Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
How far do you think that Macbeth's and Lady Macbeth's ambition near the beginning of the play brings them the rewards they wish for, later in the play? You should refer closely to the words and actions of both characters.Macbeth and his wife are portrayed as cunning and ambitious characters at the beginning of the play, and their ambition allows them to achieve their primary goal of becoming King and Queen. However, we see that it is this ambition that leads to their downfall later in the play, when they realise that wearing 'borrow'd robes' is not as rewarding as they had expected.Macbeth's ambitious character is evident very early in the play - the fact that he 'starts' on hearing the Witches' prophecies suggests a sense of guilt, as if he has contemplated becoming King before the idea was voiced by the Witches. He is keen to hear more of this 'strange intelligence', so it is possible that Macbeth's ambition was not instigated by the Witches, but was present in his mind prior to the meeting on the heath. However, while he is fascinated at the prospect of becoming King, he believes he lacks the courage to murder Duncan to gain the crown - the thought of it is enough to 'unfix my hair' and 'make my seated heart knock at m
Instead, Macbeth's reliance on the Witches becomes greater - he takes their words at face value, and does not realise that they have already deceived him with 'honest trifles', having taken advantage of his ambition earlier. Lady Macbeth manages to persuade her husband by challenging his manhood, implying that he is a coward. He thinks he is being too ambitious, like a horse trying to 'o'erleap' a jump. Macbeth's ambition gains him the throne, but instead he loses love, friendship, respect, and in the end his life. She notes that: 'Nought's had, all's spent, Where our desire is got without content. The ambition that once drove her towards achieving their goals has eventually driven her to suicide. 'He feels that his position is worthless unless it can be secured for his own descendants. Then he fully comprehends the ambiguity of the Witches' words, meeting his death at Macduff's hands as a result of his over-ambition. However, they remain in a constant state of 'restless ecstasy', a sense of unease - Macbeth appears to be almost envious of Duncan, who, 'after life's fitful fever sleeps well', while his own mind is 'full of scorpions'. However, by allowing their ambition to suppress their good qualities, they become known as a 'tyrant' and 'his fiend-like queen'. Lady Macbeth herself knows how ambitious Macbeth is: 'Thou wouldst be great', yet she fears that he does not have the 'illness' that should accompany this ambition, so that he may 'seize the nearest way'. After the murder, Lady Macbeth, who does not let her conscience stand in the way of her ambition, is calm and practical. Her control and her cool are driven by ambition, her desire for power. At the start of the play, Macbeth is portrayed as a brave and loyal character, and his wife as dominant but determined.
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