Conflict in the play, both internal and external, is used to develop the objective focused nature of the characters. Before he slays King Duncan, Macbeth argues with himself over whether or not he should kill the King. However, his ambitious nature wins over his sense of honour. Macbeth cries out “I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’other”, showing that even he knows that his wants might bring horrible consequences. External conflict is shown when Macbeth does kill the King as a result of his growing ambition.
Ambition in the play belongs not only to Macbeth, but also to Lady Macbeth. Her words to Macbeth encourage him to take the final step, even after he proclaims “we will proceed no further in this business.” Lady Macbeth is filled with a such desire to see her husband crowned king, that she resorts to taunting Macbeth in order that he might kill King Duncan, saying “when you durst do it, then you were a man. And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man,” and then angered by his apparent lack of purpose cries “How tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you have to this.” By fueling Macbeth’s ambition with her own, she changes his mind, deepening his want for the death of the King.
Macbeth’s ambition soon evolves into obsession, until it comes to the point where he murders anyone who might stand in the way of his future. His desires gradually overwhelm him; until hardly anymore of his heroic nature can be seen, which is a typical example of hubris. Hubris is a traditional belief, and according to the ancients, occurs when a human, who is filled with pride and self-confidence, thinks himself better than the gods, and as a result, meets his downfall through his arrogance. Hubris is displayed through the difference in dialogue at the beginning of the play compared to its end. “This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good. … 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?” This quote shows that at the beginning of the play, Macbeth was scared of the unknown, and the witches’ prophesies, fearing that they were evil. After committing the murder of King Duncan, he says “Listening their fear, I could not say ‘Amen’ when they did say ‘God bless us,’” and “I’ll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done; look on’t again, I dare not.” This shows that Macbeth had a degree of guilt that started to build up in his heart and mind, proving that he did indeed have a conscience. However, towards the end of the play Macbeth cries “…and in such bloody distance that every minute of his being thrusts against my near’st of life: and though I could with barefaced power sweep him from my sight and bid my will avouch it, yet I must not, for certain friends that are both his and mine, whose loves I may not drop, but wail his fall who I myself struck down.” Here, Macbeth essentially says that he would’ve killed Banquo himself, if it wasn’t for common relations that made it a disadvantage for him to kill his friend. All of the above quotes show the journey that Macbeth is taking, and it is causing him to become progressively more evil as a result of his ambitious desires.
It is important to note that for all of his ambitious ways, and of all that he achieved, Macbeth was not happy at the end of the play. This also adds to the idea of tragedy, as there is no fairytale ending for Macbeth, and despite his ruthless hard work, the fulfillment of his desire was not enough to satisfy him. “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time; and all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle, life’s but a walking shadow … It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.”
Although ambition isn’t the only factor that causes Macbeth to meet his ruin, all of the other aspects stem from his desires. The witches’ prophesies only serve to strengthen his resolve, as they all seem to point to the fact that he will be King. Lady Macbeth’s ambition is added to his own to create a greater desire to achieve his wants. Conflicts were fought, and through all of Macbeth’s battles, whether be it internal or external, ambition always won in the end. Macbeth is a tragedy of ambition.
