Macbeth - Ambition Theme

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  • Created by: Noah_S
  • Created on: 29-04-19 19:32
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  • Ambition
    • Paragraph 4
      • "The castle of Macduff I will surprise"
        • Macbeth's over ambition is making him decide erratic choices with this being one of them.
      • "Then live, Macduff, what need I fear of thee?"
        • Macbeth's ambition is so strong that he seems to think that he is invincible making Macduff not a threat to him.
      • After seeing the witches for the second time, Macbeth's ambition is so great that because of it, he thinks he is out of harms way - making him decide choices with no reasoning behind them.
    • Paragraph 2
      • "without the illness should attend it"
        • Lady Macbeth remarks that Macbeth had a lack of ambition, leading him not to take evil actions to get what he wants.
      • Lady Macbeth is shown to be ambitious more so than her husband.   She pressurises Macbeth into committing regicide and sparking his ambition.
      • "When you durst do it, then you were a man"
        • Lady Macbeth questions her husbands masculinity as she is ambitious to be queen.
    • Paragraph 5
      • "Out, damned spot! Out, I say"
        • Due to her ambition at the start and grieve after the murder of Duncan, Lady Macbeth descends into madness.  She complains how she can not get rid of the spots - showing that she cannot get rid of her guilt.
      • Shakespeare's play demonstrates how ambition without morality has a series of dire consequences.  He teaches the audience that vaulting ambition will not end up pleasant.
      • "Out, out brief candle, Life's but a walking shadow"
        • Macbeth reviews on his actions throughout the play with him descending into violence and madness.  He becomes depressed for a moment showing the cause of unchecked ambition.
    • Paragraph 1
      • "I have begun to plant thee"
        • Shows Macbeth as successful and honourable to make Duncan care about him.
      • "Brave Macbeth"
        • An epithet describes Macbeth as loyal.  His ambition is not shown.
      • At the beginning of the play, Shakespeare presents as Macbeth as a successful and honourable soldier.  His ambition is not immediately noticeable until later on.
    • Paragraph 3
      • "Upon my head, they place a fruitless crown"
        • Macbeth will have no heir to the throne, making him paranoid that someone else will steal it from him.
      • "I am cabin'd, cribb'd, confined"
        • Shows Macbeth's ambition is making him paranoid.  The repeating of the C sound helps add to the point that he is backing up into a corner.
      • Macbeth's ambition begins to spiral out of control becoming increasingly paranoid and violent.  He is making decisions by himself as to try and protect himself from being dethroned.

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