Ambition

• " unseamed him from the nave to the chops "
• " unseamed him from the nave to the chops "

  • could be seen as brave and noble
  • he is defending the king and country

  HOWEVER

  • could be interpreted as ambition
  • he is only committing these acts to be noticed
  • wants to move up in society
• Lady Macbeth - at the start - is seemingly more ambitious than Macbeth

  • sees him as too kind and soft
  • wants him to be more masculine which will move him up in society
• " when you durst do it you are a man "
• " when you durst do it you are a man "

  • Lady Macbeth emasculates Macbeth to try and make him more ambitious and out going
  • she knows that the only way for her to move up in society is for her husband to
• Shakespeare links ambition to evil deeds and that to much ambition can corrupt morals and lead to severe consequences
• the witches prophecies - inciting action

  • spark Macbeth's ambition
  • ultimately lead him into seeking out Kingship
• Shakespeare seeks to highlight the many negative effects of ambition and the acts that stem from unchecked ambition

  • paranoia - " Macbeth has murdered sleep "
• ambition is Macbeth's hamartia

  • part of him being a tragic hero
  • it eventually leads to his downfall / fall from grace
  • could be argued that he was fated from the start of the play as his ambition has always been there it just needed to be sparked and let out