What evidence does Act One provide to support the claim
that ambition is Macbeth’s fatal flaw?
Ambition is Macbeth’s fatal flaw as he is powerful
but gentle, not good at deceiving others and moves with ambition which makes
people rush ahead of themselves toward disaster.
After Lady Macbeth reads the letter from Macbeth,
she says “milk of human kindness” regarding Macbeth. This is one of Macbeth’s
flaws as he is ambitious but too gentle. The technique used is a paradox which
shows that even Macbeth himself has two opposite qualities which betray him
throughout the play. This also relates to how Macbeth wants to do everything as
a good man which involves not cheating but on the other hand wants what isn’t his.
While Lady Macbeth is sharing her plan to kill King
Duncan, she notifies Macbeth saying “Your face, my thane, is as a book where
men may read strange matters.” She is telling Macbeth that he can’t deceive
others as people can read him like a book. The technique used is a Metaphor
which is applied to Macbeth as he is compared to a book. This gives an example
of how easy Macbeth is to decipher.
Macbeth’s soliloquy before the murder of King
Duncan also shows how ambition is one his fatal flaws. Macbeth says “Vaulting
ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’ other.” Macbeth admits that
he moves and acts with ambition which makes people rush ahead of themselves
towards disaster. Macbeth is saying that ambition leads to fatal disasters
emphasising that ambition is a fatal flaw of all people.
Overall, ambition is Macbeth’s fatal flaw as he is
too gentle wanting to be a good man, is easy to interpret and undeceivable and
makes rushed actions leading to disasters.
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