Summary
Highlights
Macbeth hopes the murder of Duncan will be 'the be-all and the end-all', wanting to achieve his ambition without repercussions. He describes his 'vaulting ambition' as a horse with no spur but its own eagerness, leading it to jump too far ('overleap itself') and fall.
This video provides a complete guide to the theme of ambition in Macbeth, discussing its role, and highlighting key quotes for essays and examinations. It addresses common exam questions about how ambition is presented in specific passages and the play as a whole.
To understand Macbeth's ambition, it's crucial to grasp the Elizabethan concept of the 'Great Chain of Being' – a hierarchical world where everyone and everything had a fixed position, with God at the top and monarchs as God's representatives. Macbeth's ambition to be king is a transgressive act against this natural order.
Initially, Macbeth states that being king is 'not within the prospect of belief'. However, when he is unexpectedly made Thane of Cawdor, fulfilling one part of the witches' prophecy, his ambition to become king is ignited. He immediately considers murder, though he hopes 'chance may crown me without my stir'.
Upon hearing Duncan name Malcolm as his successor, Macbeth views Malcolm as a 'step on which I must fall down, or else o'erleap'. The idea of 'o'erleaping' also appears with 'vaulting ambition which overleaps itself', signifying his desire to jump over rightful heirs and his fear of the consequences.
Lady Macbeth criticizes Macbeth for lacking the 'illness' or wickedness needed for his ambition. She appeals to evil spirits to 'unsex me here' and fill her with 'direst cruelty' to achieve their joint goal. She uses the word 'crown' for her head, linking it to the royal crown. She later provokes Macbeth, calling him frightened and comparing him to 'the poor cat in the adage' for his hesitation.
After Duncan's murder, the natural order is disturbed, reflecting Macbeth's transgression against the Great Chain of Being. Strange events occur, such as disrupted weather, animals behaving unnaturally, and perpetual darkness, symbolizing the chaos unleashed by his ambition.
Lady Macbeth is haunted by her actions, sleepwalking and trying to wash invisible blood from her hands ('out, damned spot, out, I say'), eventually killing herself in despair. Macbeth himself comes to view life as 'a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing', indicating that his ambition has robbed his life of all meaning.
In contrast, Banquo, despite being prophesied to father kings, does not kill Duncan because he is a virtuous man who respects the Great Chain of Being. This highlights the dangers of transgressive ambition and implicitly praises King James I, who believed himself to be Banquo's direct descendant and the rightful king.