Ambition Essay Plan

Paragraph One

‘If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me’ - Has ambitions to be king but isn’t going to change his destiny if it isn’t meant to be. No malicious intents towards the king. Positive ambition.

‘This is a step I must fall down, lr else o’erleap‘

‘Come you spirits’ ‘unsex me here’ - Malicious ambition and intent. Wishes to remove her femininity so that she can carry out her plans as she is unable to as a woman. One holding the ambition at this stage. Also calling on the ‘spirits’ - links to supernatural and so she’s willing to go against fate and the laws of nature to achieve what she wants.

‘no spur’ ‘vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself’

Paragraph Two

‘I dreamt last night of the three weird sisters’ (Banquo)

‘Bosom franchised and allegiance clear’ (Banquo)

Has ambition but would never act upon it because it would be unlawful and wrong.

‘Dagger which I see before me’ ‘let me clutch thee’ (Macbeth)

‘Enter Macbeth with bloody daggers’ (Stage direction)

‘Wash this filthy witness from your hand’ (L Macbeth)

‘Give me the daggers’ (L Macbeth)

Getting her hands dirty. Carrying out the action because she’s so ambitious that she has taken the masculine role and acts powerful and violent.

Paragraph Three

‘know Banquo was your enemy’ (Macbeth)

Intentionally misleading and manipulating the murderers - link to witches - so that they believe they are doing a noble thing. No longer has ambition to kill himself as he doesn’t want to be covered with anymore blood or guilt. Not personal - killing is now his second nature.

‘What’s to be done?’ (L Macbeth)

Wants to be involved - ambitious beyond her gender. Willing to do anything to support her husband and maintain their knew social status.

‘Be innocent of the knowledge’ (Macbeth)

‘He dies’ (Stage direction)

Paragraph Four

‘Something wicked this way comes’ (Witch)

Macbeth’s ambition has lead him to become something awful and terrible that even the witches see him as something evil and sinful.

‘Call ‘em. Let me see ‘em ‘ (Macbeth)

Ambitious to hear the apparitions: wants to know how he can remain as king.

‘The castle of Macduff I will surprise’ ‘give to th’ edge o’ th’ sword his wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls’ (Macbeth)

No longer noble. Ambition has caused him to want to kill innocent people who have done nothing wrong and will bring him no political gain.

‘He has killed me mother’ (Son)

‘Your wife and babes savagely slaughtered’ (Ross)

‘Great revenge to cure this deadly grief’ (Malcolm)

Good ambition. Want to turn their grief into something that can be used to encourage them to finally put an end to Macbeth’s terror.

Paragraph Five

‘Out damned spot’ (Lady Macbeth)

Her ambitions are coming back to haunt her

‘The English power is near’ ‘revenges burn in them’

‘I have lived long enough’ ‘My way of life has fall’n into the sere, yellow leaf’ (Macbeth)

Has nothing left to live for

‘I will not yield’ (Macbeth)

Isn’t going to go down without a fight