Ambition could be interpreted as Macbeth’s hamartia (fatal flaw) which leads to his violence and downfall:

• “vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself”

• “Let not light see my black and deep desires”

• “Nought’s had, all’s spent”

It makes him ruthless and loose sight of reason and rationality, acting against his morals, faith and better judgement.

• “we’d jump the life to come”

• “we are but young in deed”

Power drives him insane and makes him paranoid.

• “O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!”

• “The very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand”

The witches and Lady Macbeth manipulate his ambition (and masculinity), although it was present from the start:

• “stay you imperfect speakers, tell me more”

• “too full o’ the milk of human kindness”

• “bathe in reeking wounds”

Shakespeare presents ambition as unnatural and a threat to the natural, correct order of society.

How does Shakespeare present the theme of ambition?

point 1: At the start of the play, Macbeth’s ambition is not strong enough to overcome his morality and fear. Instead, Lady Macbeth has to manipulate him and ‘pour’ her 'spirits’ in his ear.

• ‘horrid image doth unfix my hair’

  • demonstrated his fear just at the thought of murdering Duncan

  • this shows his respect for his king, since we know he is usually unfazed by murder (‘bathe in reeking wounds’)

• ‘Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires’

  • suggests a conflicted personality, which has both a pure and moral side as well as an ambitious, power hungry side, demonstrated through the symbolism of light and dark, good and evil

  • doesn’t want to indulge his darker emotions, knows that it would be wrong

• ‘Stay, you imperfect speakers. Tell me more’

  • imperative verbs suggest he is both suspicious of them but also eager to hear about the possibility of becoming king

  • his receptiveness to the prophecies contrasts with Banquo, showing his underlying ambition which has been awakened by the witches

Point 2: Once King, Macbeth’s ambition and hunger for power consumes him, leading him to violence and tyranny.

• ‘we are but young in deed’

  • Macbeth believes the unrest they feel is typical of a beginner to deception and murder

  • it presents him as committed to further evil as it suggests he wishes to continue and improve at violence

  • demonstrating how ruthless and unhinged he is

• ‘I am in blood stepp’d so far that… returning were as tedious as go o’er’

  • Macbeth compares his conduct to wading through a river of blood, creating a vivid and disturbing image of his reign

  • ‘tedious’ implies bored, showing how his heart has hardened and he is no unaffected by murder

  • feels committed, as though he has become and different person and can’t, or doesn’t want to, change back

Point 3: Ambition is Macbeth’ hamartia, his fatal flaw that leads to his downfall. Shakespeare demonstrates how unchecked ambition is dangerous to the natural order of society.

• ‘O’, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife!’

  • mental suffering from paranoid and guilt, brought upon himself

  • punishment from his subconscious

  • ‘scorpions’ suggests he is being poisoned

  • exclamation shows his instability and mental anguish

• ‘untitl’d tyrant’

  • Great Chain of Being, Macbeth shouldn’t have this title

• ‘life’s but a walking shadow’

  • lost any passion for life, no longer sees value in it

• ‘dead butcher and his fiend like queen’

  • completely different to ‘noble’ and ‘brave’ Macbeth at the beginning of the play

• ‘vaulting ambition’ ‘o’erleaps itself and falls’

  • he knew from the start of the consequences of his ambition, yet seemingly couldn’t help it and gave into his greed for power anyway

  • this reinforces the tragic nature of the play, which draws off Greek tragedies, where a noble man becomes corrupted by his hamartia