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Essay / How Ambition Leads Macbeth to Downfall in Shakespeare's Play
Shakespeare's play "Macbeth" was written in 1606 and explores how unbridled ambition inevitably leads to the dispositional and emotional downfall of one person. He cleverly designed the play to be a parallel to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, where Guy Fawkes planned a failed assassination against King James. Many of the themes of “Macbeth” resonate with attempted rebellion: it is a play about betrayal, the overthrow of a king and the downfall of his murderers. He specifically uses the character of Macbeth to criticize Guy Fawkes, as Macbeth also breaks his own chain of being when he commits regicide and successfully destroys the divine right of kings, which was an ancient idea stating that kings were chosen by God and were his kings. representatives on Earth. Throughout the play, Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as fuel for Macbeth's treasonous actions as his ambition leads him to his downfall and archenemy King Duncan. Although Macbeth is rather reluctant to commit regicide, Lady Macbeth's burning ambition inspires him to do so through her use of manipulation and irrationality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayIn the extract, Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth as a challenge to Macbeth's personality, as she knows that he is loyal and obeying Duncan, and she sees him as too weak to murder her. As readers, we begin to question his interpretation of Macbeth, and this reflects Lady Macbeth's own corrupt thoughts. She argues that Macbeth is “too full of the milk of human kindness” and that she “fears thy nature.” The use of the superlative “also” suggests that Lady Macbeth perceives Macbeth as inferior because his qualities do not match those of an ordinary person. This shows how Macbeth does not have the same level of ambition as Lady Macbeth – she is much more ambitious than he is for Duncan's death. Additionally, the name "kindness" reflects the fact that Macbeth is not evil enough to commit the enormous sin of regicide, and yet he still does it at the end of the novel. This highlights how Lady Macbeth is able to completely alter Macbeth's character, illustrating how her ambition had a pejorative influence on Macbeth. Shakespeare may be attempting to warn readers of the dangers that ambition will inevitably inflict on those who possess it, as well as those around them. He highlights how ambition leads to a disruption of morality and how it constitutes a plunging force towards irrationality. Audiences of "Macbeth" in the Jacobean era felt particularly curious about Lady Macbeth's attitude, as women were generally expected to be very calm and less passionate. Often it is women who calm their husbands, however, in this case Macbeth seems to be the more serene character. Additionally, Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth's burning ambition to become queen through his demonic remarks in the excerpt: "That I may pour my spirit into thy ear." The name "spirits" has connotations with ghosts, demons, and possession, which reinforces the idea that she is willing to transgress God in order to achieve her desires. This not only presents Lady Macbeth as ruthless, but it also highlights how her ambitions have drained her morality and integrity. Additionally, the verb “pour” perhaps describes how Lady Macbeth is willing to continually and systematically sin against God and disobey her king. Shakespeare could have included supernatural imagery here to please his king,..