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Macbeth’s Ambition Political ambition undermines man’s loyalty. In the play, Macbeth decides to kill his king because of his ambition for position. At the beginning of the play, he portrays himself as a noble person. He fights in the battle against Norway and proves his loyalty; however, as soon as the witches prophesize that Macbeth “shall be king hereafter” (1.3.53), he is not longer trustworthy. Ambition for power starts creeping into his head. After …

…of illustrating the genesis of tragic structure in struggles for power” (Young 318). According to him, Macbeth’s decision of killing the king has only one motivation, to gain control of the state. His character illustrates how ambition for power corrupts everything and eventually transforms good people into cowardly murderers. Everybody has personal desires and ambitions, but when reaching one’s goals requires getting involved in crime or treachery, the tragic result is death and madness.