to violence when their survival is at stake. In the novel All Quiet on a the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, main character Paul and his friends are fighting for Germany in the First World War. While Paul is scouting out enemy...
Words: 1147 - Pages: 5
...William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, takes place in 11th century Scotland, and has its own portrayal of that society. Although it may not be entirely accurate, the society that Shakespeare develops has distinctive gender roles and societal expectations for each gender. In this society lives Macbeth, a military nobleman trusted by the king who eventually becomes king himself, but through a murder encouraged by his wife, Lady Macbeth. His reign is tainted with inhumane acts such as murdering the family of his former friends, and hiring assassins to kill one of his friends. At the conclusion of the play, Lady Macbeth dies from unknown causes, Macbeth is murdered by Macduff, another nobleman, and Scotland rejoices because Macbeth’s reign of terror...
Words: 1547 - Pages: 7
...character of Macbeth is a classic example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. There are many factors which contribute to the degeneration of Macbeth of which three will be discussed. The three points which contribute greatly to Macbeth's degeneration are the prophecy which was told to him by the witches, how Lady Macbeth influenced and manipulated Macbeth's judgment, and finally Macbeth's long time ambition which drove his desire to be king. Macbeth's growing character degenerates from a noble man to violent individual. The prophecies which were told by the witches were one of the factors which contributed to the degeneration of his character. If it had not been for the witches telling him that he was to be Thane of Cawdor, Thane of Glamis, and King of Scotland, Macbeth would still be his ordinary self. As a result of the prophecies, this aroused Macbeth's curiosity of how he could be King of Scotland. As the play progresses, Macbeth slowly relies on the witches prophecies. Shakespeare uses the witches as a remedy for Macbeth's curiosity which corrupts his character. The influence of Macbeth's wife, Lady Macbeth also contributed to his degeneration of character. Lady Macbeth's character in the beginning reveals that she is a lovable person. When Lady Macbeth was ready to kill King Duncan herself, it showed that Lady Macbeth could not murder King Duncan because he reminded her of her father. This proves that Lady Macbeth has a heart deep inside her. Lady Macbeth plays an important...
Words: 481 - Pages: 2
...Macbeth, when written in 1606, was a revolution in theater. Telling the story of the titular Scottish king, Macbeth is a dark story with heavy themes of murder, vengeance, blood, ambition, greed, paranoia, power, and cruelty. These dark and interesting themes combined with its flowing poetic language has led to Macbeth being one of the most widely produced plays throughout history, with many unique variations. While the text to a modern audience may not seem as dramatic and edgy, for its age it must have been quite a powerful and dark experience. In my version of Macbeth, it is that experience that I want to capture. A modern of production of Macbeth that attempts to keep the spirit of the original ought to seek to create an audience experience...
Words: 381 - Pages: 2
...A theme that arises in Shakespeare’s play, “Macbeth,” is the idea of appearance and reality and provides a concise difference between the two. This theme is supported by Shakespeare’s use of motifs within the story. He is able to showcase the opposition between appearance and reality by his multiple examples in which the internal and external portrayal of thoughts and feelings differ such as in Banquo, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth. The use of asides and soliloquies allow the audience to veer into the personal thoughts of individual characters. For example, Banquo states, ”Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, as the weird women promised, and I fear thou play’dst most foully for it” (Act lll, Scene 1). Therefore, the audience knows...
Words: 763 - Pages: 4
...Power of the Thrown The play Macbeth has characters that fit the profile of a bully and abuse of power. Physical violence was used to bully characters in the play. Intention to kill was linked to the Macbeth play as well. The cause of imbalance of power was brought through the characters of Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth. In the Macbeth play the intentions to kills was big part of the abuse of power. In the play Macbeth was very greedy and always wanted more power than what he had. Macbeth was the Thane Of Cawdor before he went on the verge of wanting more power. Just like a bully Macbeth started with a bit of power but ending up wanting more. Macbeth decided he wanted to be king; nothing would get in the way of that. Just like a bully he wanted to have all control. When telling Lady Macbeth about the plan she had agreed it was he right thing to do. Macbeth had second thoughts about...
Words: 607 - Pages: 3
...Sarah Powell Mr. Carter English 4 2/24/17 Macbeth Macbeth is a story of a hero turned villain. It explores the cause and effect of sin, outlining the downfall of an ambitious, prideful man whose strong commitment to evil destroys him and his kingdom. The Bible has multiple historical stories that parallel to the story of Macbeth. Macbeth multiplies his sin by attempting to kill the man he fears will inherit the throne after him: Banquo and his son, Fleance. This event recalls another Biblical story, one that corresponds to the story of Adam: the story of Israel's first king, Saul. The link between the story of Adam and Saul lies on the surface for an advanced reader of the Bible. Every new leader is an Adam in some sense. For example, in the book of Genesis, Noah and Abraham are identified as new Adams through repetition of instruction given to Adam in their stories. This Adam theme that was defined clearly in Noah and Abraham becomes an undertone for the rest of Scripture. It finds it's ultimate fulfillment in Christ, the last Adam. However, Saul, the first king of Israel, can be seen only in the new Adam framework. Shakespeare noticing the relationship between Saul and Adam is seen both in subtle and explicit allusions to the story of Saul. An example of an...
Words: 648 - Pages: 3
...Macbeth is presented as a suffering victim, who then plummets into a downward spiral where he becomes a symbol of evil. When we first encounter Macbeth, the witches have just foretold the three prophecies. Macbeth is enamored with the idea of becoming king one day. Looking for advice Macbeth confided in his wife, Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth’s immediate reaction is that she has always pinned for the throne and was going to find a way to obtain it. Ultimately Lady Macbeth conjured up the idea to kill King Duncan. She later presents her matoltocal plan to Macbeth. At first Macbeth is not willing to go through with her plan. He thinks it is unjust and that there are other ways to obtain the throne. However Lady Macbeth uses her power of persuasion and lores her husband into a trap. She does this by stating, “When you durst do it, then you were a man.”(Shakespeare 1.7.49) Lady Macbeth tries to take away Macbeth sexuality by saying in the quote that if he does not complete this deed he will be less of a man in her eyes. She continues to go into more depth and say that she will no longer love him either. Lady Macbeth picks apart Macbeth until there is nothing left. She took away Macbeth...
Words: 2011 - Pages: 9
