Ambition vs. Reasoning in Macbeth

A detailed Summary of Ambition vs. Reasoning in Macbeth

Throughout the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the reasoning of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is completely subverted and undermined by their insatiable ambition. Macbeth was at first reasonable enough to keep his ambition in check, however it eventually became to strong for even Macbeth and therefor over powered him. To the contrary, Lady Macbeth was overcome by her ambition from the very beginning. Reasoning was abandoned after the decision to kill Duncan was made. At that point we see no serious questioning of the motives of the three witches when they told their cunning and misleading predictions. Macbeth even went as far as to ask for their advise a second time - this second time would of course lead to his downfall. The decision to kill Duncan also signified the last serious attempt at moral contemplation on the part of Macbeth. Throughout the novel we see that the Macbeth's ambition completely subverted their reasoning abilities and eventually lead to their downfall.

Macbeth, whom initially was a very reasonable and moral man, could not hold off the lure of ambition. This idea is stated in the following passage: "One of the most significant reasons for the enduring critical interest in Macbeth's character is th

Might yet enkindle you unto the Crown

Whose Horrid Image doth unfix my Heir

Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan

Even as he questions their motives, he does not come to the logical assumption that these three evildoers are in fact pushing him down a path filled with evil and despair. He says that their visit "cannot be ill, cannot be good" and goes on to explain why it cannot be either of these two things. At least we see here that his ambition has not completely overtaken him. Not only does Macbeth at first question the motives of the witches, he also eventually questions the moral implications of killing Duncan. In the excerpt:

Against the use of Nature?" (Shakespeare; I, iii, 125-135)

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Approximate Word count = 1339
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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