Macbeth Ambition Research Paper

For centuries, ambition has been used as a motif in literature. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby fought for his entire life to win Daisy over and earn his respected place in 1920s society. Likewise, in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth had every successor to the Scottish throne around him killed, including his once best friend Banquo, so that he would become king. Ambition, while seemingly a fine attribute to have, can lead to misuse of one's potential, and this is shown in both works through the motif of ambition.

Macbeth, a notable play written by William Shakespeare, explores the theme of ambition and its consequences. Ambition, defined as a strong desire to achieve something, often involving a determination to succeed at any cost, is a central theme in this play. The play's protagonist, Macbeth, is a Scottish general who is prophesied by three witches to become the king of Scotland. This prophecy ignites his ambition and sets him on a path of unbridled ambition, leading him to make bad choices and hurt other people.

In Macbeth, Shakespeare illustrates that ambition can lead to greed, which eventually leads to one’s demise in their hunger for power. In the exposition, Macbeth receives a prophecy to attain positions of power from the three witches, influencing his ambitious

Many individuals view ambition as a positive trait, but also for personal growth, achievements and also the realization of dreams and desires. This, however, is not the case in Shakesphere’s Macbeth. In Shakespeare’s 1606 tragedy, Macbeth attempts to control the future by manipulation and violence and to bury the past by struggling to escape the consequences of his actions to end his guilt, illustrating the idea that uncontrolled ambition results in leading to a tragic downfall and guilt. Macbeth shows violence and manipulation throughout the play to demonstrate his control over the future.

Within every human being, there is an underlying motive that puts them on the hunt for greatness, power, and achievement- all to fulfill their ideal self-image, which in turn grants them eternal happiness. This same motive is notorious for corrupting the mind’s of those who will stop at nothing to satisfy their thirst for power, consuming them from the inside and ready to take control of their minds, leading them to their own destruction. This is known as ambition; a parasite that can either build up or shatter a person completely. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, ambition is one of the major themes in which the story revolves around as it follows the character Macbeth through his journey to fulfill his prophecy gaven to him by the three witches; he is to become the Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and most importantly, the King of Scotland. With him is his companion and fellow general of the Scottish army, Banquo, who is also given a prophecy, in which he is to become a father to many kings, however not become one himself. Where the two characters’ roads diverge, however, is in their reaction to the information received. Macbeth steers onto an aggressive path, while Banquo remains passive. This is evident through their differences in skepticism, loyalty, and patience, where their particular degree of ambition is tested. The following series of paragraphs will illustrate the differing characters of Macbeth

Ambition takes control of a person and impacts who they become. Ambition turns people corrupt by making them do gruesome actions. In a play, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare reveals how ambition motivates, Macbeth, a Scottish general, into becoming a dishonest, manipulating person. Three witches prophesied that Macbeth will attain the titles and become, Thane of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and king of Scotland making Macbeth believe them. His ambitions begin to inspire him to do horrendous activities to stay as king.

One of the main themes in William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth is ambition. Ambition can build up a person as they drive towards a goal, but it can also cause a person to destruct. In the cases of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, ambition is a dangerous weapon with which they harmed many people. Ambition can be healthy and even beneficial usually, Shakespeare develops the idea that ambition is dangerous to oneself and others and leads to extreme repercussions. In the play, Macbeth, William Shakespeare explores the negative impacts of ambition on oneself and others when an individual’s motives are near sighted and selfish.

Philosopher Heraclitus once said that to achieve “[great] results required [great] ambitions.”. The ambition of others has helped shape our planet and continues to establish legacies, modern marvels, and motivate massive change with its power. Although the strength we receive from ambition can be considered a blessing, it also becomes a disease of the soul if not used wisely. The power that an individual receives when given the opportunity to follow ambition can lead to the demise of the individual in the future if it is utilized blindly. Shakespeare's play Macbeth demonstrates how an individual's ambition has the power to determine their future. Therefore, when an individual is consumed by the thought of their ambition, it will obscure their

Ambition portrays a desire for change. Individuals inspired by ambition can have the ability to have a high aspiration to carry out certain goals. Although, these aspirations can destroy oneself if a person assures them. Macbeth, a play written by William Shakespeare and first presented in 1606, shows that ambition is assessed to be a dreadful quality. A Scottish army officer titled Macbeth is described as a loyal general to King Duncan and the army of Scotland.

“Ambition is like love, impatient both of delays and rivals.” – Buddha. Buddha was a wise man and knew that someone who is ambitious can get very impatient when it comes to delaying their plan and having rivals that share the same goals. Ambition is often the result of one good thing happening which leads to one pursuing their dreams more and more. Although ambition can be a good thing, it can also be bad. Twisting people 's judgment on reality and making them perform actions they wouldn 't normally do. Such is the case in Macbeth where ambition causes Macbeth to go through with a murderous plot to become king that involves his wife plotting the murder and going insane. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare expresses the theme of ambition by

Ambition is a wonderful characteristic one could possess, ambition helps you set goals and strive forward to complete them. This positive trait can turn very negative, very quickly. In Macbeth written by William Shakespeare we see this trait quickly take over a character and turn them from good to evil. Macbeth the main character in the play begins as a very loyal subject to the king, a loving husband and a well respected officer, by the end of the play Macbeth becomes a cruel, inhumane killing machine that goes to extreme measures to obtain any amount of power possible.

Ambition is often the driving force in one’s life. It can have an extremely dominant impact on not only yourself, but also many people in your surroundings. You have the ability to control if the outcomes either have a lasting negative or positive effect. When a goal requires determination and hard work to complete, personal morals often take a back seat to the aspiration of accomplishing the goal. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, it is clear that like many other great leaders, Macbeth exemplifies the necessary leadership virtue of ambition. Macbeth’s ambition does not just drive him to do great things. It in fact controls him. The playwright explores the idea of how an individual’s ambition can cause them to deceive others, make irrational

One of the five themes in Macbeth that we discussed is ambition. I believe the meaning of ambition is the desire to do something whether it is bad or good. In addition, I

In the play, one of Macbeth’s tragic flaws is his ambition. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth describes his ambition as “black and deep desires” (I. IV. 58). This quotation shows that he acknowledges that his ambition is a bad thing, but does not act to change that. In Macbeth’s case, what drove him to succeed and try to become a great king actually lead to overconfidence and his ultimate death. In all, Shakespeare’s time felt that ambition is a negative quality, it is a major theme in Macbeth, and impacts himself and

Ambition is often the driving force in one’s life. It is suppose to be the motivating factor that drives one towards success. Society also deems ambition a necessary quality of their leader. It can be said that Macbeth exhibits this quality of ambition. He is the strong, valiant warrior who has won in battle and brought victory to Scotland. However, Macbeth’s quest to acquire more power-his ambition-ultimately leads to his tragic demise. Romeo is seen as a rash and emotional young man. He feels deeply and acts