Ambition

Introduction

• Defined as: a strong desire to achieve something, such as power, honour, fame or wealth.
• The actions of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth demonstrate their strong ambitions for power.
• Unchecked ambition and consequences.

Characters in Macbeth
and their ambitions

Lady Macbeth

• The motivator
• Never wavers and doesn't need supernatural temptation.
• Her goals are not changed because of her strong ambition.
• Begins with greater ambition than her husband, however, feels greater and deeper regret and guilt.
• Negative influence
• Fails to think of consequences

Macbeth

• Heavily influenced by Lady Macbeth
• His own ambition is sparked from the witches prophecies
• Feels the most guilt and other consequences (in the beginning)
• Believes what the witches are saying to be true and as a result is fearless because his ambitions have become a reality

Unchecked Ambition

• Defined as: when ambition goes unchecked and consequences are not put into consideration by moral constraints
• Macbeth is courageous and determined to fulfil the prophecies from the witches
• He is not naturally inclined to commit evil deeds yet desires power
• Lady Macbeth is determined to achieve positional power, however can not withstand repercussions
• Ambition is the drive to commit the atrocities.

Unchecked Ambition

• When ambition goes unchecked and the person seeks to achieve the goal using any means possible, it is usually to guarantee absolute success and security.
• Corrupting power
• Killing of King Duncan, MacDuff's family etc.
• Course without forethought
• Morals and consequences are not taken into consideration or thought of

Pursuit of Power (relevance today)

• Still relevance of ambition (both checked and unchecked)
• Corrupt power is reflected from the time through Kings and Queens.
• Related in today's society through capitalism, dictatorship and terrorism.
• However, instead of ambition for power there is ambition or money and status.

Quotes

• "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be What thou art promised" IV 13,14.
• "Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear; And chastise with the valar of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round." IV 23-26
• "Great Glaims! Worthy Cawdor! Greater than both, but the all-hail hereather" IV 52,53

More Quotes

• Macbeth: "if we should fail?" Lady Macbeth: "We fail! But screw your courage to the stideing - place And we'll not fail" IVII 59-61
• " The mind I sway by and the heart the heart I bear shall never say with doubt nor shake with fear" V.III 9,10
• "These deeds must not be thought of After these ways. So it will make us mad."

More Quotes

• "Consider it not so deeply."
• "A little water clears us of this deed. How easy is it then! Your constancy Hath left you unattended."
• "But now I'm cabined, crippled, confined, bound in To saucy doubts and fears."
• "... Who would have thought the old man to have Had so much blood in him."

Quotes

• "who would have thought the murder was going to effect me so much?"
• "(To Macbeth) Are you a man? " III. iv 58