ENGLIT MACBETH ambition quotes

Question 1

How does the play show that ambition is dangerous?

Answer 1

• it can quickly spiral out of control, Macbeth considers the morality of killing Duncan for a long time but doesn’t hesitate when killing Banquo
• Macbeth has to kill more people to get what he wants, shows that ambition can make people ruthless and selfish
• both Macbeth and LM are led to their downfall by ambition, can be read as a warning against ambition that isn’t balanced by reasons or morals

Question 2

How does ambition act against Macbeth?

Answer 2

• his reluctance to kill Duncan shows that he’s moral, but his actions emphasise how strong his ambition is and that his ambition makes him act against his morals
• makes him act against his better judgement, recognises that ambition often “o’erleaps itself and falls”

Question 3

How does LM approach ambition in I.5?

Answer 3

“not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it”

• recognises that there’s a difference between being ambitious and action on ambition
• she thinks that Macbeth isn’t ruthless enough to get what he wants
• reflects her philosophy on action; only those who are willing to put their morals aside are able to rise up to get what they want
• shows she’s a sound judge of character and knows her husband very well

Question 4

How is ambition shown to be good throughout the play?

Answer 4

• not all characters are corrupted by it, ambition can be a positive thing if it’s motivated by a desire to help others rather than yourself
• Malcolm and Macduff are ambitious for their country, want to remove Macbeth from power not for their own selfish desires but for the good of Scotland
• Banquo is ambitious for his sons, he wants them to be kings but doesn’t act on them in the violent way that Macbeth does

Question 5

How is Macbeth shown as ambitious in I.3?

Answer 5

“two truths are told as happy prologues to the swelling act of th’imperial theme”

• immediately starts to wonder if the witches’ third prediction will become true
• the eagerness with which he turns to this idea show that he finds the possibility appealing but realises that he would have to commit a terrible and violent act to become king
• these lines hint at Macbeth’s ambition and future actions even if now it doesn’t look like he will choose to act on his actions

Question 6

How does Macbeth seem afraid of ambition in I.7?

Answer 6

“I have no spur to prick the sides of my intention, but vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’other”

• the one thing he does have is ambition, but compares himself to a horse rider who overestimates his ability and as a result falls down as a result of his ambition
• describes the tension between his unwillingness to carry on, and the fact he knows that ambition will lead him down a dangerous path

Question 7

How does Macbeth approach ambition in III.1?

Answer 7

“to be thus is nothing but safely thus”

• shows that Macbeth doesn’t feel safe as king and that being king is meaningless if his heirs won’t be kings themselves
• reveals that giving into ambition and murdering Duncan has not brought him peace, but has brought him restlessness and paranoia
• reveals how his first violent action set off a chain of violent actions that he took to ensure his stability as king

Question 8

How does Macbeth approach ambition in V.5?

Answer 8

“it is a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury signifying nothing”

• shows that for him, life has become meaningless and that he has no ambition to carry on after the one who supported him, his wife, has passed away
• could hint that she was the main drive behind his ambition and that her death has resulted in a lack of ambition
• recognised that his ambition has led him to become a tyrant and that his death is inevitable