Macbeth the Play

Throughout the play Macbeth and Lady Macbeth together demonstrate how ambition can turn a loyal soldier into a bloodthirsty murderer with his scheming and devious wife turning weak and disturbed as ambition slowly destroys her. Macbeth’s ambition to become king of Scotland turn’s him independent and ruthless. “The dead butcher and fiend-like queen”, is an accurate description as this is all they amount to. At the start of the play Macbeth is a loyal soldier returning from the civil war. The witches tell Macbeth that he will become Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland.

The witch’s prophecies make Macbeth ambitious and tap into pre-existing ambition. believes these prophecies as the first of his prophecies has been fulfilled. Afterwards the second prophecy is carried out. Immediately Macbeth thinks of murdering King Duncan so the third of his prophecies will be fulfilled even though he is horrified by the idea. Lady Macbeth’s greed makes her determined the third prophecy will come true. But believes Macbeth is not capable of murdering Duncan but will provoke him. When Lady Macbeth hears the news that that Duncan is coming to visit she believes it is the ideal opportunity to kill Duncan.

Lady Macbeth calls on the spirits of darkness and evil to replace her nurturing and feminine qualities with remorseless cruelty. Macbeth is appalled of the thought of killing his king and can think of many reasons for not going ahead with the murder. So Lady Macbeth manipulates him by accusing him of being a coward and unmanly, until he agrees to proceed with the murder. Lady Macbeth presents her plan that when Duncan’s servants are asleep, he will enter Duncan’s chamber and kill him. Macbeth carries out this murder so the third prophecies will be fulfilled.

It is demonstrated that ambition and greed can influence Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to commit murder and therefore the description, “The dead butcher and fiend-like queen,” is accurate as this is all they amount to. Macbeth’s ambition to become king was a large sacrifice as he becomes a blood-thirsty murderer. After killing the king he begins to turn into the “dead butcher”. As Macbeth’s ambition leads Macbeth into committing these horrendous murders. After killing the king he also kills Duncan’s servants to make it seem as if they killed the king and so no one would suspect him. “O, yet I do repent me of my fury, that I did kill them.”

Act 2, Scene 3 (page 95) Macbeth claiming he killed the servants in rage however he killed them as they would of suspected him. Macbeth continues his heartless murders by hiring murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance as Macbeth becomes obsessed with Banquo’s prophecies that he will be, “Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. ” Macbeth convinces the murderers that Banquo is there enemy and deserves to be killed. Macbeth promises the murderers that he will remove them from the general list and place them on the special list to move them from a low class of society and put them in the high class.

Macbeth’s ambition to become king was a large sacrifice as he becomes a blood-thirsty murderer. After killing the king he begins to turn into the “dead butcher”. As Macbeth’s ambition leads Macbeth into committing these horrendous murders. After killing the king he also kills Duncan’s servants to make it seem as if they killed the king and so no one would suspect him. “O, yet I do repent me of my fury, that I did kill them. ” Act 2, Scene 3 (page 95) Macbeth claiming he killed the servants in rage however he killed them as they would of suspected him.

Macbeth continues his heartless murders by hiring murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance as Macbeth becomes obsessed with Banquo’s prophecies that he will be, “Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. ” Macbeth convinces the murderers that Banquo is there enemy and deserves to be killed. Machbeth promises the murderers that he will remove them from the general list and place them on the special list to move them from a low class of society and put them in the high class. Macbeth finally kills Macduffs family to get revenge as Macduff portrayed him by refusing to attend his banquet and leaving for England to seek military assistance to attack Macbeth.

It is demonstrated that after killing the King Macbeth begins turning into a bloodthirsty murderer and therefore the description “the dead butcher” is an accurate description as this is all Macbeth amounts to. At the start of the play Lady Macbeth is devious and scheming, as she is determined Macbeth will become King but in the end Lady Macbeth is destroyed by ambition and greed as it turns her insane. Initiatly Lady Macbeth spurs Macbeth on as she believes Macbeth is not capable of murdering Duncan. Lady Macbeth plans Duncan’s murder and manipulates Macbeth into going ahead with it.

However after the murder of Duncan Lady Macbeth becomes weak. Lady Macbeth is suffering from troubled sleep, nightmares, and loss of appetite. But hides the distress. But later on her guilt overpowers her and a doctor is employed to watch her. Lady Macbeth is hugely disturbed as she obsessed with washing her hands to clean the blood she sees and smells, speaks vivid recreations of the murders, sleepwalks and talks in her sleep. “This disease is beyond my practice. ” Act 5, Scene 1 (page 213) The doctor cannot cure the mental disturbance and warns them he suspects she is suicidal.

Lady Macbeth later on dies. It is demonstrated that ambition and greed turned Lady Macbeth from scheming and devious to weak and disturbed. The description “fiend-like queen,” is an accurate description as this is all Lady Macbeth amounts to. After the king’s murder Macbeth begins on the path to becoming the “dead butcher”. Ambition has turned him independent and ruthless. But this ambition destroys him as he becomes paranoid about anyone overthrowing him. Macbeth makes plans independently for Banquo and Fleance to be murdered and refuses to give Lady Macbeth any details.

”Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou appalled the deed.” Act 3, Scene 2 (page 129) Macbeth sends a third murderer to kill Banquo and Fleance as he no longer trusts anyone. Macbeth goes back to see the witches independently and demands that they answer his questions. The witches tell Macbeth to beware of Macduff; that he will not be killed of anyone born of woman; and he will be defeated only when the trees of Birnam wood move towards his castle. Macbeth decides to murder Macduff’s family to seek revenge as he has left for England.

However soon after he becomes paranoid about anyone defeating him but the prophecies reassure him although everyone has deserted him. Macbeth’s arrogance convinces him that he cannot be killed. However in the end Macduff explains that technically he was not born a woman as he was a caesarian. Macbeth realizes he is defeated but shows bravery as he refuses to surrender and will fight to his death. “Lay on, Macduff; And damn’d be him that first cries ‘Hold, enough! ” Act 5, Scene 8 (page 249) It is demonstrated that Macbeth’s ambition to become king of Scotland turn’s him independent and ruthless.

But this ambition destroys him as he becomes paranoid about anyone overthrowing him. “The dead butcher”, is an accurate description as this is all he amounts to. Together the Macbeth’s illustrate how ambition can a loyal soldier into a bloodthirsty murderer with his scheming and devious wife turning weak and disturbed as ambition slowly destroys her. Macbeth’s ambition to become king of Scotland turn’s him independent and ruthless. But in the end it is ambition destroys them both. “The dead butcher and fiend-like queen”, is an accurate description of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as this is all they ever amount to.