Shakespeare’s 1606 play Macbeth focuses on a Macbeth character who has the ambition of becoming king. Macbeth’s main theme centers on the corrupting nature that unchecked ambition can cause. He fights between his ambitions and morals to attain power. Foreshadowing and dramatic irony are two examples of dramatic techniques. Language devices are used to create imagery, such as hallucinations or soliloquies. These are two fundamental techniques that help to convey the transformation of Macbeth as a result deep ambition. Macbeth shows uncontrolled ambition to be a dangerous quality. This leads to Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s demise. Ambition is the driving force in the play and a warning to all individuals about its dangers.
Macbeth’s uncontrollable ambitions are driven by several factors. Macbeth appears at the beginning as a loyal and strong, brave soldier who has brought victory back to Scotland. Shakespeare uses foreshadowing to give the reader a preview of what might happen in Scene1, Act 1. This scene is set by the witches, who predict that Macbeth will be so confused that it will be difficult for him to distinguish between right and wrong, fair and foul. Macbeth’s dream that he heard a voice when he killed Duncan foreshadows Macbeth’s insomnia. Act 1 scene 5 shows Lady Macbeth saying “that my spirits may bepoured in thine ear” and that she would chastise Duncan with the valour her tongue. This shows ambition. She is more ambitious than him and she wants to convince Macbeth that Duncan can’t be done the job. Lady Macbeth appears to be a determined, determined woman who will do whatever it takes to win the crown.
Lady Macbeth seems more ambitious and morally sacrificial than her husband. Lady Macbeth is what drives Macbeth to confront his guilt and take action in fulfilling the prophecies. Macbeth is attacked for his manhood. She then declares that she would kill her child to keep the promise Macbeth made. Macbeth realizes that Duncan is too dangerous to be killed and can’t find any other reason. Act 1 Scene 7 demonstrates this.
“To prick my intentions, but only vaulting ambitions which o’erleaps themselves and falls on the’other”.
Macbeth’s ambition leads to the murder of many of his friends. This eventually leads to Macbeth’s ruin. Macbeth murdered Duncan, a guest of his castle, to satisfy his selfish motives. Duncan is welcomed to Macbeth’s castle by dramatic irony. He comments on Macbeth’s castle’s pleasantness, while the audience is aware that Macbeth had planned to murder him there the night before. Macbeth also orders Banquo’s men to kill his son, one his closest friends, because he is a menace to him. Macbeth arranges for Macduff’s murder. It is not easy to stop violence from being used in the pursuit of power. Macbeth’s demise is directly attributable to Macduff’s disdain for him. Macbeth’s ambition led to his downfall and he murdered the Macduff family.
Macbeth is told to be cautious about ambition by using language devices. Hallucinations, which are very prominent throughout the play, serve as a warning against the dangers and mental effects of uncontrolled ambition. Macbeth sees a dagger floating above his head as he prepares to kill Duncan. The dagger, which is covered in blood and pointed towards the chamber of the king, is a warning sign. Act 2 Scene 1:
“Is that a dagger?
Macbeth later finds Banquo’s spirit sitting in a dining room chair. Macbeth is warned at the feast by Banquo’s ghost that his ambitions had corrupted morality. The ghost is Macbeth’s aftereffect of his death. Macbeth eventually succumbed to his ambition. Although he tried to suppress this weakness for a while, Macbeth eventually succumbed to it. This led him into insanity.
Macduff however is ultimately responsible for Macbeth’s death. Lady Macbeth has a mental disorder. She can be seen sleeping and believing her hands are stained from blood. Lady Macbeth’s downfall is caused by the symbolicism of blood and hallucinations. As a result of her actions, Lady Macbeth commits suicide due to mental issues.
The characters’ actions and words don’t always reflect their true nature. Only when characters speak out their thoughts and true nature are revealed. Shakespeare’s soliloquies are a powerful way to show the dangers of ambitions that lead to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth being thrown to the wolves. Act 1 Scene 7, Macbeth contemplates whether Duncan should be killed. He responds:
“If it was done when it is done, it would be done quickly. The assassination might trap with the surcease and cause the consequences to pile up, but success may be all that is needed.
This soliloquy suggests Macbeth is afraid. We can see through soliloquies that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have let their reasoning skills completely overcome and ultimately led to their downfall.
Their ambition was the cause of Macbeth’s tragedy and Lady Macbeth’s demise. Shakespeare’s dramatic techniques and language device are a good example of this. Macbeth, therefore, is a cautionary tale about ambition. Macbeth goes from being a strong and respected general to becoming a desperate, insecure dictator. Although ambition is a strong motivator for many people to do great things in life, it can also cause one to lose their way.
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