Since the dawn of time, mankind has persevered due to ambition. Whether it be for a civilized life or finding the truth of the universe, we all strive for our determined goals. Parent’s ambition is for their child to grow, ambition can manipulate our ideas and will in a productive manner. However, when ambition takes over our consciousness it can also inflict unanticipated pain. In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is an established tragic hero due to his noble birth which dictates his potential, however, his hamartia of ambition negatively affects his free will and fate through which his actions eventually break the personal, societal, and universal chain of being.
Macbeth is born into nobility which determines his social rank and potential. Initially, Macbeth is introduced as the great Valliant soldier who saved his country against the clutches of its tyrannical villains, a man of dignity and pride. The loyalty Macbeth serves to the throne is idyllic and we eventually learn he is the cousin of King Duncan (“O worthiest cousin [Macbeth]” (I.iv.l 17)) indicating his high social standing in the Scottish hierarchy. “For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name” (I.ii.l 18) Describes the propensity of Macbeth, a gallant hero with great intrinsic honor which he will lose soon. Duncan exclaims “Welcome hither. / I have begun to plant thee and with labor to make thee full of growing” (I.iv.ll 31-33) Introduces the characterization of the king for his noble subject. The honor Macbeth has achieved is due to his performance and loyalty. Moreover, as the overjoyed Duncan joins Macbeth in his castle “we love him [Macbeth] highly/ and shall continue our graces towards him” (I.vi.ll 37-38) Describing the immense potential of Macbeth. Had Macbeth abided by the chain of being he could have earnestly earned intrinsic honor and security.
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Furthermore, Macbeth’s free will is blatantly influenced by the witches and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth had a tragic flaw of ambition. The driver of success and passion made him the mere pawn of the witches. The witches themselves are introduced as the ministers of evil. Creatures of the dark sky have a tendency to create chaos with humanity. Each witch of the weird sisters is assigned a part of time, past, present, and future. When Macbeth is introduced to the prophecies, he is startled by what he hears. Raptured by this pleasant theory of him finally achieving power, the ultimate rule next to god. However, Macbeth utters “Why do I [Macbeth] yield to the suggestion/ whose horrid image doth unfix my hair” (I.iii.ll 47-48) Macbeth realizes the only way to achieve his ambition is through murder. He must break the universal chain in order to succeed. It also shows Macbeth’s personal chain of being affected by just the thought of something so cynical establishing Macbeth’s moral consciousness. Moreover, when Cawdor reaches his king’s palace after hearing about his future, he learns of Malcolm succeeding the Scottish throne and contemplates “Prince! That is a step/ on which I must fall down or else o’erleap” (I.iv.ll 55-56). At this point of the play, Macbeth’s free will is already being influenced by the sisters. The noble Macbeth introduced in the earlier scenes is plunged and a new adversely influenced Macbeth is developed. Chaos in the chain of being is starting to rise. Although the witches are not directly propagating their evil plans, they instead delegate through the hamartia of Macbeth. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth is evidently to blame for influencing the tragic hero’s ambition. When the prophecies of the weird sisters reach Lady Macbeth’s ear, a character foil is forged. Lady Macbeth believes Macbeth is not capable of acting upon the prophecy, “I fear thy nature; / it is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness’ ( I.v.ll 16-17). Macbeth’s wife believes Macbeth’s morality is the root that may hinder their plan, describing the cynical ideology of Lady Macbeth. As the story transpires Lady Macbeth conspires to convince Macbeth through her words. “Look like the innocent flower, / but be the serpent under” (I.vii.ll 76-77), meaning Macbeth should hide his dark and fatal emotions deep inside while pretending to be as sweet as an angel. Through this Lady Macbeth is clandestinely infiltrating Macbeth’s perception. When Macbeth’s moral compass acts and wonders the credibility and validity of this plan, Lady Macbeth mocks him “Then you were a man” (I.viii.l 156). Only if Macbeth can become ruthless, then can he prove himself a man. Lady Macbeth’s aim for power is satisfied through Macbeth’s hamartia. Although the sisters and Lady Macbeth did not interfere with Macbeth’s will extrinsically they greatly demoralized his intrinsic honor to fulfil their own grave motives.
Additionally, though the witches influenced Macbeth’s free will the effects of that caused Macbeth’s fate to be in turmoil. As stated before the Weird sisters are evil. Retched beings survive to inflict chaos in the human world. Initially, the sisters tell Macbeth of his future, “All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter” (I.iii.l 153). Exclaiming to Macbeth the power he will gain. Due to this, Macbeth relies on the ambiguity of fate “If chance will have me king, why chance may/ crown me: (I.iv.ll 177-178), he believes if he is destined to become king then he will. This perspective towards fate changes as though Macbeth has achieved power he must act to maintain it too. Macbeth begins to challenge fate “Come fate into the list, / and champion me to th’ utterance” (III.i.ll 76-77). In an attempt to sustain his power, he challenges fate itself to a match of death. The spark initialized by the sisters now transpires to light a fire.
In the characterization of a tragic hero, they present characteristics that are fatal however they also prove themselves fatal to others. Macbeth’s obsession with maintaining power leads him to murder his noble confidante Banquo. “For Banquo’s issue I have filled my mind; / For them I murdered”, Macbeth is sacred of the prophecy, the prophecy that was promised to Banquo of his sons becoming the king. Macbeth conspires to Kill Banquo and Fleance however Banquo’s son escapes. Macbeth is worried as Banquo’s blood still lives, in order to tackle this he asks the weird sisters for help. Large apparitions appear from the boiling pot of the witches, indicating Macbeth of Macduff as a threat. As an effect Macduff’s family is slayed “He has killed me [son of Macduff], mother. Run away. Lady Macduff cries murder” (IV.iii.ll 97-98). Moreover, during the battle of restoration at Dunsinane Hill, young Siward is martyred by Macbeth. Lady Macbeth with entrenched guilt who played the key role in the fall of Macbeth is also dead. Macbeth realizes everything has fallen, his ambition for power caused his and his comrade's ultimate downfall. Deaths of innocent people in vain.
Although ambition may direct us to our purpose in life, it can also inflict grave damage to our consciousness. Macbeth’s ambition could have resulted in him achieving power through the natural order of the chain of being however the temptation caused by the witches resulted in his ultimate downfall establishing Macbeth as a tragic hero.
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