Macbeth's Ambition: Key Quotes

"Two truths are told, As happy prologues to the swelling act of this imperial theme" (Macbeth, 1:3)

Macbeth states this after he has had the prophecy from the witches and two of their 'truths' (that he will be Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor) have become reality. They are 'happy prologues', or joyful predecessors or the grandest announcement: that Macbeth will be king. This quotation shows his excited anticipation of becoming the king through the adjective 'happy', demonstrating that the seeds of ambition have been sewn in his head.​

"Stars, hide your fires! Let not light see my black and deep desires" (Macbeth, 1:4)

In this aside, Macbeth acknowledges that his ambitious 'desires' are 'black and deep'; he knows that his ambition is destructive and negative. He is starting to realise that in order for his ambition to become king to be fulfilled, he needs to 'o'erleap' others; there will be causalities if his ambitions are to come to pass.​

"I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition which o'erleaps itself and falls on th'other" (Macbeth, 1:7)

This is taken from Macbeth's soliloquy at the beginning of the scene where he explores his conflicting emotions about killing Duncan; he wants to be king, but feels uneasy about betraying a man who has favoured and promoted him. He clearly knows that this deed is wrong. In this particular line, he is explaining that he has no other motivation to kill Duncan, other than his own ambition. This speech is swiftly followed by the entrance of Lady Macbeth, who then accuses him of being weak and lacking the masculinity to follow through with the deed; she becomes the 'spur' which urges him on (a 'Spur' is the small spiked piece of metal on the heel of a boot used to urge a horse to move forwards)​

"Our fears in Banquo stick deep, and in his royalty of nature reigns that which would be feared" (Macbeth 3:1)

Even though Macbeth is King by this point of the play, he is still uneasy; it is not enough for him to have been given the crown, he also needs to feel safe and secure that this cannot be taken from him by his main rival: Banquo. He cannot forget that the witches have also prophesied that Banquo 'shalt get kings' (i.e. his children will become the rulers of Scotland). Macbeth uses the word 'fear'/'feared' twice here to show that this eventuality is something he is significantly afraid of, and it plagues his mind. He also states that Banquo has a 'royalty of nature' implying that he sees Banquo almost as a superior human to himself, almost that he is more deserving, and this is knocking Macbeth's security and confidence.​

"Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown And put a barren sceptre in my gripe, Thence to be wrenched with an unlineal hand, No son of mine succeeding" (Macbeth, 3:1)

Another of Macbeth's fears, and threats to his ambition, is explored here: the fact that he has no children. He acknowledges that his line is 'fruitless' and 'barren', making the kingship almost hollow as there will be non of his line to continue after him. The idea that the crown will pass elsewhere is clearly painful as he uses the aggressive verb 'wrenched' to speak about it being torn away from him almost forcefully, showing how unnatural this seems in his mind. He wants to avoid this eventuality at all costs.​

"We have scorched the snake, not killed it; She'll close, and be herself, whilst out poor malice, Remains in danger of her former tooth." (Macbeth, 3:2)

Here, Macbeth uses the metaphor of a snake to symbolise the threats to his ambition, in the wake of giving his order that Banquo should be killed. He must do this as he is speaking with Lady Macbeth, from whom he has started to hide his actions (possibly out of shame, possibly showing the deterioration and the shift of power in their relationship)