how does macbeth's ambition lead to his downfall essay

Understanding Macbeth's Ambition

An Analysis of Ambition in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'

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Ambition is the driving force of William Shakespeare's tragedy " Macbeth ." More specifically, it is about ambition that goes unchecked by any concept of morality; this is why it becomes a dangerous quality. Macbeth’s ambition inspires most of his actions, and that results in the deaths of numerous characters and the ultimate downfall of both himself and Lady Macbeth.

The Sources of Ambition in 'Macbeth'

Macbeth’s ambition is driven by a number of factors. For one, he has a deep internal desire for power and advancement. However, that is not exactly why he turns to crime. It takes two outside forces to ignite this hunger and push him to take violent action to obtain power.

• Prophecies: Throughout the play, the Macbeth witches make a number of prophecies, including that Macbeth will become king. Macbeth believes them each time, and often uses the predictions to decide his next actions, such as killing Banquo. While the prophecies always turn out to be true, it is unclear whether they are preordained instances of fate or self-fulfilling via the manipulation of characters like Macbeth.
• Lady Macbeth : The witches may have planted the initial seed in Macbeth’s mind to act on his ambition, but his wife is the one who pushes him to murder. Lady Macbeth’s persistence encourages Macbeth to put aside his guilt and kill Duncan, telling him to focus on his ambition, not his conscience.

Controlling Ambition

Macbeth’s ambition soon spirals out of control and forces him to murder again and again to cover up his previous wrongdoings. His first victims of this are the chamberlains who are framed by Macbeth for the murder of King Duncan and killed as “punishment.”

Later in the play, Macbeth’s fear of Macduff incites him to pursue not only Macduff but also his family. The unnecessary murder of Lady Macduff and her children are the clearest example of Macbeth losing control over his ambition.

Balancing Ambition and Morality

We also see a more honorable take on ambition in "Macbeth." To test Macduff’s loyalty, Malcolm pretends to be greedy, lustful, and power-hungry. When Macduff responds by condemning him and crying out for the future of Scotland under such a king, he shows his allegiance to the country and refusal to submit to tyrants. This reaction from Macduff, along with Malcolm's choosing to test him in the first place, demonstrates that moral code in positions of power is more important than the ambition to get there, especially blind ambition.

Consequences

The consequences of ambition in “Macbeth” are dire—not only are a number of innocent people killed, but Macbeth’s life also ends with him being known as a tyrant, a significant downfall from the noble hero he begins as.

Most importantly, Shakespeare gives neither Macbeth nor Lady Macbeth the opportunity to enjoy what they have gained—perhaps suggesting that it is more satisfying to achieve your goals fairly than acquire them through corruption.

Does Violent Ambition End With Macbeth?

At the end of the play, Malcolm is the victorious king and Macbeth’s burning ambition has been extinguished. But is this really the end to over-reaching ambition in Scotland? The audience is left to wonder if Banquo’s heir will eventually become king as prophesied by the trio of witches. If so, will he act on his own ambition to make this happen, or will fate play a part in realizing the prophecy?

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Macbeth Key Theme: Ambition ( AQA GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

Ambition in Macbeth

Although it is important to stress that Shakespeare explores many other themes in Macbeth, and that you should aim to revise those other themes in some detail, it can be argued that, at heart, Macbeth as a play is an exploration of ambition and its consequences. On this page you will find a summary of how Shakespeare explores ambition in Macbeth, and also tips on how to answer an exam question on the theme of ambition.

Although understanding the theme of ambition is crucial in understanding Macbeth as a play, it is equally important to understand what other ideas Shakespeare is exploring, and how the theme of ambition relates to the principal characters in the play. See our Macbeth: Themes and Macbeth: Characters pages for more detailed revision notes on these.

How does Shakespeare present ambition in Macbeth? When we talk about “ambition” in Macbeth, we are not talking about a desire to do something or determination to succeed towards a set goal. Instead, we should understand ambition in the play as a negative character trait: not just a desire to achieve something, but an unnatural desire to achieve something at any cost .  Indeed, Shakespeare has Macbeth speak the lines “vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself” in Act I, Scene VII. “Vaulting” means jumping over, suggesting that Macbeth, in order to achieve his ambition (to become king), knows that he must overcome an obstacle that stands in his way. This obstacle is King Duncan, and the only way to remove this obstacle is to murder him. To murder a king was a shocking, unnatural act in Jacobean  England (for more on Jacobean society and its beliefs, see our Macbeth: Context page), but Macbeth is prepared to commit regicide  to realise his ambition. Ultimately, the cost he will pay for his ambition is his own life.

Below you will find a summary of the ways in which Shakespeare explores the theme of ambition in Macbeth. For more detailed revision notes on ambition, please see the Macbeth: Themes page.

• Ambition is Macbeth’s fatal character flaw, his hamartia:
• In tragedy , a tragic hero  must have a tragic flaw
• In Macbeth, as in most tragedy, the tragic hero’s hamartia is the cause of their own downfall:
• Macbeth’s ambition to gain, and retain, the throne leads to him committing more and more evil acts
• Other characters seek revenge for these acts of murder
• Macbeth’s own conscience also begins to terrorise him
• Ultimately, a combination of his own mental disintegration and avenging heroes sees him killed by the hand of Macduff
• At heart, Shakespeare is presenting a morality play to the audience:
• Allow yourself to be consumed by ambition, or hubris , and prepare to suffer dire consequences
• It can also be seen as a warning against those who seek to undermine – or overthrow – the rule of a rightful king:
• Shakespeare may also be suggesting that those unaccustomed and undeserving of power will be destroyed by it
• Shakespeare is suggesting that kings are legitimate rulers, but tyrants  are not

Answering an exam question on ambition in Macbeth

In order to get top marks for your essay, it is very important that you know the format and requirements of the exam paper, and the nature of the exam question. It is also vital that you know how to plan an answer in the Shakespeare exam, and are aware of what you need to include to get the highest grade. In this section you will find:

• an overview of the exam
• a plan for a question on ambition
• an ambition essay model paragraph

Overview of the Shakespeare Exam

• Your Shakespeare question would be part of Section A of Paper 1 of your GCSE
• The essay is worth 34 marks: 30 for the quality of your essay, and 4 for the level of your spelling, punctuation and grammar
• In your question paper, you will find an extract from the text of Macbeth and only one question
• You must answer the question that is set and refer to the extract, but also the rest of the play
• This is challenging because the exam is what’s called “closed-book”, meaning that you will not have access to a copy of the text (other than the printed extract) in your exam
• Therefore, in order to refer to the play as a whole, it is important to:
• revise the plot of the play 
• revise some selected quotations from different parts of the play

For a much more detailed guide on answering the Macbeth question, please see our revision notes on How to Answer the Shakespeare Essay Question .

Plan for a question on ambition in Macbeth

Below you will find a template for a plan for the following exemplar question on ambition. It is always worthwhile spending a good deal of time planning an answer at GCSE, with examiners repeatedly reporting that the highest marks are awarded to those students who have clearly set aside time to plan their essays. For more information on planning a response, and approaching the Shakespeare question in general, see our comprehensive revision notes here .

Exemplar question

‘Macbeth’s ambition proves to be his downfall’

Starting with this moment in the play, explore how far you agree with this view.

Write about:

• How Shakespeare presents Macbeth’s ambition in this extract
• How far Shakespeare presents Macbeth’s ambition as the reason for his downfall in the play as a whole

AO4 [4 marks]

Act I, Scene VII

Macbeth is contemplating whether or not to go through with the plan to murder King Duncan

    If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well

    It were done quickly: if the assassination

    Could trammel up the consequence, and catch

    With his surcease success; that but this blow

    Might be the be-all and the end-all here,

    But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,

    We'd jump the life to come. But in these cases

    We still have judgment here; that we but teach

    Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return

    To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice

    Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice

    To our own lips. He's here in double trust;

    First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,

    Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,

    Who should against his murderer shut the door,

    Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan

    Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been

    So clear in his great office, that his virtues

    Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against

    The deep damnation of his taking-off;

    And pity, like a naked new-born babe,

    Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim, horsed

    Upon the sightless couriers of the air,

    Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye,

    That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur

    To prick the sides of my intent, but only

    Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself

    And falls on the other.

Ambition in Macbeth Essay Model Paragraph

Despite the fact that Macbeth is clearly aware of the dire religious consequences of regicide, his ambition means he proceeds with the murder of King Duncan anyway, indicating that his ambition overrides all other sensibilities. In this scene, Shakespeare uses the semantic fields of religion throughout Macbeth’s soliloquy: he refers to “Heaven”, “cherubin” and “angels”, as well as “damnation”. Ostensibly, this language is being used because Macbeth is discussing King Duncan’s prospective life after death. However, it could also be argued that this language betrays Macbeth’s own acknowledgement that committing the planned act of regicide (a mortal sin in the Jacobean era) will instead send him to eternal “damnation”. Indeed, later on in the play, Shakespeare has Macbeth speak the lines: “That summons thee to Heaven, or to Hell”, again, on the face of it referring to Duncan’s passage to the afterlife, but in reality speaking about his own fate. Indeed, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth use the language of Heaven and Hell throughout Act I and the beginning of Act II, suggesting that they are both – on a subconscious level at least – mortally concerned for their future should they commit the sacrilegious act of murdering a sitting monarch. It can be argued that the regicide of King Duncan is the catalyst for Macbeth’s ultimate downfall. In terms of tragedy, this is the inciting incident, after which a tragic hero’s fate is sealed. Therefore, the language that Shakespeare has Macbeth use prior to the murder is very illuminating. Before the murder, Macbeth admits in this soliloquy that – despite the acknowledgement of his own eternal punishment – that it is “only vaulting ambition” which is tempting him to overthrow the king. This is indeed Macbeth himself identifying that his ambition is the “only” reason that he himself identifies to commit the murder, and by extension, it is his ambition that sets the wheels in motion for his ultimate demise.

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Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.

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Macbeth is a play about ambition run amok. The weird sisters ' prophecies spur both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to try to fulfill their ambitions, but the witches never make Macbeth or his wife do anything. Macbeth and his wife act on their own to fulfill their deepest desires. Macbeth, a good general and, by all accounts before the action of the play, a good man, allows his ambition to overwhelm him and becomes a murdering, paranoid maniac. Lady Macbeth, once she begins to put into actions the once-hidden thoughts of her mind, is crushed by guilt.

Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth want to be great and powerful, and sacrifice their morals to achieve that goal. By contrasting these two characters with others in the play, such as Banquo , Duncan , and Macduff , who also want to be great leaders but refuse to allow ambition to come before honor, Macbeth shows how naked ambition, freed from any sort of moral or social conscience, ultimately takes over every other characteristic of a person. Unchecked ambition, Macbeth suggests, can never be fulfilled, and therefore quickly grows into a monster that will destroy anyone who gives into it.

Ambition ThemeTracker

Ambition Quotes in Macbeth

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Macbeth Ambition Quotes

Macbeth is a play steeped with the theme of ambition, and as such there are plenty of Macbeth ambition quotes to choose from. On this page, we run through the most significant quotes from Macbeth about ambition, each with an explanation giving some context.

When Macbeth and Banquo encounter the three witches, they are told a number of prophecies, including that Macbeth will one day be made King of Scotland and that Banquo’s children will sit on the king’s throne. They are both initially skeptical about the prophecies, but Macbeth is intrigued by the prospect of becoming the most powerful man in Scotland. He wonders how it might occur, and foresees undertaking an evil deed to get there:

“My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man that function Is smother’d in surmise.” (Act 1, Scene 3)

It is clear that the witches’ words have stirred some ambition in Macbeth. He asks them to reveal more to him of how he will ascend to power but they disappear without telling him, leaving him in a state of suspense. He realizes his path to the crown will likely require violence, but shows that he is uncomfortable with the evil thoughts that are starting to fill his head:

“Why do I yield to that suggestion Whose horrid images doth unfix my hair, And make my seated heart knock at my ribs, Against the use of nature?” (Act 1, Scene 3)

When Macbeth realizes that one of the witches’ prophesies has come true (he has become ‘Thane of Cawdor’, a title of Scottish nobility) he immediately begins to wonder whether it could be true that he will become king.  The eagerness with which he speaks these words suggest his ambition is front of mind, even though he understands he will need to commit a heinous, violent act in order to become king – thoughts which at this point he seems to refuse to consider acting upon:

“Two truths are told As happy prologues to the swelling act Of th’imperial theme” (Act 1, Scene 3)

Macbeth goes on to describes his wish to become king as ‘black and deep desires’, which suggests he is struggling with the acts he will need to undertake to fulfill his ambition:

“The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires. The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.” (Act 1, Scene 4)

The events of Act 1, Scene 5, display the ambition of both Macbeth and his wife. Lady Macbeth reflects on her husband’s character and acknowledges that he may have ambitious dreams and could be king, but thinks that he is too gentle and not willing to display the ruthless behaviour to make those dreams come true.

She seems to understand her husband well and displays her own philosophy of power, where only those who are able to set aside morality can rise to greatness. When she receives Macbeth’s letter and learns about the witches’ prophecy she says:

“Yet do I fear thy nature It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it.” (Act 1, Scene 5)

In the same soliloquy she continues to display her own ambition, wishing he would come home right away so she can use her power to influence over him to act in a way that will satisfy their mutual ambition:

“Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear And chastise with the valor of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round.” (Act 1, Scene 5)

By the end of the first act, Macbeth’s moral fabric is overridden by the lust for power even though he starts to doubt his plan to murder Duncan. He uses a metaphor about a horse rider unable to use his spurs to make his horse go faster, but who uses ambition to leap an obstacle and ends up falling.

This quote on Macbeth’s ambition gets to the tension between Macbeth’s unwillingness to continue with his plan to murder Duncan and his understanding that his ambition is leading him to dangerous places:

“I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself And falls on th’other” (Act 1, Scene 5)

Ross predicts that ambition will be to blame for Duncan’s murder as Macbeth is unable to conceal his plan to become king. However, Ross believes it will be Duncan’s children that go against nature and kill their father. As it’s Macbeth that kills Duncan, is this against nature too, or his Macbeth’s ambition all too natural?

“‘Gainst nature still! Thriftless ambition, that will ravin up Thine own lives’ means! Then ‘tis most like The sovereignty will fall upon Macbeth.” (Act 2, Scene 4)

Once the deed is done and Macbeth is king, he continues to feel insecure and restless. Paranoia starts to creep in that he may lose his position, and he is frustrated he has no heir. There is no meaning to being king if his lineage will not continue after him. This quote shows that by giving in to his ambition and murdering Duncan he has not achieved what he wanted, but that more violent acts must follow:

“To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus” (Act 3, Scene 1)

In case it was in any doubt, in this Macbeth ambition quote he explicitly states that all of his violent actions are for his own good:

“For mine own good All causes shall give way. I am in blood Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.” (Act 3, Scene 4)

Shakespeare reveals at the end of the play that unbridled ambition leads to no good for the protagonist or those around him. Lady Macbeth commits suicide and Macbeth is depressed and surrounded by an army ready to overthrow him.

In this famous soliloquy, Macbeth vocalizing that he understands all his efforts were pointless. His wife is dead, he is about to die, and Malcolm is going to be king. He laments:

“Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty deaths. Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.” (Act 5, Scene 5)

Shakespeare’s final take on ambition in Macbeth shows how it can be harnessed properly. Macduff plans to avenge his family and his king but doesn’t seek any power himself:

“Either thou, Macbeth, Or else my sword, with an unbattered edge, I sheathe again undeeded. There thou shouldst be; By this great clatter, one of greatest note Seems bruited. Let me find him, Fortune, And more I beg not. “ (Act 5, Scene 6)

Read Mabeth quotes in modern English :

• Is this a dagger which I see before me?
• If it were done when ’tis done
• The raven himself is hoarse
• Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Macbeth — Factors that Cause Macbeth’s Downfall

Factors that Cause Macbeth's Downfall

• Categories: Macbeth William Shakespeare

About this sample

Words: 825 |

Published: Mar 1, 2019

Words: 825 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Table of contents

Macbeth essay outline, macbeth essay example, introduction.

• Overview of "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare
• Introduction of the idea that multiple factors contribute to Macbeth's downfall

Lady Macbeth's Role

• Lady Macbeth's initial response to Macbeth's ambition
• The metaphor of Macbeth's "milk of human kindness"
• Lady Macbeth's manipulation and influence on Macbeth
• Macbeth's underlying ambition

The Witches' Influence

• The witches' introduction in the play
• Their role in planting the idea of power in Macbeth's mind
• Macbeth's response to the witches' prophecy
• The contrast between Macbeth and Banquo

The Symbolism of the Witches

• The witches as symbols of fate and prophecies
• Macbeth's visit to the witches' cave
• The consequences of the witches' prophecies
• The combined influence of Lady Macbeth, the witches, and Macbeth's own ambition
• The use of imagery, symbolism, and dialogue in the play to depict these influences
• The complexity of Macbeth's downfall with multiple forces at play

Laby Macbeth and Witches as the Key Causes of Macbeth's Downfall

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• Stewart, A. L., Zeiler, S. R., & Kluemper, D. H. (2015). An exploration of long-distance dating relationships. Journal of Business and Psychology, 30(1), 13-26.
• Weiner, J., Wiegel, M., & Emery, R. E. (2003). The significance of communication in interpersonal and family relationships. In R. Lerner, M. Easterbrooks, & J. Mistry (Eds.), Handbook of psychology: Developmental psychology (Vol. 6, pp. 662-672). John Wiley & Sons.
• Carnelley, K. B., & Rowe, A. C. (2007). Repeated priming of attachment security influences later views of self and relationships. Personal Relationships, 14(2), 307-320.
• Choi, Y., & Marks, N. F. (2013). Marital conflicts, depressive symptoms, and functional impairment. Journal of Marriage and Family, 75(4), 933-946.
• Christofides, E., & Muise, A. (2009). Internet-mediated relationships: Association between Internet use and attachment processes. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 26(3), 370-393.
• Dainton, M., & Aylor, B. (2002). Routine and strategic maintenance efforts: Behavioral patterns, variations associated with relational length, and the prediction of relational characteristics. Communication Monographs, 69(3), 185-203.
• Guerrero, L. K., Anderson, P. A., & Afifi, W. A. (2010). Close encounters: Communication in relationships. Sage Publications.
• Sahlstein, E., & Stafford, L. (2004). Enacted support during relationship stress: Communication of invisible social support. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 21(3), 321-340.

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