Great Ambition in Macbeth

Ambition, if genuinely pursued, can lead to many astonishing goals accomplished over a short period of time. Once we have our ambitions and progress further through them, we start to become blind of certain things we cannot see we are doing wrong. We start to have a narrow view of who we are and because you’re in your “own little fantasy”, it is hard to see any of your imperfections, corruption, or mistakes. Then, start to be in denial from people trying to correct us, tell us we are wrong for certain things, but we are so full of pride and integrity of our achievements we do not see these warnings as such, but we see it as just a ball of hatred, negativity, and envy. Until eventually all the this stress from this energy builds up and we take it out on the ones we love (or at least onced loved) or take it out on ourselves. Great ambition or lust for power ultimately bring ruin and evil can be disguised as something nice looking, blinding us from our degrading foundation until it makes us fall and not allowing us to see our mistakes or personal issues and take responsibility for those actions.

Once a person has reached a point while pursuing an ambition (or already reaching the peak of them), they (most of the time) can never realize the people who helped them to get to that point, or more importantly who they came up with to reach those goals once their there. In Shakespeare’s tragic novel Macbeth, the character Macbeth could not remember the people who gave him the extra support to go through with his idea and ambition to become king. “The, Vera 2 trusted home, might yet enkindle you unto the crown, besides the thane of Cawdor. But ‘tis strange. And oftentimes, to win us the instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s in deepest consequences”(Act 1, Scene 3). Banquo heard of the prophecies from the witches with Macbeth and although he saw that there could be consequences included in what the witches were saying, he still tried to help Macbeth and gave him moral support. Macbeth later ended up killing Banquo, even though Banquo was always loyal and humble to him since the beginning when Macbeth took the throne. “Come spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty”. Lady Macbeth was so proud of the good news from which Macbeth received from the witches that she started to “possess demons” (Act 1, Scene 5) (not only showing how loyal she was to Macbeth but as well as showing how evil she was) to be on their side so this prophecy could come true. It is hard for people to see their weaknesses or flaws once you have reached a certain point in your life, where they feel they have succeeded and reach the ambitions that make them happy.

When people call others out for their flaws, peoples first instinct is to immediately try to defend themselves, but sometimes they cannot look in the mirror and see that is true for themselves. “O treachery! Fly good Fleance, fly, fly, fly! Thou may’st revenge -- O slave” (Act 3 Scene 3). Here Banquo is killed by Macbeth, the effect that was provoked by Macbeth’s own envy causes one of his most loyal companions to die at his hands, Macbeth not being able to see the wrong he is doing. As the tragic story develops more and more we see Macbeth’s corruption increasing because no one steps in to tell him it's wrong, building up his corruption and eventually making everyone fear him. “O full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife” (Act 3 Scene 2). At this point in the tragedy, Lady Macbeth could have told Macbeth he was wrong for Vera 3 his envy and that he should be proud Banquo’s sons would become kings, but instead she encourages these thoughts, which is what leads to their ultimate demise. “Avaunt, and quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee. Thy bones are marrowless; thy blood is cold; Thou hast no speculation in those eyes which thou dost glare with” (Act 3 Scene 5). Once again, Macbeth corruption and madness is revealed again in this scene but no one in the room does anything to help him, they feel scared and helpless under Macbeth’s rule.

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