Macbeth: How Does Shakespeare Present Ambition and its Capacity for Corruption?

In Macbeth, Shakespeare presents ambition as a powerful and dangerous force. The play explores how unchecked ambition can corrupt individuals, leading them to commit terrible deeds in the pursuit of power.

Through the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare warns the audience about the destructive nature of overreaching ambition and its potential to unravel both the individual and the natural order.

Macbeth standing alone, with red streaks across his sword – ambition meets consequence.

Key Points and Quotes

1️⃣ Macbeth’s Ambition as a Fatal Flaw

From the beginning, Macbeth is portrayed as a brave and noble soldier, but one whose ambition makes him vulnerable to corruption.

Key Quote:

“I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on the other.” (Act 1, Scene 7)

Analysis:

Shakespeare uses the metaphor of a rider overestimating a jump to suggest that ambition can cause individuals to overreach and ultimately fall. Macbeth acknowledges that ambition is his sole motive for murder, foreshadowing the moral decay it will cause.

2️⃣ Lady Macbeth’s Ruthless Ambition

Lady Macbeth acts as a driving force behind Macbeth’s actions, manipulating him by questioning his masculinity and resolve.

Key Quote:

“Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it.” (Act 1, Scene 5)

Analysis:

The word “illness” implies that ambition, in order to be effective, must be accompanied by ruthless behaviour. Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as someone who believes moral corruption is necessary for success, showing how ambition can twist moral values.

3️⃣ The Corrupting Power of Ambition

As the play progresses, Macbeth becomes increasingly desensitised to violence and tyranny, trapped by his own ambition.

Key Quote:

“I am in blood stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o’er.” (Act 3, Scene 4)

Analysis:

This metaphor of wading through a river of blood illustrates how Macbeth feels it would be as difficult to stop his crimes as to continue them. Shakespeare presents ambition as a trap, with each violent act leading to another, removing any hope of redemption.

Authorial Intent

Shakespeare wrote Macbeth during the reign of King James I, a monarch deeply concerned with loyalty, order, and the consequences of regicide. Through the tragic downfall of Macbeth, Shakespeare warns his audience of the dangers of unchecked ambition and the disastrous consequences of disrupting the natural and divine order of kingship. The witches, representing dark, supernatural forces, exploit Macbeth’s ambition, suggesting that external influences can corrupt those who harbour dangerous desires.

Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare presents ambition as a destructive, corrupting force that leads to moral decay, tyranny, and ultimately death. Through the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, the play acts as a cautionary tale about the dangers of pursuing power at any cost.

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