Shakespeare presents the theme of ambition in Macbeth to highlight the
consequences of having an unchecked ambition as having too much ambition is
dangerous.
In this soliloquy, Lady Macbeth has just read a letter by Macbeth regarding the witches’
prophecies. Shakespeare presents her character as transgressive as she is willing to do
anything in order to satisfy her unchecked ambition. This can be seen through the metaphor,
“I fear thy nature, It is too full o’th’milk of human kindness.” This suggests that Lady Macbeth
feels Macbeth is extremely kind and compassionate which she views as a weakness as he
would not commit any immoral actions such as regicide. The verb “fear” shows that Lady
Macbeth has an unchecked ambition as she is worried that Macbeth is not ruthless enough
to usurp the throne. Furthermore, the noun “milk” has connotations of a child which shows
that Macbeth is gentle and kind which are qualities associated with feminity and thus
weakness. This is ironic as in the previous scenes Macbeth’s barabrity is evident as he
“unseam’d him from the nave to th’ chaps.” Therefore, Lady Macbeth wanting him to be
more merciless than this emphaises her own remorseless nature as she believes that
humanity is an obstacle to achieving great power. However, “milk” can expire which shows
that although lady Macbeth is worried about Macbeth at the moment, she believes that she
can corrupt him. Shakespeare does this to criticise the patriarchal society in which women
had no power and the only way they could obtain power was through men. Therefore, Lady
Macbeth is worried that she may not receive this power because of Macbeth’s gentle nature.
This shows that she is more superior in the relationship which was unusual since women
were supposed to be passive and submissive to their husbands. This can also be seen later
on in this scene when she states, “Come, you spirits…..unsex me here.” This suggests that
she is commanding the supernatural forces to get rid of her feminine qualities such as
kindness and compassion so that she is able to commit the ruthless deed of regicide which
shows that she is willing to do anything to achieve her unchecked ambition. The verb
“unsex” suggests that although she wants to get rid of her feminine qualities she is not asked
to be made into a man which implies that she seems to associate goodness with humanity.
Therefore, she wants to be androgynous like the witches as it would make her less humane
so she would be free from the burdens and weakness of morality which will make her more
powerful as this would help her commit regicide and satisfy her unbridled ambition. Thus,
Lady Macbeth’s transgressive nature can be seen as a warning against the patriarchal
society as because Lady Macbeth did not have enough power in society she turned to the
supernatural for power.
Shakespeare also highlights the dangers of having an unchecked ambition as it can lead to
committing unspeakable deeds. This can be seen through, “Thou wouldst be great, Art not
without ambition, but without The illness should attend it.” This suggests that Lady Macbeth
knows Macbeth is ambitious but he is unwilling to display the ruthless behavior necessary to
achieve those dreams. The noun “illness” implies that she believes ambition should be
complemented by ruthlessness so that it can be achieved which shows that even at this
stage she knows what she is doing is wrong as committing treason is the worst sin you could
have committed in the Jacobean era as people believed in the Divine right of kings which is
the idea that a king was chosen as God’s representative on Earth. Therefore, any action
against the king meant going against God so there would have been severe consequences.
Lady Macbeth is aware of this, however, it does not affect her decision to be the queen and
,achieve power which shows that having unchecked ambition is very dangerous. Therefore,
Shakespeare highlights the corrupting nature of unchecked ambition which can also be seen
through Macbeth, “I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition,
which o’erleaps itself And falls on th’other.” At this point, Macbeth is debating whether to kill
Duncan in his soliloquy. He gives many reasons why he should not but his only reason why
he should kill Duncan is to satisfy his unchecked ambition. The metaphor compares his
experience to horse-riding. The noun “spur” implies that his unbridled ambition motivates him
as it shows that his unchecked ambition is his hamartia as it leads him to usurp the throne
which inevitably leads to his downfall which is reinforced through the adjective “vaulting”
which suggests that his unchecked ambition as uncontrollable as it controls him.
Furthermore, the verb “o’erleaps” suggests that Macbeth is aware that a horse rider may
overestimate their ability while overcoming an obstacle and consequently falling down. Thus,
this foreshadows Macbeth’s tragic ending as he dies a shameful death “the usurper’s cursed
head” due to his hamartia which is his unchecked ambition. Shakespeare does this because
of the gunpowder plot. Therefore, he highlights the severe consequences of treason.
Shakespeare also presents Lady Macbeth as manipulative and cunning. This can be seen
through the imagery, “That I may pour my spirits in thine ear And chastise with the valour of
my tongue.” This suggests that she is pouring verbal poison and evil into his ear which
shows that her tongue is the only real weapon she has. The noun “spirits” has connotations
of the supernatural and it evokes demonic possession which shows how Lady Macbeth will
manipulate Macbeth into becoming evil the same way the witches did. Furthermore, the verb
“chastise” indicates that Lady Macbeth’s ambition causes her to sin as it could be a referent
to the condemnation that God will feel towards Lady Macbeth’s actions whilst Shakespeare’s
reference to Lady Macbeth’s tongue could be perceived by the Jacobean audience as being
a metaphorical Biblical reference, making her tongue comparable to the serpent that
corrupted Adam and Eve. This could further make the Shakespearean audience be
profoundly fearful of Lady Macbeth as they will associate her with sin and corruption. This
shows that Lady Macbeth can not be trusted as she is portrayed as a transgressive
character perhaps Shakespeare warns here that having an unchecked ambition and make
us do anything. This idea of unchecked ambition driving evil actions echoes “My thought,
whose murder yet is but fantastical.” After the three witches predict that Macbeth will be king
he starts thinking about murder which emphaises Macbeth’s unbridled ambition. The noun
“murder” foreshadows Duncan’s murder due to Macbeth’s ambition which motivates him to
go against the Great Chain of being and commit treason. However, it could be argued that it
is the witches’ fault that leads to Macbeth murdering Duncan as he would not have
committed regicide if he did not know that he would be the king However, the witches did
not mention murder in their prophecy which implies that it is, in fact, Macbeth’s unchecked
ambition which is his fatal flaw that results in him usurping the throne and as a consequence,
he had to suffer. Therefore, through this Shakespeare warns against having unchecked
ambition as it is self-destructive.
Ambition is seen as corrupting and causes Macbeth to lose his nobility and
ultimately become intensely violent. Nevertheless, both he and his wife suffer
deep remorse and guilt over their actions which were driven by their unchecked ambition.
Consequently, both die towards the end of the play as they face the consequences of
disturbing the natural order of things.
, Macbeth
Read the following extract from Act 1 Scene 3 of Macbeth and then answer the
question that follows.
At this point in the play, after receiving The Witches’ prophecies, Macbeth and
Banquo have just been told that Duncan has made Macbeth Thane of Cawdor.
BANQUO
But ’tis strange,
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths;
Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s
In deepest consequence. –
Cousins, a word, I pray you.
MACBETH [Aside]
Two truths are told,
As happy prologues to the swelling act
Of the imperial theme. – I thank you, gentlemen. –
This supernatural soliciting
Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill,
Why hath it given me earnest of success,
Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor.
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion,
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs
Against the use of nature? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings.
My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of man that function
Is smothered in surmise, and nothing is,
But what is not.
1 Starting with this moment in the play, explore how Shakespeare presents the
attitudes of Macbeth and Banquo towards the supernatural.
Write about:
• how Shakespeare presents the attitudes of Macbeth and Banquo towards the
supernatural in this extract
• how Shakespeare presents the attitudes of Macbeth and Banquo towards the
supernatural in the play as a whole.
[30 marks]
consequences of having an unchecked ambition as having too much ambition is
dangerous.
In this soliloquy, Lady Macbeth has just read a letter by Macbeth regarding the witches’
prophecies. Shakespeare presents her character as transgressive as she is willing to do
anything in order to satisfy her unchecked ambition. This can be seen through the metaphor,
“I fear thy nature, It is too full o’th’milk of human kindness.” This suggests that Lady Macbeth
feels Macbeth is extremely kind and compassionate which she views as a weakness as he
would not commit any immoral actions such as regicide. The verb “fear” shows that Lady
Macbeth has an unchecked ambition as she is worried that Macbeth is not ruthless enough
to usurp the throne. Furthermore, the noun “milk” has connotations of a child which shows
that Macbeth is gentle and kind which are qualities associated with feminity and thus
weakness. This is ironic as in the previous scenes Macbeth’s barabrity is evident as he
“unseam’d him from the nave to th’ chaps.” Therefore, Lady Macbeth wanting him to be
more merciless than this emphaises her own remorseless nature as she believes that
humanity is an obstacle to achieving great power. However, “milk” can expire which shows
that although lady Macbeth is worried about Macbeth at the moment, she believes that she
can corrupt him. Shakespeare does this to criticise the patriarchal society in which women
had no power and the only way they could obtain power was through men. Therefore, Lady
Macbeth is worried that she may not receive this power because of Macbeth’s gentle nature.
This shows that she is more superior in the relationship which was unusual since women
were supposed to be passive and submissive to their husbands. This can also be seen later
on in this scene when she states, “Come, you spirits…..unsex me here.” This suggests that
she is commanding the supernatural forces to get rid of her feminine qualities such as
kindness and compassion so that she is able to commit the ruthless deed of regicide which
shows that she is willing to do anything to achieve her unchecked ambition. The verb
“unsex” suggests that although she wants to get rid of her feminine qualities she is not asked
to be made into a man which implies that she seems to associate goodness with humanity.
Therefore, she wants to be androgynous like the witches as it would make her less humane
so she would be free from the burdens and weakness of morality which will make her more
powerful as this would help her commit regicide and satisfy her unbridled ambition. Thus,
Lady Macbeth’s transgressive nature can be seen as a warning against the patriarchal
society as because Lady Macbeth did not have enough power in society she turned to the
supernatural for power.
Shakespeare also highlights the dangers of having an unchecked ambition as it can lead to
committing unspeakable deeds. This can be seen through, “Thou wouldst be great, Art not
without ambition, but without The illness should attend it.” This suggests that Lady Macbeth
knows Macbeth is ambitious but he is unwilling to display the ruthless behavior necessary to
achieve those dreams. The noun “illness” implies that she believes ambition should be
complemented by ruthlessness so that it can be achieved which shows that even at this
stage she knows what she is doing is wrong as committing treason is the worst sin you could
have committed in the Jacobean era as people believed in the Divine right of kings which is
the idea that a king was chosen as God’s representative on Earth. Therefore, any action
against the king meant going against God so there would have been severe consequences.
Lady Macbeth is aware of this, however, it does not affect her decision to be the queen and
,achieve power which shows that having unchecked ambition is very dangerous. Therefore,
Shakespeare highlights the corrupting nature of unchecked ambition which can also be seen
through Macbeth, “I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition,
which o’erleaps itself And falls on th’other.” At this point, Macbeth is debating whether to kill
Duncan in his soliloquy. He gives many reasons why he should not but his only reason why
he should kill Duncan is to satisfy his unchecked ambition. The metaphor compares his
experience to horse-riding. The noun “spur” implies that his unbridled ambition motivates him
as it shows that his unchecked ambition is his hamartia as it leads him to usurp the throne
which inevitably leads to his downfall which is reinforced through the adjective “vaulting”
which suggests that his unchecked ambition as uncontrollable as it controls him.
Furthermore, the verb “o’erleaps” suggests that Macbeth is aware that a horse rider may
overestimate their ability while overcoming an obstacle and consequently falling down. Thus,
this foreshadows Macbeth’s tragic ending as he dies a shameful death “the usurper’s cursed
head” due to his hamartia which is his unchecked ambition. Shakespeare does this because
of the gunpowder plot. Therefore, he highlights the severe consequences of treason.
Shakespeare also presents Lady Macbeth as manipulative and cunning. This can be seen
through the imagery, “That I may pour my spirits in thine ear And chastise with the valour of
my tongue.” This suggests that she is pouring verbal poison and evil into his ear which
shows that her tongue is the only real weapon she has. The noun “spirits” has connotations
of the supernatural and it evokes demonic possession which shows how Lady Macbeth will
manipulate Macbeth into becoming evil the same way the witches did. Furthermore, the verb
“chastise” indicates that Lady Macbeth’s ambition causes her to sin as it could be a referent
to the condemnation that God will feel towards Lady Macbeth’s actions whilst Shakespeare’s
reference to Lady Macbeth’s tongue could be perceived by the Jacobean audience as being
a metaphorical Biblical reference, making her tongue comparable to the serpent that
corrupted Adam and Eve. This could further make the Shakespearean audience be
profoundly fearful of Lady Macbeth as they will associate her with sin and corruption. This
shows that Lady Macbeth can not be trusted as she is portrayed as a transgressive
character perhaps Shakespeare warns here that having an unchecked ambition and make
us do anything. This idea of unchecked ambition driving evil actions echoes “My thought,
whose murder yet is but fantastical.” After the three witches predict that Macbeth will be king
he starts thinking about murder which emphaises Macbeth’s unbridled ambition. The noun
“murder” foreshadows Duncan’s murder due to Macbeth’s ambition which motivates him to
go against the Great Chain of being and commit treason. However, it could be argued that it
is the witches’ fault that leads to Macbeth murdering Duncan as he would not have
committed regicide if he did not know that he would be the king However, the witches did
not mention murder in their prophecy which implies that it is, in fact, Macbeth’s unchecked
ambition which is his fatal flaw that results in him usurping the throne and as a consequence,
he had to suffer. Therefore, through this Shakespeare warns against having unchecked
ambition as it is self-destructive.
Ambition is seen as corrupting and causes Macbeth to lose his nobility and
ultimately become intensely violent. Nevertheless, both he and his wife suffer
deep remorse and guilt over their actions which were driven by their unchecked ambition.
Consequently, both die towards the end of the play as they face the consequences of
disturbing the natural order of things.
, Macbeth
Read the following extract from Act 1 Scene 3 of Macbeth and then answer the
question that follows.
At this point in the play, after receiving The Witches’ prophecies, Macbeth and
Banquo have just been told that Duncan has made Macbeth Thane of Cawdor.
BANQUO
But ’tis strange,
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths;
Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s
In deepest consequence. –
Cousins, a word, I pray you.
MACBETH [Aside]
Two truths are told,
As happy prologues to the swelling act
Of the imperial theme. – I thank you, gentlemen. –
This supernatural soliciting
Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill,
Why hath it given me earnest of success,
Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor.
If good, why do I yield to that suggestion,
Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs
Against the use of nature? Present fears
Are less than horrible imaginings.
My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical,
Shakes so my single state of man that function
Is smothered in surmise, and nothing is,
But what is not.
1 Starting with this moment in the play, explore how Shakespeare presents the
attitudes of Macbeth and Banquo towards the supernatural.
Write about:
• how Shakespeare presents the attitudes of Macbeth and Banquo towards the
supernatural in this extract
• how Shakespeare presents the attitudes of Macbeth and Banquo towards the
supernatural in the play as a whole.
[30 marks]
