Ambition and Power

• In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, ambition is portrayed as a powerful and dangerous force that drives individuals to betray their morals and ultimately leads to their downfall. The play explores how ambition, when left unchecked, can corrupt even the most honourable characters. Through the tragic rise and fall of Macbeth, as well as the influence of Lady Macbeth and the witches, Shakespeare shows that ambition is not inherently evil—but when it becomes overpowering, it destroys both the mind and the soul. The play acts as a warning about the consequences of allowing ambition to override conscience and reason.
• Paragraph 1: Macbeth

  • Point : Macbeth's Ambition is a corrupting force which becomes his hamartia.
  • Before ambition : 'brave Macbeth' 'O worthiest cousin' 'noble Macbeth' He was a loyal, patriotic soldier that would become an martyr for his country.
  • The entrance of the witches triggers Macbeth's ambition due to the prophecies.
  • Immediately after the witches have planted the evil seeds of ambition within the mind of Macbeth, it immediately takes root and grows into an uncontrollable, nefarious forest of evil.
  • After ambition: Macbeth relegates from a noble warrior into a paranoid tyrant.