Key Ideas

• • Ambition is the hamartia (fatal flaw that causes the downfall) of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Their relentless pursuit of desires fuelled by an insatiable ambition becomes the catalyst for their inevitable mental and physical collapse, ultimately culminating in their tragic downfall.
• • Ambition is the driving force behind tragedy in the play. Macbeth is constructed as a the tragic hero somebody who has a downtall) who undergoes a fall from grace as a result of his overindulgence in ambition.
• • Ambition deceives individuals into having the illusion that they can transcend social, political and divine constraints. However, this deceptive allure inevitably collides with the harsh realities of existence and the destiny set out for them by God.
• • Ambition will mentally rot the faculties of your mind whilst making you believe you're indestructible - it obstructs individuals from seeing their true ephemeral (fleeting/ not permanent) nature.