Ambition is a powerful desire to become prosperous or to attain something. It can assist an individual to struggle and get anything they desire. If a person desires a thing too badly enough, ambition becomes the driving mechanism that holds the individual from losing hope until they achieve. At the same time, ambition can be harmful: it can make an individual destructive in what they are doing in order to attain what they want. At the initial stages of the play, Macbeth, the protagonist is portrayed as a valiant and faithful warrior and has an important role before the king. He has no hurry to acquire financial gains. Things changed when he first meets with the three withes. The quest for power and money drove him to do the unthinkable. It …show more content…
The undisputable power of unrestrained ambition drove Macbeth's greed, and he eventually murdered Duncan. This is extensively depicted in act II scene II (Knowles, 2009). In this play, both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth want to be powerful and give up their morals in order to attain their objectives. By comparing these characters with others in the piece, for instance,
Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff, who similarly aspire to be powerful leaders but decline to give in to ambition, Macbeth demonstrates how exposed ambition, devoid of social and moral consciences, eventually controls every other trait of an individual. Uncontrolled ambition,
Macbeth submits, can at no time be fulfilled, and thus swiftly develops into a monster that can wipe out anybody who gives into it. In this act, ambition is depicted as a humiliating and
HOW MACBETH'S AMBITION IS BAD FOR HIM AND OTHERS 3 ravenous force through the primary notions of mental imbalance and paranormal behaviors. The overwhelming yearnings of Macbeth and their consequences are intensely heightened through the use of different communicative literature methods.
The detrimental effects of ambitions do not end here as those driven by insecurity
People strive for many reasons in their life such as fortune, fame and successes. Strive is an accomplishment people work for on their own such as a moving up on a job position, earning a 4.0 GPA, and making their long-lived dreams become a realistic thought. On the other hand, some people lack ambition to accomplish promising goals, that will lead them into their future. Strive can be described as a competition between a number of people. Colleagues will want to win against each other out of greediness to prove they are more qualified for a higher position in the company. No matter what risks the employee has to take they will make sure it best suits their needs before any other staff member. Such as stepping into the shoes from an assistant
Too much ambition can be disastrous. The word “ambition”generally has a positive connotation, however, it is not always a positive thing Too much of a “good thing”, in this case ambition, can be catastrophic. Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, and Tim Burton’s film, The Nightmare before Christmas, use characters, conflict, and plot events to convey the universal theme that too much ambition can alter one’s judgement of right and wrong, causing them them to becomes treacherous or deceitful to achieve their goals.
The first prominent relationship in which power becomes an issue is between Macbeth and Banquo. Prior to the act of regicide committed, after the initial presence of the witches, Banquo questions, “Have we eaten on the insane root, that takes the reason prisoner?” (1, 3, 82) It is him that establishes apprehension. Consequently, he
Thesis Statement: When someone is overly ambitious they will do anything and everything in their power to get what they want.
When the reader is introduced to Macbeth in the play, King Duncan of Scotland is hearing how General Macbeth and General Banquo subdued Norwegian forces and arrested the Thane of Cawdor for treason. He seems to have a high moral standing and is a strong character, but Macbeth and Banquo meet three witches in the woods, they refer to him as Baron of Glamis, Baron of Cawdor, and then king. They also say that although Macbeth will be king, Banquo's sons will become kings as well, even if Banquo will not. Macbeth was already Baron of Glamis, and did not yet know that the king of Scotland had named him Baron of Cawdor in place of the one arrested for treason. He thought that the witches were insane but once he heard news that he was indeed
Ambition has been a driving force of humanity since the beginning of time. Emotions have always had a strong influence on humanity, specifically emotions that tend towards the ruin of others and the gain another. Throughout the history of humanity there have been many examples of people abusing their position of power, to gain something they more than likely did not deserve. Whether it be Hitler and his repulsive ascension to becoming chancellor of Germany, or Kim Jong Un’s obsession with obtaining nuclear weapons at the cost of the people, humanities struggle with greed is unceasing. No one better illustrates this unrelenting thirst for power more than Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Macbeth is a good, brave, and beloved man at the beginning of the play with the end of his latest battle heralding a new title for him. Fate though, seems to have different plans for the good, albeit, ambitious Macbeth. He is told by the 3 weird sisters that he will one day become king. Thus igniting the flame of greed within Macbeth, signaling his descent into madness and the guilt he feels towards the deeds he has done. Lady Macbeth is much the same in the sense that once she knew of Macbeths own ambition, it hatched her own deep seeded desire for the crown as well. However, there various similarities end with the death of Duncan and the way they both deal with the guilt over what they did. In the play Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have similarly great ambition, but this intense avarice in the end leads to their ruin in differing ways.
Shakespeare's shortest play, Macbeth, is also, consequently, his most shocking and intense. We see the essence of tragedy: in this case, the protagonist transforms himself from a noble warrior who is loyal to his king and fights for his county to a reduced tyrant by the play's end. Macbeth's divided soul which is in turmoil is the cause of his deterioration from a respected warrior to a despised tyrant.
The Influences of Desire Desire means what people really want to do or to have in deep of their heart, sometimes it doesn’t show on their face. Desire can be people's ambitions, freedom of love, or a strong body. Here is an example for ambition, in Shakespeare’s "Macbeth”, the character Macbeth grows his desire of power after he heard from the three witches that he will be the next king soon. His ambitions, the desire of power influenced him so much that it turned him into an evil person.
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
In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth the main theme of loyalty is explored throughout the play by main characters. Loyalty can be defined as faithfulness or unwavering devotion to a person or cause. Duncan, Banquo, Macduff and Macbeth are all essential characters who are given opportunities to express their loyalty, however it is the different ways in which these characters choose to be loyal or disloyal that shape the play as a whole. It is the character’s loyalty and/or disloyalty that construct the course of the play. The theme of loyalty interrelates the over arching themes of guilt and masculinity throughout the play.
After emerging victorious from battle in Act I of the play that bears his name, Macbeth realizes the skirmish is not over. The witches’ prophecy, although an illustrious proposition, pits his conscience against his desire for power. And later on, its fulfillment presents a battle to solidify his masculinity.
It is no surprise that everyone lacks the best of themselves. Most of the things we desire are too good to be true, so we must go around whatever is preventing our temptations and turn our dreams into reality. But whatever is blocking the way can be for a good cause like getting you out of trouble or preventing issues that may result in the future. In the tragedy of Macbeth, William Shakespeare shows how the ambition or possession of power causes an individual to change from devotion to apathetic. Macbeth, the character in the play, serves as a perfect example on how the inheritance of power fills an individual's mind full of selfishness.
Macbeth; Scotland’s greatest and most formidable general, the Kings loyal servant, worthy Thane of Cawdor, respected gentry of Scotland’s bosom. A murderer, tyrant, fiend, and ‘Hell-Kite’. The tale of Macbeth represents how actions and fate can change the reputation and future of anybody, and that absolute power will corrupt absolutely. Prior to the encounter Macbeth had with the Witches, he was seen as the Hero of Scotland, and battle worthy and proven soldier; gallant and friend to many, “My noble partner” (Banquo). After he is exposed to the evil and supernatural demeanour of the witches, he is overwhelmed, overcome by ambition, lust for
The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare recounts Macbeth's meteoric rise as a soldier and promising future leader whose megalomaniacal ambition led to his tragic downfall. In addition to Macbeth's ambitions, which initially enable him to be strong leader and soldier, he is influenced heavily by his wife, Lady Macbeth, and the three witches that prophesize his ascent to the throne, as well as warn him of his eventual demise. It can be argued that it is Macbeth's ambition that allows him to succeed in his endeavors, however the goals to which he is working toward influence the results of his hard work. Macbeth's ambitions help him to become a war hero, and as his goals change, his ambitions drive him to become a tyrannical villain.
The theme of ambition is portrayed in three vast different ways between these text. They have many things in common, yet also have many things that differ between one another. In Shakespeare’s play, “Macbeth”, he uses ambition and loyalty hand-in-hand to provide a sense of relatability, while in “Ambition” by Edgar Albert Guest, he uses drive and motivation to portray his view of ambition. Finally, in “Aspiration”, by Emily Dickinson, she uses passion and longing for something to depict her view of ambition.