Ambition is defined as having a strong need or desire for more than you have. In Macbeth, ambition plays a fundamental role in the evolution of the characters. The three witches are the source of ambition within the story. It's as if they control the negative or even dark and selfish ambition of the characters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Ambition affects three of the main characters. Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and Banquo. Macbeth's ambition is fueled by the witches. The witches tell him that he will become king. However, he doesn't know how he can become king. The story soon shows us that ambition will lead to his downfall. But long before making this wish, he had said that he would never consider killing the king to take his place. He wouldn't even dream of it. Ambition then drives him to kill the king to do exactly what he claimed he would never do. Lady Macbeth is even more corrupt and power-hungry than her husband. She allows her ambition to drive her to encourage the final push of Duncan's death to Macbeth. Of course Macbeth hears her and kills Duncan. His ambition, however, is not driven by witches. It is driven by greed. She wants the power to be queen. She wants to be queen. Both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's ambition prove to be a tragic weakness for both of them. Her desire drives her to madness, which is ultimately the cause of her death. There is a part of the story where she walks in her sleep. He goes to his room and sits down. He looks at his hands and sees blood everywhere. Then stick your hands in the bowl of water and try to wash them. But when he took them out, his hands were still stained red. Only she can see the blood on his hands. Her maid and the doctor see her and assume she has gone mad. This is just the beginning of his madness. Shortly before her death, she reads the letter that Macbeth wrote to her, telling her that he would become king, then in the end her guilt and greed kill her. Banquo's ambition is different from that of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. His ambition does not drive him to murder. His is slightly less selfish. He wants his son to be king and he wants his son's son to be king and so on for generations to come. He doesn't know how he will achieve his ambition. But he knows it's definitely not worth killing. Later Macbeth discovers this ambition and becomes jealous. His deep selfish desire drives him to kill Banquo to prevent his plan from coming to fruition. Macbeth was initially a respected and courageous man. But he becomes a victim of his own ambition which leads him to guilt and paranoia. The first great outburst of guilt occurs immediately after Duncan's murder, when Macbeth exclaims "One cried, 'God bless us!' and 'Amen,' the other, for they had seen me with these executioner's hands; hearing their fear, I could not say, 'Amen,' when they said 'God bless us'" (2.2.37-40). It is clear that Macbeth feels guilty after committing such a grave sin. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Ambition in itself is not bad. It's when ambition goes unchecked. That's when it becomes a danger. If Mcbeath wanted to be king and fight justly for the crown, that's one thing. But allowing his greed for power to drive him to murder is another.