The Tragedy Of Macbeth By William Shakespeare - 1441 Words

Consequences of Ambition In human nature, ambition is a character trait that is most often associated with heroic, strong-willed individuals. To dare to fulfill one’s deepest desires can be perceived as a wonderful characteristic to acquire, but it can result in both positive and negative consequences. In William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, the tragic hero, Macbeth, is portrayed as a victim of his own ambition which leads him to ruins. A well-respected general in the Scottish army, Macbeth is originally considered a war hero in the eyes of the people. Upon his return to Scotland, he is greeted with a surprise visit from The Weird Sisters, three witches whom speak riddled prophecies regarding his future titles. When it†¦show more content†¦He frets over the evidence of his crime, instantly burdened by guilt and panic. Macbeth’s paranoia is shown through his use of a hyperbole when he claims, â€Å"Will all great Neptune’s ocean was h this blood/ Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather/ The multitudinous seas incarnadine,/ Making the green one red† (2.2.58-61). This suggests he is aware that he can’t possibly get rid of the evidence linking him to Duncan’s death quickly enough. It also reflects the severity of the sins he has committed as well as the fact that nothing will be able to clean his hands of the horrible crimes. The words â€Å"making the green one red,† symbolize that the staggering amount of his atrocities could not be washed away even by the god’s oceans, and if it did manage to do so, the amount of blood on his hands and upon his soul would only manage to turn the green seas into the red color of blood. Another example of Macbeth’s paranoia is his mistrust of all those around him, perceiving them as either threats to his throne or as witnesses to the murders he has committed. Following his hysteria of seeing the ghost of Banquo, the guests are dis missed from the Macbeths’ dinner celebration. Alone, he confides in his wife that he employs spies in the households of the other nobles due to his distrust of them. Macbeth states, â€Å"I hear it by the way, but I will send. There’s not a one of them but in his house/