Ambition

• What is the main theme in 'Macbeth'?

  Ambition
• How does ambition affect Macbeth's character?

  It transforms him from a "valiant" soldier to a "dead butcher"
• What does the play suggest about the nature of ambition?

  Ambition can spiral out of control and be dangerous
• How does Macbeth's hesitation regarding Duncan's murder differ from his decision about Banquo?

  He hesitates about killing Duncan but not Banquo
• What does Macbeth's need to kill more people illustrate about ambition?

  It shows ambition can make people ruthless and selfish
• What is the ultimate fate of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth due to their ambition?

  They are both destroyed by their ambition
• How can the play 'Macbeth' be interpreted in relation to ambition?

  As a warning against unchecked ambition
• What is Macbeth's biggest weakness?

  Ambition
• What is Macbeth's 'fatal flaw' referred to as?

  Hamartia
• How does Duncan describe Macbeth at the start of the play?

  He calls him "noble"
• What does Lady Macbeth say about Macbeth's character?

  He "wouldst not play false"
• What does Macbeth's reluctance to kill Duncan indicate about him?

  It shows he is moral
• How does ambition affect Macbeth's actions?

  It makes him act against his morals
• What does Macbeth know about ambition's consequences?

  It "o'erleaps itself/And falls"
• What does Macbeth's knowledge about ambition foreshadow?

  His own tragic downfall
• What happens to Macbeth by the end of the play?

  He dies an "abhorred tyrant"
• What is a common characteristic of heroes in Shakespeare's tragedies?

  • Noble person
  • One main character flaw
  • Leads to their downfall
• What does Lady Macbeth believe about Macbeth's ambition?

  He lacks the ruthlessness to act
• How does Lady Macbeth differentiate between ambition and acting on it?

  She sees ambition as insufficient without action
• Ambition can be good or bad

  1. Not all characters are corrupted by their ambition, as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are. Ambition can be a positive thing if it's motivated by a desire to help others rather than yourself.

  2. Malcolm and Macduff are ambitious for their country. They want to take Macbeth's power away from him, not for their own selfish desires, but for the good of Scotland.

  3. Banquo is ambitious for his sons - he hopes that "there come truth" from the Witches' prophecy - but he doesn't act on the predictions in the violent way that Macbeth does.