ambition Flashcards
why is ambition an important theme
1 Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are led commit their crimes because of their desire to power
2 lady Macbeth is consumed by the desire to be queen and her ambition led her to use her husband to complete her aim
3 Macbeth becomes a tragic hero his ambition causes him to kill and betray Duncan and Banquo
what does Shakespere show that ambition does to a person (3)
1 ambition can take over a person and corrupt all their good qualities, it can remove all good qualities from a person
2 ambition destroys those who aim to win power unfairly
3 those who sacrifice honour for power are unfit leaders
4 ambition has negative consequences if people do bad things to get what they want “thy nature is full of human kindness” metaphore shows Lady Macbeth knows people must be ruthless and evil to fullfill ambition
how does Macbeth change through the play
1 at the start he is portrayed as a brave nobel man but by the end he is a tyrant who will let nothing stand in the way of gaining power
2 Later he is shown without kindness, ruthless kills anyone who gets in his way
what happens to Lady Macbeth
she is consumed by her guilt and goes mad
who is to blame for Macbeths downfall
he creates his own downfall making enemies of Malcom and MCDUFF WHO SWEAR TO AVENGE HIS CRIMES
how does ambition effect Macbeth
Ambition is shown to bring him nothing - although he wins what he wanted (the crown) he loses everything (morals, friends, wife and life)
Is ambition shown to be evil explain
no as other characters are ambitious Banquo, Malcom and Mcduff all want better for themselves but they do not allow ambition to take over their morals
quotes about ambition and explanation
3 “I have no spur to pick the sides …. only vaulting ambition”
Macbeth makes it clear he has no good reason to kill Duncan other than his selfish ambition and he knows it may have consequences that could lead to his downfall. so he is aware ambition is not always good
context (7)
1 play is a tragedy first performed in 1611
2 story based on history
3 Elizabethans believed in the great chain of being - all society was ordered by God into a hierarchy God at the top followed by the King
4 Great chain of being also applied to families father, mother, sons, daughters men held more legal and financial power
5 women seen as weaker physically and emotionally. Women property of men and always needed them to look after women
6 People believed in the divine right of kings that they were appointed by God
6 many believed in witches
7 crime against the king was seen as a crime against God and was shocking to this heavily religious society
how is lady Macbeth shown to be ambitious through quotes
1 she believes Macbeth is to kind to kill Duncan and take the throne “yet do I fear thy nature”
This tells the audience Lady Macbeth thinks kindness a weakness as it stops people getting what they want - it makes the audience see her as ruthless
2 she says she will take away “all that impedes thee from golden round” this is a metaphore for crown it means she will convince Macbeth to get rid of anything stopping him from becoming king - shocks audience as women ……….
2 versions of ambition Shakespeare shows
1 shows it in a noble humble way - Macduff a humble warrior and lord who finishes the play victorious uses his ambition to do what is right and avenge wrongs
2 in a sinister scheming way- for a while it puts macbeth and Lady Macbeth in positions of power but in the end they are defeated.
how is ambition presented in the play
as a destructive corruptive force even causes people to disrupt the great chain of being betraying the king with the terrible crime of regicide this violates the divine right of kings
how does ambition change lady
