Shakespears intentions

• Shakespeare utilises ambition as a central theme to underpin the play, revealing its morally corrosive and blinding influence on individuals driven by self-fulfilling and egocentric aspirations.

  • Through ambition, Shakespeare allows his audience to examine the inherent flaws and capriciousness (easily changing) of human nature. He illuminates how ambition, when in the wrong mind, can readily justify the belligerent (brutal) pursuit of power, status and violence.
• Through his allegorical (intended to teach) play, he aims to teach the audience that even in the presence of divine authority (God), ambition can be so omnipotent (all-powerful) it wins. He cautions his audience about succumbing to the seductive allure of sinful temptations, warning how this will lead to a life permanently separated from God and one united with the devil.