William Shakespeare’s, Macbeth, explores the notion of ambition and what truly harbingers the

tragic downfall of Macbeth. Throughout the play, Shakespeare is able to demonstrate that it is not
ambition that is a fatal flaw, but more specifically, the unchecked ambition that is a catalyst for
disaster. Furthermore, Shakespeare ventilates a myriad of factors that could essentially become the
fatal flaw in Macbeth, as they are fundamentally linked to ambition. However, despite all, it is
essentially the unchecked ambition that becomes the fatality of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

It is not ambition alone that is the fatal flaw in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, but ambition that is
“vaulting” and unchecked. Through the use of allegorical characters, Shakespeare creates contrast
between what is good, and what is “wicked”. By using King Duncan, Shakespeare evidently
presents him as morally incorruptible in his sense of ambition and humanity. However, coalescing
King Duncan with Macbeth, Shakespeare is able to reprimand the audience of Macbeth’s amorality
as he lacks the kingship that is proudly presented in King Duncan who “Hath borne his faculties so
meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels”. Whilst the
"dagger" portrays Macbeth's undeniable lust for power, Duncan as a “peerless kinsman”
demonstrates humanity as “the brightest…angel”. Shakespeare employs imagery of innocence
within Duncan through the repetition of “angel”, as an illustration of Duncan being the good and a
divinely sanctioned being. In which it reinforces the fact that Macbeth is wrong in his acts of
tyranny, it indicates that Macbeth’s ambition is and tainted with immorality. Furthermore, it is the
“vaulting ambition” that is strongly portrayed in Macbeth — a fatal flaw that is present in both
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Their idea of “o’erleap[ing]” the natural cadence of society
demonstrates to the audience that they are fittingly characterised as the “equivocator[s]…who
committed treason” against “God”; Shakespeare seemingly portrays them as the “tyrant[s]” on
earth, who has disrupted the natural cadence of society. It is also the fact that Macbeth “[has] no
spur To prick the sides of [his] intent, but only "Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself And falls
on th’ other” that makes him so corrupt as a character who seemingly loses his moral compass to his
“black and deep desires”. It portrays the intangibility of Macbeth's ambition as he is unable to
overcome it. Essentially, it is the unchecked ambition within people and characters that seemingly
make them to fall victim to it, and ultimately lead to their destruction

The fatal flaw, ambition, is exemplified through the contribution of other factors that make it “foul”
and “wicked”. Ambition is seemingly about the morality of one’s desire to succeed and become a
greater person in life; it is about the pursuit of triumph and happiness, regardless of the obstacles in
one’s way. However, Shakespeare’s Macbeth manifests mainly on the idea that ambition is
unmistakably corrupted and dangerous. Shakespeare evokes the ambition in Macbeth as a
consequence of the “supernatural soliciting” and manipulation. The three witches trigger the
moralistic battle in Macbeth and unhinge his moral compass, as he becomes covetous in terms of
power. They are essentially a stepping stone for Macbeth’s descent into madness, their paradox,
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair” is continually represented as a major theme in the play as it promotes
the idea of the ambiguity and the façades characters establish to obtain their desires. It translates
into the uncertainty as to whether each character can actually be trusted. The fact that Macbeth was
warned that the “The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray us
In the deepest consequence” depicts that Macbeth could have ultimately overcome the supernatural
forces and by using Banquo as a flawed moral pillar to support Macbeth’s conscience, Shakespeare
portrays that each character, no matter how great or corrupt, has flaws. Whilst the witches “Trade
and traffic with Macbeth In riddles and affairs of death” it suggests that although they may have
some sort of power over Macbeth’s fate, it is predominantly Macbeth who willingly acts towards
the predictions and promotes the witches’ prophecies. It symbolises Macbeth’s inhibited pursuit and
lust for power which manifests itself in his conscience as a “dagger”. Additionally, the manipulation
created by Lady Macbeth who undermines Macbeth who “Art not without ambition, but without
The illness should attend it”, indoctrinates into Macbeth’s mind of her perception of masculinity,
which allows Shakespeare to dramatise the idea of "manhood". Thus as a consequence, her
covetousness becomes Macbeth's violence, which takes form as cruelty; and cruelty easily
becoming Macbeth’s madness. The fatality of ambition is derived from the cascade of unfortunate
factors that are embedded into the notion of power.

Ultimately, Shakespeare depicts the most fatal and tragic flaw in Macbeth undeniably as ambition.
Whilst other qualities demonstrated throughout Macbeth, such as ruthlessness, deceit and violence
are also flaws that essentially lead to destruction and fatality, the "Vaulting ambition" within
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are truly malignant. Through these characters, Shakespeare employs
the recurring imagery of blood and by doing so, the blood becomes symbolic of their guilt, as their
crimes have been stained and “tainted” them even “all the perfumes of Arabia” cannot erase their
sins. It portrays guilt as the permanent stain on their consciences, that will cause them to fall into
despair. By doing so, Shakespeare suggests that once the characters decide to use violence to further
their quest for power, it’s difficult to stop, which essentially becomes their downfall. Shakespeare
depicts this uncontrollable ambition of theirs as a deterrent of moral conscience and self-awareness,
as they manifest qualities of “tyranny”. As the play acts on, it is shown that ambition not only deters
a character’s morality, but also their perspective on life itself. Seemingly, all the violence that
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth committed have caused them to lose sight of the value of life as it’s
“but a walking shadow…a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.”
Macbeth’s ambition has given him so much power, that the meaning of time and day have begun to
lose meaning and as his own meaning of life falls deeper into oblivion and despair. Through this,
Macbeth is metaphorically depicted to be the “fool”, whose life will essentially become “no more”.
Ambition is a double edged sword filled with consequences and only those who “feel it as a man”
are able to overcome the temptation of the malevolence that lurks within the “dagger” of ambition.

William Shakespeare’s tragic and magnificently complex play, Macbeth, portrays the lives of
characters whose humanity has been eroded away by their fall into vaulting ambition. Shakespeare
allows us to see that by the end of that play, those who are overly ambition eventually lose a sense
of ethical and moral value. Shakespeare views that ambition cannot be so easily wielded, presenting
it in such a manner, that those who fall into the eternal grasp of unchecked ambition is tragically
plaintive. The vaulting ambition in the play ultimately causes people to lose sense of judgment,
seeing only the futility of life. Essentially, as humans we need to understand that we cannot lose our
moral compass to the “Vaulting ambition” that “hide[s] what the false heart doth know.” To accept
the “light see [our] black and deep desires.”