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Macbeth: Ambition Is Root Of All Evil - Paper

Macbeth: Ambition Is Root Of All Evil

It is said that ambition is the key to success. In the case of Shakespeare's
Macbeth, it is the key to his downfall. He is presented with the ambition by
the supernatural power of the witches. Lady Macbeth, his wife, then pushes the
ambition. After the murdering of Duncan, Macbeth has gained enough ambition
himself to cause his own destruction. We can see a clear building of desire
throughout the play.

Macbeth is first introduced to the limits of his power and his ambitions by the
witches, who greet him with three titles: Thane of Glamis, which Macbeth is
fully aware of; Thane of Cawdor, which is true at this point, but which
Macbeth has not been told of; and King, which has not ...

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evil. Banquo is skeptical of the witches, and tries to warn his
friend, who seems to accept what they say. Without this supernatural prophesy,
the thought of killing the king would have never crossed Macbeth's mind. The
thought is then reinforced when Macbeth learns that he is Thane of Cawdor, as
the witches foretold (I,iii).

Now that Macbeth has the thought of becoming king inside of him, his is still
not capable of killing Duncan. His morality keeps him from performing any such
task. He is also fully aware of the destructive power of his ambitions. In act
I, scene vii, he even tells us:

I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself
And falls on the other -

He knows this will be his downfall. His actions are only pursued by the
persuasiveness of his wife, Lady Macbeth, who is even more ambitious than
Macbeth himself. She is so ambitious that she is willing to sacrifice her
femininity and all human feelings for ...

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Macbeth: Ambition Is Root Of All Evil. (2008, August 18). Retrieved January 6, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Macbeth-Ambition-Is-Root-All-Evil/88524

"Macbeth: Ambition Is Root Of All Evil." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 18 Aug. 2008. Web. 6 Jan. 2026. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Macbeth-Ambition-Is-Root-All-Evil/88524>

"Macbeth: Ambition Is Root Of All Evil." Essayworld.com. August 18, 2008. Accessed January 6, 2026. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Macbeth-Ambition-Is-Root-All-Evil/88524.

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 8/18/2008 06:45:49 PM
Category: Arts
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 576
Pages: 3

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