Macbeth Ambition Quotes Page 1

After hearing the witches predict that Macbeth will be Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland, Banquo notes that his friend is "rapt withal," suggesting that Macbeth is consumed or entranced by the prophecy. Banquo is eager to hear what the witches have in store for him and we can see that Banquo is ambitious – he's pleased as punch when he learns his heirs will be kings (even though he will never wear the crown). Yet, Banquo never takes drastic measures to gain power for himself or his heirs, which makes him a foil to Macbeth who, eventually, will stop at nothing to secure his power.

After the weird sisters predict that Macbeth will be king, his thoughts turn to "murder," which the sisters have said nothing about. Could it be that the witches' prophesy awakens within Macbeth a murderous ambition that was there all along?

By the time Malcolm is proclaimed Prince of Cumberland and heir to the throne of Scotland, Macbeth is willing to push all morality aside. He knows that killing Duncan in order to become king is wrong, which is why he says it's necessary to hide his "black and deep" desires. Here, ambition is portrayed as something dark and ugly.