How does Shakespeare present ambition?
Within the Jacobean play ‘Macbeth’, Shakespeare crafts a powerful tragic hero to uncover the
arcane horrors of insatiable ambition. Although the character of Macbeth is loved by all at the
beginning of the play, Macbeth's downfall is utterly inevitable as his harmatia takes control.
Shakespeare reveals the infectious nature of superfluous ambition as it spreads like a disease,
whilst simultaneously comparing it to healthy ambition to warn his Jacobean audience and
illustrate barriers that are never meant to be crossed.
Lady Macbeth is the first to be infected by Macbeth's harmatia. This is evidenced in a soliloquy
as she connives to “pour my spirit in thine ear” in scene 5. Her ambition is captured by the
metaphor “my spirits” which illustrates a lurid image for the audience, instilling fear and
suspicion due to the fervid belief in witchcraft at the time. The possessive pronoun “my” directs
the audience's exceedingly callous judgment and accusatory gaze towards Lady Macbeth,
likening her to a witch herself. This is cleverly executed by Shakespeare as he takes advantage
of women's inferior social standing to coax the audience into villainising her because she
challenges the power dynamic dictated by sex. Women were expected to be entirely
subservient to men, especially their husbands, as stipulated by the Church which served as a
major institution of control. King James I was heavily devoted to Protestantism and openly
advocated his beliefs. Due to the growing suspicion incited by the conflict between Catholics
and Protestants, as well as the bad harvest and storms, many turned to witchcraft to blame.
This, however, was just another cynical strategy to demonise women and profit off of their
vulnerability. Lady Macbeth further invokes disdain when she commands, “Come, you spirits...
unsex me here” betraying her vulgarity as she uses imperatives that contradict the behaviour
expectations of a woman as demure and obedient. The repetition of “spirits” almost confirms
her witchcraft associations, concluding her as the enemy. This is reinforced by the juxtaposition
“take my milk for gall” as it compares a woman's breast milk designed to nurture life with
poison designed to extinguish life. Lady Macbeth’s complete rejection of her own sex amplifies
her ambition as unnatural and defying natural laws, framing her character as an aberration and
cautioning the audience of ambition’s contagious and virulent effects.
Earlier in the play, we are exposed to Macbeth's virtuous ambition as he slays the traitor
MacDonwald to honour and avenge his king. Shakespeare implements this ironic display at the
beginning to demonstrate the progression of ambition and its humble inception. MacDonwald's
execution is vividly described with the line “unseam’d him from the nave to the chaps”,
portraying pure ferocity through the use of graphic imagery. The euphemism of “unseam’d”
indicates this form of brutality is acceptable and ethical so its sheer barbarity can be overlooked.
Shakespeare impels his audience to acknowledge this hypocrisy later on in the play as Macbeth
continues to slaughter, urging into question where the boundary between Good and Evil
resides. The sergeant claims Macbeth had been “disdaining fortune with brandish’d steel”
which renders ambition more powerful than fate and therefore parallels this palpable emotion to
the godly decree. This metaphor evinces the absolute might of ambition which the “steel”
symbolises to be serrated and unbreakable as Macbeth “like valour’s minion” slays the traitor.
This simile epitomises his bravery as he has become a “minion” or a slave to his ambition to
Within the Jacobean play ‘Macbeth’, Shakespeare crafts a powerful tragic hero to uncover the
arcane horrors of insatiable ambition. Although the character of Macbeth is loved by all at the
beginning of the play, Macbeth's downfall is utterly inevitable as his harmatia takes control.
Shakespeare reveals the infectious nature of superfluous ambition as it spreads like a disease,
whilst simultaneously comparing it to healthy ambition to warn his Jacobean audience and
illustrate barriers that are never meant to be crossed.
Lady Macbeth is the first to be infected by Macbeth's harmatia. This is evidenced in a soliloquy
as she connives to “pour my spirit in thine ear” in scene 5. Her ambition is captured by the
metaphor “my spirits” which illustrates a lurid image for the audience, instilling fear and
suspicion due to the fervid belief in witchcraft at the time. The possessive pronoun “my” directs
the audience's exceedingly callous judgment and accusatory gaze towards Lady Macbeth,
likening her to a witch herself. This is cleverly executed by Shakespeare as he takes advantage
of women's inferior social standing to coax the audience into villainising her because she
challenges the power dynamic dictated by sex. Women were expected to be entirely
subservient to men, especially their husbands, as stipulated by the Church which served as a
major institution of control. King James I was heavily devoted to Protestantism and openly
advocated his beliefs. Due to the growing suspicion incited by the conflict between Catholics
and Protestants, as well as the bad harvest and storms, many turned to witchcraft to blame.
This, however, was just another cynical strategy to demonise women and profit off of their
vulnerability. Lady Macbeth further invokes disdain when she commands, “Come, you spirits...
unsex me here” betraying her vulgarity as she uses imperatives that contradict the behaviour
expectations of a woman as demure and obedient. The repetition of “spirits” almost confirms
her witchcraft associations, concluding her as the enemy. This is reinforced by the juxtaposition
“take my milk for gall” as it compares a woman's breast milk designed to nurture life with
poison designed to extinguish life. Lady Macbeth’s complete rejection of her own sex amplifies
her ambition as unnatural and defying natural laws, framing her character as an aberration and
cautioning the audience of ambition’s contagious and virulent effects.
Earlier in the play, we are exposed to Macbeth's virtuous ambition as he slays the traitor
MacDonwald to honour and avenge his king. Shakespeare implements this ironic display at the
beginning to demonstrate the progression of ambition and its humble inception. MacDonwald's
execution is vividly described with the line “unseam’d him from the nave to the chaps”,
portraying pure ferocity through the use of graphic imagery. The euphemism of “unseam’d”
indicates this form of brutality is acceptable and ethical so its sheer barbarity can be overlooked.
Shakespeare impels his audience to acknowledge this hypocrisy later on in the play as Macbeth
continues to slaughter, urging into question where the boundary between Good and Evil
resides. The sergeant claims Macbeth had been “disdaining fortune with brandish’d steel”
which renders ambition more powerful than fate and therefore parallels this palpable emotion to
the godly decree. This metaphor evinces the absolute might of ambition which the “steel”
symbolises to be serrated and unbreakable as Macbeth “like valour’s minion” slays the traitor.
This simile epitomises his bravery as he has become a “minion” or a slave to his ambition to
