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Essay On Ambition In Macbeth

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Macbeth has shown that certain things can lead to self-destruction as well as the destruction of others. Ambition can be good, but when overused for selfish reasons, it can be fatal. Guilt as a result of terrible things can cause those who committed them to go insane. When fate in dominated by free will, it can result in horrible mistakes. Unnatural deeds can upset the balance of nature. By listening to and fueling their own ambition, by committing despicable acts that caused their own guilt, by following free will instead of letting fate take its course, and by committing unnatural deeds, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth ultimately led to their own destruction.

Ambition can be a good thing; it can help people get what they want and can help drive a person to success. However, when it is used to try to convince someone to commit a despicable act, it is a bad thing. Macbeth decided to murder his own cousin, King Duncan, so that he could take over as the king. After sharing the plan with Lady Macbeth, he began to contemplate the decision. He began to doubt that it was a good idea and told his wife that he did not want to go through with it. Upon hearing this, Lady Macbeth became frustrated. She had a strong desire for Macbeth to become king, and she wanted to be the queen. She was full of ambition; she tried to convince Macbeth that they would absolutely succeed in their goal. She said "We fail? But screw your courage to the sticking-place, and we'll not fail" (Shakespeare 44).

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