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Essay / The Impact of Ambition on People in Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth
William Shakespeare uses Macbeth to demonstrate how an individual's ambition can impact themselves and others. While some people's ambitions lead to greatness, others can ultimately lead to the individual's downfall. Lady Macbeth's greed causes her to put pressure on Macbeth, which definitely leads to their downfall and has a negative effect on the people around them. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Lady Macbeth believes that Macbeth deserves to be king and she wants him to take what he deserves. When Lady Macbeth says, “Would you like to have what you want?” Would you like to have what you consider the ornament of life and live cowardly in your own esteem, letting "I dare not" wait for an "I would like" like the poor cat I say? This statement shows how Lady Macbeth tries to persuade Macbeth to murder Duncan without actually saying it. The fact that she uses the word coward makes the mood more hostile and makes it more convincing. Adding to this, she states that he would be much happier to be king or whom he esteems. The statement she makes above shows how she pushes Macbeth to kill Duncan so she can live like royalty. Lady Macbeth's greed is also another reason why she drives Macbeth to murder. Her greed also clouds her judgment, and once the deed is done, she shows no remorse, as shown in this quote: "My hands are your color, but I am ashamed to carry such a white heart." » Basically, she calls Macbeth a coward because he feels guilty for his actions and tells him to be a man. However, as the play progresses, she begins to feel more and more guilty, which makes her paranoid. His desire to be powerful and rich ultimately leads to his own downfall and that of Macbeths. Macbeth wants to be king but doesn't want to hurt anyone to become king. “If chance wants me to be king, well, chance can crown me without my agitation.” Macbeth is a very impressionable man when it comes to love, as Lady Macbeth was able to persuade him to do something that he very clearly stated he had no desire to do. There must have been a part of him that wanted to kill Duncan, but it wasn't all Lady Macbeth's fault. Macbeth wants to make his wife proud and happy. “What beast was it that pushed you to entrust me with this business? …I tore my nipple from his boneless gums and smashed his brains out, if I had sworn as much as you did. In this part of the play, Lady Macbeth calls Macbeth a coward, telling him that if she had promised him to kill his child, she would do it and that she would not go against her word like he did. Macbeth feels like he is disappointing his love and he never wants to disappoint her or make her think less of him, which is why he is convinced to murder Duncan. After Duncan's murder, Macbeth is very paranoid and thinks Banquo is onto him and thinks he knows what he has done. On top of that the witches said that Banquo's sons would be kings, Macbeth is upset by this as he believes that his sons should have the crown once he dies. “On my head they placed a barren crown and placed a barren scepter in my grip, only to have it snatched away by a non-linear hand, without any of my sons succeeding. » The paranoia and anger of his sons who do not become kings push Macbeth to kill Banquo in addition to Duncan. The power of being king goes to his head, making him a bad king, as well as his subjects wanting him dethroned or even killed as.