In his soliloquy at the beginning of Act 1, Scene 7, Macbeth discusses the many reasons his has not to murder Duncan: he worries about his eternal soul if he blackens it by committing such a grievous sin; he's concerned that once he commits the murder of a king, other people will learn that such a thing can be done, and they might do it to him; he points out that he is Duncan's relative and his host, which means that he ought to be the one to shut his murderer out, not become the murderer himself; further, he respects and admires Duncan, a truly virtuous man and good king. However, he says, he has only one reason to go ahead with the murder: "I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition [...]" (1.7.25-27).
Ambition is the only motive he has to counteract all of these other concerns, and it is apparently not enough because, just a few moments later, he tells his wife, "We will proceed no further in this business" (1.7.31). He explains that Duncan has recently honored him and that he's earned the good opinion of many, and he wants to enjoy it. However, Lady Macbeth is having none of this. She insults his manhood, calling him a coward, and insists that she would kill her own child if she had promised she would do so rather than go back on a promise she made to Macbeth. Her implication is that he is weak and soft, and -- in wounding his pride -- she succeeds in prompting him to recommit to their plan. His immense pride overrules all of his earlier concerns for both his own soul and life as well as his love of Duncan. It is more compelling for him even than his ambition, but the combination of all of these feelings and concerns does let the audience know how truly conflicted he is over their plot.
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