Month: February 2015

The Ambition of Macbeth

Powerful, tragic, romantic, and action packed: these are only a few words to describe the many plays written by the great William Shakespeare. Whether it was a tale of love or a king’s rise to power, Shakespeare’s plays were, and still are, always top-notch and so full of meaning. Every one of Shakespeare’s plays has certain themes to them that make them unique and well loved even today; no one can master powerful and controversial themes like Shakespeare did. Out of all of these plays, one play stands alone: Macbeth. The story is about a man who is very violent and wants to be king of Scotland. With the help of his power hungry wife, Lady Macbeth, he kills the good King Duncan and gets his wish, but is forced to contend to the vengeful son of Duncan, Malcolm, and Malcolm’s friend Macduff. Throughout the play, these characters are shown wielding ambition, and the choices they make based on their desires determines the fate of Scotland and of Macbeth himself. The characters Shakespeare creates to desire certain things change the play drastically and bring it to its overwhelming conclusion. Through Macbeth, Malcolm and Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare makes violence, revenge and power go hand in hand with ambition to show the audience how far a determined person will go to achieve their achievements.

Macbeth, the most ambitious person in the play, is a mean king who has people killed so he can stay in power; this ambition represents violence. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a kind person who would never kill anyone for power. After his wife convinces him to kill Duncan, Macbeth’s life will never be the same ever again every murder he commits will haunt him until he is died and the unbearable guilt will destroy him and his wife. Macbeth slowly becomes accustomed to killing and does it more easily and without remorse. For example, after Macbeth becomes king, he begins to worry about the second part of the prophecy, when Banquo’s sons becomes kings. Knowing that he will not have any heirs, Macbeth dreads the idea of “the seeds of Banquo kings. Rather than so, come fate into the list, and champion me to the utterance…” (Shakespeare 3.1.70-73). Since he committed a bad thing to fulfill his desire become king, Macbeth does not want to lose everything he got to Banquo’s royal bloodline This shows how corrupt and villainous Macbeth has become; he will not let anything, not even friendship, get in the way of his desire to be the King of Scotland. And if the destruction of friendship is not a symbol of how strong Macbeth’s ambition truly is, then the manslaughter of an innocent man’s entire family is. When Macbeth sees the three apparitions, one of them tells him to beware Macduff. Surprisingly, after Macbeth learns that Macduff has fled to England, he responds by declaring that he will “give to the edge o’ the sword his wife, babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line.” (4.1.151-153). This shows how bad and evil Macbeth has become; he doesn’t even care about who he’s killing anymore. A wife and kids shows love and effection in a man’s life; the fact that Macbeth doesn’t even consider the moral consequences of destroying a loving family and killing children shows how filled with ambition he has become. Macbeth is so afraid of losing to Macduff that he believes that by killing his family, Macduff will be broken beyond repair and not be able to face Macbeth Unfortunately, he does not count on a certain someone to heighten Macduff’s hopes to slaying Macbeth by using his sorrow to his advantage.

He is also one of the most famous people of his time because he really really intrigues people in his old style writing, people used to come to South London and pack all of the theatres just to catch a glimpse of his amazing and awseome work

foul
highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Fair is foul, and foul is fair:
Hover through the fog and filthy air.
This word will be tested when learning this list
report
to give an account or representation of in words
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
What bloody man is that? He can report,
As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt
The newest state.
This word will be tested when learning this list
brave
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
This is the sergeant
Who like a good and hardy soldier fought
‘Gainst my captivity. Hail, brave friend!
This word will be tested when learning this list
rebel
a person who takes part in an armed rebellion against the constituted authority (especially in the hope of improving conditions)
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Worthy to be a rebel, for to that
The multiplying villanies of nature
Do swarm upon him.
This word will be tested when learning this list
supply
give something useful or necessary to
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
The merciless Macdonwald…
From the western isles
Of kerns and gallowglasses is supplied;
This word will be tested when learning this list
wound
an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Except they meant to bathe in reeking wounds,
Or memorise another Golgotha,
I cannot tell.
This word will be tested when learning this list
minion
a servile or fawning dependant
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
For brave Macbeth–well he deserves that name–
Disdaining fortune, with his brandish’d steel,
Which smoked with bloody execution,
Like valour’s minion carved out his passage
Till he faced the slave.
This word will be tested when learning this list
hail
praise vociferously
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!
This word will be tested when learning this list
noble
having or showing or indicative of high or elevated character
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
My noble partner
You greet with present grace and great prediction
Of noble having and of royal hope,
That he seems rapt withal: to me you speak not.
This word will be tested when learning this list
partner
an associate in an activity or endeavor or sphere of common interest
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
My noble partner
You greet with present grace and great prediction
Of noble having and of royal hope,
That he seems rapt withal: to me you speak not.
This word will be tested when learning this list
prophetic
foretelling events as if by supernatural intervention
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Say from whence
You owe this strange intelligence? or why
Upon this blasted heath you stop our way
With such prophetic greeting?
This word will be tested when learning this list
success
an attainment that is successful
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
The king hath happily received, Macbeth,
The news of thy success.
This word will be tested when learning this list
praise
an expression of approval and commendation
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
When he reads
Thy personal venture in the rebels’ fight,
His wonders and his praises do contend
Which should be thine or his
This word will be tested when learning this list
earnest
something of value given by one person to another to bind a contract
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
And, for an earnest of a greater honour,
He bade me, from him, call thee thane of Cawdor.
This word will be tested when learning this list
vantage
place or situation affording some advantage (especially a comprehensive view or commanding perspective)
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Whether he was combined
With those of Norway, or did line the rebel
With hidden help and vantage, or that with both
He labour’d in his country’s wreck, I know not
This word will be tested when learning this list
treason
disloyalty by virtue of subversive behavior
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
But treasons capital, confess’d and proved,
Have overthrown him.
This word will be tested when learning this list
deserve
be worthy or deserving