AMBITION quotations

Question 1

vaulting — — — —

Answer 1

‘vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself’

ACT 1 SCENE 7
horse metaphor, his desire vaults even beyond its intrinsic limits. hubristic nature of macbeth, also can be compared to Brutus’s soliloquy in Julius Caesar, in which he rationalizes an assassination, but comes up with more probable motivations than Macbeth’s. this ‘o’erleaps’ links into how Macbeth is breaking the Divine Right of Kings and jumping up the steps (not by fortune or fate, by his own actions)

Question 2

fantastical

Answer 2

‘fantasical’

use of adjective to describe Duncan’s murder is something highly strange and bizarre.

Question 3

and make — — — — — — —

1.3 dont need to learn

Answer 3

‘and make my seated heart knock at my ribs’

internal conflict of Macbeth (tragedy aspect) fear vs ambition, morality vs ambition, is power worth risking inevitable fate? thought of murder causing him anxiety. first time contemporary audience gains a deep insight into macbeth’s complex emotions

Question 4

golden —

Answer 4

‘golden round’

LM describing crown - employment of ‘golden round’ presents ambition as the root of wealth, happiness and nobility, as well as superficial prosperity. ‘round’ suggests the cyclical nature of and infinite notion of ambition in Macbeth’s personality,, presenting ambition as ‘rich’ with possibilities and hope

Question 5

to be — — — —, but — — — —

Answer 5

‘to be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus’

Without the knowledge that his lineage will continue after him, Macbeth finds it meaningless to be king. how him giving in to his ambition and murdering Duncan has not brought him peace, but rather has just left him more paranoid and anxious. how Macbeth’s first violent action sets off a chain reaction of him continuing to commit violent actions in order to maintain his hold on the power he has gained.

Question 6

as happy prologues to the swelling act

1.3 dont need to learn

Answer 6

hint at Macbeth’s ambition and foreshadow his later actions even though, at this point in the play, he seems to refuse to consider acting upon it

Question 7

art — — — , but — — — — — —

Answer 7

‘art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it’

LM soliloquy - 1.5. wishing he would come home right away so she can use her power to influence over him to act in a way that will satisfy their mutual ambition, undermines husbands authority, saying he has the ambition necessary but not the ‘illness’ and she wants to ‘poision’ him, undermining masculinity, role reversal in relationship.