Ambition & Fate

Macbeth - Ambitious, but Torn

Macbeth meets the three witches while returning from the battle. They greet him as Thane of Glamis (which he is), Thane of Cawdor (which the audience knows he is, but Macbeth does not) and tell him he shall be king.

Impulsive reaction

When he finds out that he is in fact Thane of Cawdor, as the witches have told him, his mind leaps to the possibility of becoming king: 'Two truths are told / As happy prologues to the swelling act / Of the imperial theme' (1,3).
But he is immediately not sure if what he has been told is for the best. It's good because he is now Thane of Cawdor. But if it was truly good, he would not feel so unsettled: 'If good, why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair, / And make my seated heart knock at my ribs, / Against the use of nature?' (1,3).

Death of the king

His mind jumps to the death of King Duncan. This is the only way that Macbeth can become king.
The imagery of terror that Shakespeare uses, like Macbeth’s hair standing on end and his heart thumping, suggests that Macbeth is already thinking about murder.
This shows how quickly the possibility of power has moved him from a loyal subject to the worst kind of traitor.
This is also the start of Macbeth having torn thoughts.

Fate and Macbeth's Ambition

As Macbeth becomes more ambitious, his acceptance of fate changes:

Accepts fate

Towards the beginning of the play, Macbeth decides that if fate has said he will be king, then that will happen without him interfering: 'If chance will have me king, why then chance may crown me, / Without my stir' (1,3).

Tries to change fate

However, as the play progresses we see Macbeth actively attempting to change the fates so that he can keep his power.
- He kills Banquo in an attempt to avoid Banquo’s sons taking the throne (as the witches prophecised).
- He kills Lady Macduff and her son in an attempt to remove any competition from the Macduff family.

1Literary & Cultural Context

1.1Context

1.1.1Tragedy

1.1.2The Supernatural & Gender

1.1.3Politics & Monarchy

1.1.4End of Topic Test - Context

2Plot Summary

2.1Act 1

2.1.1Scenes 1 & 2

2.1.2Scene 3

2.1.3Scenes 4-5

2.1.4Scenes 6-7

2.1.5End of Topic Test - Act 1

2.2Acts 2-4

2.2.1Act 2

2.2.2Act 3

2.2.3Act 4

2.3Act 5

2.3.1Scenes 1-3

2.3.2Scenes 4-9

2.3.3End of Topic Test - Acts 2-5

3Characters

3.1Macbeth

3.1.1Hero vs Villain

3.1.2Ambition & Fate

3.1.3Relationship

3.1.4Unstable

3.1.5End of Topic Test - Macbeth

3.2Lady Macbeth

3.2.1Masculine & Ruthless

3.2.2Manipulative & Disturbed

3.3Other Characters

3.3.1Banquo

3.3.2The Witches

3.3.3Exam-Style Questions - The Witches

3.3.4King Duncan

3.3.5Macduff

3.3.6End of Topic Test - Lady Macbeth & Banquo

3.3.7End of Topic Test - Witches, Duncan & Macduff

3.4Grade 9 - Key Characters

3.4.1Grade 9 - Lady Macbeth Questions

4Themes

4.1Themes

4.1.1Power & Ambition

4.1.2Power & Ambition HyperLearning

4.1.3Violence

4.1.4The Supernatural

4.1.5Masculinity

4.1.6Armour, Kingship & The Natural Order

4.1.7Appearances & Deception

4.1.8Madness & Blood

4.1.9Women, Children & Sleep

4.1.10End of Topic Test - Themes

4.1.11End of Topic Test - Themes 2

4.2Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.1Grade 9 - Themes

4.2.2Extract Analysis

5Writer's Techniques

5.1Structure, Meter & Other Literary Techniques

5.1.1Structure, Meter & Dramatic Irony

5.1.2Pathetic Fallacy & Symbolism

5.1.3End of Topic Test - Writer's Techniques

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