Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
ambition in macbeth - Coggle Diagram
ambition in macbeth
-
macbeth
"I have no spur / to prick the sides of my intent, but only / vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself / and falls on the other"
many people see lady macbeth as macbeth's "spur". this could be an equal partnership between the two, or could imply that macbeth needs leadership as he is not fit to be a leader himself. in his letter to lady macbeth, macbeth refers to her as his "dearest partner in greatness".
perhaps this is why Shakespeare kills them both at the end - to further discourage his audience from committing regicide.
this links to the patriarchal society that this play was set in, in which Lady Macbeth, as a woman, cannot achieve greatness on her own. we know that she is an ambitious woman, but she is held back at the weakness of her husband. by referring to her as his "partner in greatness", macbeth is luring her into his scheme.
this presents macbeth as the mastermind and his wife as the vehicle to success; he lets her do the plotting and hard work while standing back and observing from the safety of the shadows.
-
macbeth admits that if his ambition is not kept in check, it will lead to his downfall by "overleaping" his goal. his ambition is not a sensible approach, but is "vaulting", meaning that if he gives in to his ambition, it will leap over his aim and end up as his ruin.
for this reason, macbeth concludes that he needs a different spur, or someone to keep him in check. this is lady macbeth.
-
Shakespeare uses a biblical allusion with the word "fall" to connect this phrase to the original fall of adam and eve. with their betrayal of god, they had their downfall. Shakespeare infers this to hint to the reader to warn them of the transgression that this ambition would spark
-
banquo
although banquo is portrayed as a good, honourable character, the witches still have an affect on him. when he and macbeth meet with the witches, he urges them to tell him his future as well.
-
-
banquo's sacrifice may be seen as honourable, since he died to protect his son, but he may also have been so eager to do so because he wants to ensure the prophecy comes true and that his family name and legacy is remembered. banquo dies at the wrath of his own ambition, just like macbeth.
banquo may be the most ambitious character in the play. he admits to have dreamt of the witches even before they had met him and macbeth on the battlefield. this shows that the witches have had a greater affect on him - perhaps this is because his prophecies are more impactful than macbeth's.
the coexistence of banquo's immense ambition and moral integrity seems to oppose with Shakespeare's criticisms on ambition. Shakespeare continuously warns the audience of the dangers of ambition, and yet presents the most ambitious character as the most honourable. perhaps shakespeare is trying to tell his audience that ambition is a fine quality, but one that must be restrained.
the witches
the witches are ambitious, but not for wealth or title. it is revealed later on that the witches want to be loved.
they are poor, ugly and outcasts from society, and so turn to witchcraft to lure and toy with men, to be the object of their desires and be in control.
here the witches may represent women in Jacobean society - they truly want to be loved, but end up getting married for security or political alliance.
this presents the witches in a new light - while they were first viewed as evil and heatless, they are now more vulnerable and human.