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Ambition (Root of evil (Unchecked ambition is the root of all evil,…
Ambition
Root of evil
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Ultimately, it is the Macbeth's ambition that means he commits the murders of Duncan and the consequent ones
Therefore, it is his ambition that is the root of all evil (his hamartia)
The key point is the fact that it is unchecked ambition - compare to Banquo also has ambition but his is not unchecked
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth
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Macbeth's ambition is more selfish - once he has attained his position, he loses regard for his wife, even though it was only due to her planning (leave all the rest to me) that he gained his position
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Tragic flaw
In Shakespearean tragedy, the tragic hero's tragic flaw, is the characteristic of the otherwise good tragic hero that leads to their demise
For Macbeth, ambition is his tragic flaw, and he recognises this to some extent: I have no spur / to prick the sides of my intent, but only / vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself / and falls on the other
Macbeth knows that what he is doing is wrong, and therefore, without his ambition to become King, he would not murder Duncan
Unnatural in women
Both the witches and Lady Macbeth are portrayed as ambitious women, but both of these women are seen as evil and unnatural
Lady Macbeth
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Dominant personality in the relationship between Macbeth and her - would have been the unusual at the time, when women were meant to be quiet and supportive
Has no guilty conscience in the beginning - Fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / of direst cruelty
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Not happy
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Neither of them maintain a stable enough mental state for them to be content with what they have and be able to enjoy their success
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Unnatural generally
In line with the idea of the Great Chain of Being, everyone was believed to have their own preordained place in society, and to wish for more was unnatural