Macbeth Quotes on Ambition

ambition unbulletpointed version for you freaks who love large blocks of unreadable texts

“That no compunctious visitings of nature shake my fell purpose nor keep peace between Th’effect and it.”

Lady Macbeth here is talking about her ‘fell purpose’, which is killing the king, and she doesn’t want the compassion of nature to shake it. This relates to ambition as she keeps chasing the purpose, even at the detriment of human kindness and compunctiousness, showing how her wanting for power drives her to evil.

“When we have marked with blood those sleepy two Of his own chamber, and used their very daggers, That they have done’t?”

This is Macbeth referring to the murder plot, the most obvious example of ambition driving someone towards evil. He is planning to kill the king, one of the highest crimes of the time, and blame the guards. While murder is bad now, it would be seen as especially horrible back then (since it's the king). So Shakespeare, similarly to Lady Macbeth previously, is setting Macbeth up to be hated, and showing how his relentless ambition has led him to evil.

“but only Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself And falls on th’other” / “that is a step On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, For in my way it lies”

The word ‘o’erleap’ can refer to two things. To leap over and across, which could refer to him jumping over his obstacles, as the second quote says. However, it can also refer to defeating oneself by going too far, according to Merriam-Website, which Macbeth is doing in a way, and is foreshadowing for what is to come. It also mentions falling (before being interrupted), which means it can be the second definition, where he goes too far, overleaps and falls.

“And fill me from the crown to toe topfull Of direst cruelty”

In Lady Macbeth’s pursuit of evil, she isn’t just shunning kindness (bad, but maybe not the worst thing) she is literally asking to be filled from head to toe with cruelty. Also, her referencing the crown keeps in mind what she’s doing everything for: to be the queen (and control Macbeth)

“Too full o’th’milk of human kindness”

When Lady Macbeth was talking about Macbeth’s ambition, she admits he is ambitious however he is too kind. Milk is usually associated with kindness and wholesomeness, and ambition is being diluted by this milk. He is too kind so cannot be properly ambitious.

“Was the hope drunk Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since? And wakes it now to look so green and pale”

The hope could be referring to the ambition to kill Duncan, and Lady Macbeth says that it has been ‘drunk’ (confused, misguided) then slept and woke ‘green and pale’ (as if hungover). Macbeth’s ambition has left him, as he didn’t want to kill the king, so ambition can disappear.

“Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it.”

Macbeth has ambition, however to Lady Macbeth he doesn’t have the evil that should attend to ambition. This shows how ambition by itself is not going to be enough for Macbeth, but it’s the only thing he has. Lady Macbeth has a genuine evil behind what she does, Macbeth just wants power, and that isn’t enough because he can still get weighed down by guilt (however, Lady Macbeth isn’t immune to guilt, as we see later)

“I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition” / “strong both against the deed”

Similarly to the first quote, Macbeth doesn’t have anything but ambition. Lady Macbeth has evil, but Macbeth doesn’t choose evil on its own, he chooses just ambition that leads to evil. He doesn’t want to kill the king for any political reasons, just because he’s bloodthirsty, religious reasons or any other thing, he has no spurs to prick the sides of his intent for killing the king, except he wants power. This can lead to issues as if he loses that ambition, or if it is diluted (like above) then he would not go through it. It also leaves him open to more guilt, as he is doing it purely for personal gain/selfishness. However, this ambition has to be strong, as it leads him to kill the king all on its own. He even says multiple times that he doesn’t want to kill the king, as shown in the second quote, so the only thing driving him through layers of religious, personal and familial loyalty and guilt is that heavy ambition, which is leaping him over and across.

“Bring forth men-children only, For thy undaunted mettle shall bring forth nothing but males”

‘Undaunted mettle’, could be another way to refer to ambition, as she isn’t daunted or phased and has mettle, another word for bravery. So this could be associated with boys, as men are often associated with bravery and ambition. 

“When you durst do it, then you were a man”

When Macbeth carried through with his ambition to kill the king, he was considered a man, but if he didn’t he wasn't manly. This shows how his ambition could be connected to him proving himself as a man.