Skip to main content

What would be some interpretive observations from Shakespeare's Macbeth?

When one reads Macbeth, one can notice many themes and motifs that are worth being examined thoroughly. I would like to focus on the role of ambition in the play and its impact on Macbeth because it is certainly one of the most important issues that needs to be discussed.


Macbeth's unchecked ambition leads to his imminent downfall because he completely succumbs to it and forfeits his right to be viewed as an individual...

When one reads Macbeth, one can notice many themes and motifs that are worth being examined thoroughly. I would like to focus on the role of ambition in the play and its impact on Macbeth because it is certainly one of the most important issues that needs to be discussed.


Macbeth's unchecked ambition leads to his imminent downfall because he completely succumbs to it and forfeits his right to be viewed as an individual who deserves redemption. His determination to put aside his sense of right and wrong for the sake of fulfilling his ambition to unlawfully become the king of Scotland is evident when he decides to murder king Duncan, who is also his relative, with the help of his wife. He even admits that his unrestrained ambition is the chief reason why he wants to follow through with his plan of murdering the king:



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



His perilous ambition leads him to commit many more atrocious deeds (he orders the execution of Banquo, Macduff's family, etc.) and makes him unable to stop. As he gains what he desires, he feels more and more insecure and becomes obsessed with guarding his position as the king at any cost.


In the end, his ambition gets the better of him as he is defeated by Macduff, so the natural order is restored again. The play suggests that good triumphs over evil sooner or later and that any sort of ambition which threatens to disrupt the natural order of things is bound to be eradicated.

Labels

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more