?The Thane of Cawdor lives, why do you dress me in borrowed robes??.
Angus explains that the Thane is alive but he is mortally wounded and will die soon. Macbeth then realizes that the first part of the prophecy has come true and his ambitious mind races to the prospect of being king:.
?The greatest is behind??.
Macbeth is an honest man and is fully aware of what is right and wrong, so therefore is shocked by the drive behind his ambitions, as he has murder in mind. This is also aimed to shock the audience into seeing the force behind his ambitious nature in conflict with his noble side:.
?My present fears are less than horrible imaginings; my thought who's murder is yet fantastical.?.
During the time of Shakespeare it was believed that the assassination of a king was the greatest crime you could commit as God appointed all kings to rule as His personal deputies, and therefore to kill or rebel against a king was to go against God. Macbeth is disgusted by his thoughts and says that there are no other thoughts as bad. He tries to reject his first murderous impulses, declaring he will leave everything to chance and not interfere. Here he is trying to suppress his aggressive side but he is still showing his desperation to be in a position of ultimate power:.
?If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me without my stir.?.
The next time Macbeth's evil, power hungry side is apparent to the audience is when he discovers there could be an obstacle in the way of him becoming King. This is when Duncan praises Macbeth for his fighting skills but then elects Malcolm asPrince of Cumberland? and his successor. There is another of Macbeth's soliloquies at the end of this scene where he is thinking to himself of how to become king, he is scared to voice them out loud or for anyone to find out about his ambitious thoughts:.
?Let not light see my black and deep desires??.
His mind is still thinking of the murder, but he is still honest with himself, knowing they are bad and evil thoughts to be having.