Macbeth Ambition Essay, Research Paper

If is Macbeth’s ambition that defeated his good nature, and

that pushed him to break all moral boundaries. Before his

encounter with the three witches (Act I, Scene III), Macbeth

was a loyal man. He was loyal to his King, to his wife, and to

his friends. Despite his loyalty, there is evidence in the play

that shows Macbeth thought or dreamt of becoming King before he

met the witches. This evidence is supported by human nature: if

Macbeth had not wanted to become King, the witches’ predictions

would not have had an effect on him. The witches were able to

manipulate Macbeth by turning his secret ambition (his want to

become King) into a horrible reality. Macbeth was initially

led to evil by the witches’ predictions. Once he heard them

predict that he was to become King, “All hail, Macbeth! that

shalt be king hereafter!” (I.3.52), he did not want to wait any

longer. In Macbeth’s letter to his wife, he tells her of the

witches prophecies. Again, if Macbeth had no intention of

acting upon this information.