Explore how far Shakespeare presents ambition in Macbeth
‘Macbeth’ is a play written by William Shakespeare in the Jacobean times for King James I.
Shakespeare presents ambition as being Lady Macbeth’s hamartia, as it is what causes
Lady Macbeth to transition from a dominant wife to a weak and hopeless character.
Shakespeare presents ambition in this destructive way to warn any people considering
committing regicide the detrimental effects of ambition, as it was performed soon after the
gunpowder plot which was an attempt to kill King James I.
Referring to the extract first, the scene falls soon after Macbeth (via letter) has informed
Lady Macbeth of the weird sister’s message, which is that Macbeth is going to be King.
Shakespeare uses the dramatic method dramatic irony in this scene, as the audience knows
something that King Duncan doesn't which increases tension. It is clear that she believes
that becoming King is now Macbeth’s destiny with the line “what thou art promised”. “Yet”,
she “fear[s]” that her husband has too much “human kindness” and not enough “ambition” to
actually become something “great”. She directly uses the word “ambition” here, highlighting
that this is the main reason for the couple’s downfall. She refers to her manipulative words
using the metaphor “pour my spirits in thine ear”, further amplyfing her deceptive and evil
ways, saying she will use the “valour of [her] tongue”, which also shows her ambition as she
is starting to see a bright future for herself as queen and will stop at nothing to get it.
Similarly, in act one scene five of the play, a short soliloquy by Lady Macbeth that is only 17
lines allows us to understand the thought process of Lady Macbeth as she calls upon evil
spirits to aid her in her crime. The soliloquy opens with the noun “raven”, a bird that has
associations with ill omens. She calls upon “spirits” followed by a series list of imperatives
that foreshadowed the persuasive techniques she will use on Macbeth towards the end of
the scene. She requests that the spirits “unsex me here”, highlighting that in order for women
to feel powerful in the Jacobean times, they felt that they had to have their femininity taken
away from them. However, she does not wish to be rendered completely sexless as she
requests that her “breastmilk” is replaced with “gall”. Her presence of breast milk may
suggest that she has had a miscarriage causing the audience to sympathise with her more
and her request for external support shows a sense of lacking despite her confident and
tough appearance. This soliloquy shows the audience not only her powerful and dominant
character but also the power of ambition.
However, throughout the majority of the staves in the play, Lady Macbeth is rarely seen and
her final appearance is in act 5 scene 1, where the audience witness the detrimental
psychological and physical consequences of her ambition. She speaks in broken prose and
riddles which contrasts the controlled eloquent blank verse in act one scene 5. She is
sleeptalking and seeks clarity, “out damn’d spot”. She mentions the words “hell” and “murky”,
perhaps explaining why she carries a lamp in the scene. She is clearly psychologically
affected as she talks Macbeth who isn't there calling him a “soldier” who is not to be
“afeared”. She attempts to conceal her crime as she says that “all the perfumes of Arabia will
not sweeten this little hand” - this feminine metaphor perhaps suggests that her bid to be
unsex’d has proven unsuccessful. However, it can be argued that Lady Macbeth’s ambition
has ultimately always been a result of her love and care for her husband. For example,
earlier in the play she tells her “dearest partner of greatness” that he will become king as
“thou art promised”. The use of the informal second person pronoun shows their intimacy
and the verb “promised” highlights that she believes that it is Macbeth’s fate to become king.
Furthermore, her last few lines in the play are her requesting for Macbeth to “come come
come come” to “bed”, showing that her priority has always been her husband and Lady
Macbeth essentially sacrifices herself and her psychology to complement her husband, and
form a formidable team. Thus, also shining a light on women’s roles in the Jacobean time
and warning the audience of the several dangers that come with following one’s ambition.
‘Macbeth’ is a play written by William Shakespeare in the Jacobean times for King James I.
Shakespeare presents ambition as being Lady Macbeth’s hamartia, as it is what causes
Lady Macbeth to transition from a dominant wife to a weak and hopeless character.
Shakespeare presents ambition in this destructive way to warn any people considering
committing regicide the detrimental effects of ambition, as it was performed soon after the
gunpowder plot which was an attempt to kill King James I.
Referring to the extract first, the scene falls soon after Macbeth (via letter) has informed
Lady Macbeth of the weird sister’s message, which is that Macbeth is going to be King.
Shakespeare uses the dramatic method dramatic irony in this scene, as the audience knows
something that King Duncan doesn't which increases tension. It is clear that she believes
that becoming King is now Macbeth’s destiny with the line “what thou art promised”. “Yet”,
she “fear[s]” that her husband has too much “human kindness” and not enough “ambition” to
actually become something “great”. She directly uses the word “ambition” here, highlighting
that this is the main reason for the couple’s downfall. She refers to her manipulative words
using the metaphor “pour my spirits in thine ear”, further amplyfing her deceptive and evil
ways, saying she will use the “valour of [her] tongue”, which also shows her ambition as she
is starting to see a bright future for herself as queen and will stop at nothing to get it.
Similarly, in act one scene five of the play, a short soliloquy by Lady Macbeth that is only 17
lines allows us to understand the thought process of Lady Macbeth as she calls upon evil
spirits to aid her in her crime. The soliloquy opens with the noun “raven”, a bird that has
associations with ill omens. She calls upon “spirits” followed by a series list of imperatives
that foreshadowed the persuasive techniques she will use on Macbeth towards the end of
the scene. She requests that the spirits “unsex me here”, highlighting that in order for women
to feel powerful in the Jacobean times, they felt that they had to have their femininity taken
away from them. However, she does not wish to be rendered completely sexless as she
requests that her “breastmilk” is replaced with “gall”. Her presence of breast milk may
suggest that she has had a miscarriage causing the audience to sympathise with her more
and her request for external support shows a sense of lacking despite her confident and
tough appearance. This soliloquy shows the audience not only her powerful and dominant
character but also the power of ambition.
However, throughout the majority of the staves in the play, Lady Macbeth is rarely seen and
her final appearance is in act 5 scene 1, where the audience witness the detrimental
psychological and physical consequences of her ambition. She speaks in broken prose and
riddles which contrasts the controlled eloquent blank verse in act one scene 5. She is
sleeptalking and seeks clarity, “out damn’d spot”. She mentions the words “hell” and “murky”,
perhaps explaining why she carries a lamp in the scene. She is clearly psychologically
affected as she talks Macbeth who isn't there calling him a “soldier” who is not to be
“afeared”. She attempts to conceal her crime as she says that “all the perfumes of Arabia will
not sweeten this little hand” - this feminine metaphor perhaps suggests that her bid to be
unsex’d has proven unsuccessful. However, it can be argued that Lady Macbeth’s ambition
has ultimately always been a result of her love and care for her husband. For example,
earlier in the play she tells her “dearest partner of greatness” that he will become king as
“thou art promised”. The use of the informal second person pronoun shows their intimacy
and the verb “promised” highlights that she believes that it is Macbeth’s fate to become king.
Furthermore, her last few lines in the play are her requesting for Macbeth to “come come
come come” to “bed”, showing that her priority has always been her husband and Lady
Macbeth essentially sacrifices herself and her psychology to complement her husband, and
form a formidable team. Thus, also shining a light on women’s roles in the Jacobean time
and warning the audience of the several dangers that come with following one’s ambition.
