Macbeth: Subversion of reason by ambition Throughout the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the reasoning of the central characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, is completely subverted by their insatiable ambition . At first, Macbeth is reasonable enough to keep his ambitions in check. However, his ambition gradually grows stronger and eventually gets the better of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is dominated by ambition from the beginning. After the decision to kill Duncan is made, all rational thought is abandoned. Once the murder is planned, there is no serious doubt about the three witches' misleading predictions. Macbeth even goes so far as to ask the witches for advice a second time: this second time would lead to his ruin. The decision to kill Duncan also signifies Macbeth's last serious attempt at moral contemplation. Throughout the novel we see evidence of reason being subverted by ambition, resulting in the Macbeths' destruction. Macbeth, who is initially a very reasonable and moral man, cannot hold back the lure of ambition. This idea is stated in the following passage from Shakespeare for Students by Mark Scott: One of the most significant reasons for the enduring critical interest in the character of Macbeth is that he represents humanity's universal propensity to temptation and sin. Macbeth's excessive ambition motivates him to kill Duncan, and once the evil deed is done, sets in motion a series of sinister events that will ultimately lead to his downfall (Scott, 236). Macbeth is told by three witches, in a seemingly random and isolated area, who will become Thane of Cawdor and eventually king. Only before his ambition to......middle of paper......nfall.BibliographyBlakemore Evans, G. (ed.). The bank of the Shakespeare River. Houghton Miffin Company. Boston, Massasso. 1974Bradley, A.C. Shakespearean tragedy. Toronto: Penguin Books Canada Ltd., 1991.Campbell, Lily B. Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes, Slaves of Passion. Gloucester: Peter Smith Publisher Inc., 1973.Frame, Douglas. The black agents of the night. Thunder Bay: La Mancha Books Ltd., 1967. Hawkes, Terence. Twentieth century interpretations of Macbeth. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1977. Hunter, G. K. “Macbeth in the Twentieth Century.” Aspects of Macbeth. Ed. Kenneth Muir and Philip Edwards. Cavaliere, G. Wilson. The imperial theme. London: Methuen & Co Ltd., 1965.Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Oxford: OUP, 1994. Scott, Mark W. (ed.). Shakespeare for students. Gale Research Inc. Detroit, Michigan. 1992