Example essay: The Theme of Ambition in Macbeth.
Macbeth, his wife, and the three Weird Sisters are linked in their mutual refusal to come right out and say things directly. Instead, they rely on implications, riddles, and ambiguity to evade the truth. Macbeth’s ability to manipulate his language and his public image in order to hide his foul crimes makes him a very modern-seeming politician.Essays on Macbeth Going Above the Edge in Macbeth The king’s position is an honorable title desired by many. Before a king, subjects must humble themselves and know their place, so they do not overstep the boundaries between themselves and the king.In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the theme of guilt and conscience is one of many explored throughout the play. Macbeth, is a well respected Scottish noble who in the beginning of the play is a man everyone looks up to; however as the play progresses he makes a number of bad decisions.
Macbeth is set in a society in which the notion of honor to one's word and loyalty to one's superiors is absolute. At the top of this hierarchy is the king, God's representative on Earth. Other relationships also depend on loyalty: comradeship in warfare, hospitality of host towards guest, and the loyalty between husband and wife.Macbeth’s fall from his once honorable stature is Shakespeare’s way of depicting the tragic flaw of ambition. The second apparition tells Macbeth, “none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth.” (IV.i) Macbeth misinterprets this and believes he is virtually invincible. With the confidence of a god, Macbeth’s ambition soars exponentially.
William Shakespeare wrote the play “Macbeth” in 1606. It, as the title suggests, follows the story of a Scotsman named Macbeth and how, after the prophecy of three witches, sees his status evolve from a general in the Kings army to becoming the King himself.
