Ambition

Question 1

Ambition

Answer 1

• Macbeth is a play about ambition and its consequences
• Seen as a warning against those who seek to undermine or overthrow the rule of a rightful king
• PLAY IN THE FORM OF A TRAGEDY - tragic hero as its protagonist
• tragic hero MUST have a fatal flaw/hamartia
• Macbeth is punished

Question 2

How is ambition portrayed in the play?

Answer 2

• In the play, Macbeth ultimately abandons his morals - at first he is presented as a noble and loyal general - in pursuit of, and attempt to cling on to, power
• Character of Macbeth is corrupted by his ambition - leads him to commit regicide, the murder of women and children - FOR THIS, he is condemned both to death at the hands of Macduff, but also - for all eternity - to Hell
• Shakespeare also portrays LM as ambitious, and her punishment is equally severe but far less noble : she commits suicide

Question 3

scenes which display ambition at the beginning of the play?

Answer 3

• Act 1 Scene 3 - Witches’ prophecies lead to the discovery of Macbeth’s ambitions - torn between ambition and loyalty
• Act 1 Scene 3 - Banquo’s reactions and his ambitions - acts as a foil to Macbeth - isn’t driven by greed or ambition
• Act 1 Scene 3 - Macbeth finds out he has been made thane - ambition is strengthened as he is convinced he will be King too
• Act 1 Scene 4 - Macbeth made Thane - Macbeth is battling between ambition and conscience - DUNCAN’S LANGUAGE - Macbeth prepared to betray his loyalty for his ambition - AMBITION IS ALL-CONSUMING - his ambition makes him act against his morals

Question 4

scenes which display ambition through the middle of the play?

Answer 4

• Act 3 Scene 1 - plotting of Banquo’s murder - how fast it was displays how ambition is making macbeth more ruthless
• Act 3 Scene 1 - thinking about the prophecies
• Act 3 Scene 4 - Macbeth’s ambitions make him go insane
• Act 4 Scene 1 - the deception of the Witches - ambition is his weakness
• Act 4 Scene 2 - Murder of Macduff’s family - Macbeth’s ambition is no longer hidden like the start - it is gradually accelerating in its ruthlessness and its cruel nature
• Act 4 Scene 3 - Macduff and Malcolm’s ambition to be faithful to Scotland and ambition to make Scotland a better place

Question 5

scenes which display ambition at the end of the play?

Answer 5

• Act 5 Scene 1 - LM’s ambition causes her to go mad with guilt - sleepwalking
• Act 5 Scene 8 - Macbeth’s death - his hamartia leads to his downfall and fall from grace - Act 5 Scene 9 - ‘butcher’ and ‘fiend-like Queen’ - FROM ‘brave’ and ‘valiant’