Frankenstein And Macbeth Comparison

Many people have a strong desire and determination to do or achieve something that will make their lives better. This is called ambition. In Macbeth and Frankenstein, William Shakespeare and Mary Shelley depict ambition as a common flaw in the main characters. Although both stories are remarkably different, they depict how ambition can be a major factor to the downfall of a person.

Ambition leads to the downfall of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth had a reputation for being honorable and loyal. Macbeth’s ambition was always present, but it became stronger when he heard the prophecy from the three witches. Macbeth is willing to kill whoever gets in his way in order to fulfill his deepest desires, he basically

Victor was always fascinated with the idea of creating life. He possesses what he calls a thirst for knowledge. Victor did not think about the consequences that his ambition would lead to. He states, “Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which i should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world. A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. (Shelley 57) He believed he was equal to God and that with his new power he would be able to decide who or what should live. His ambition and arrogance drove him to create a conflict that was too complex for him to

He never considered the long term consequences of his actions. He states, “My imagination was vivid, yet my powers of analysis and application were intense; by the union of these qualities I conceived the idea and executed the creation of a man. Even now I cannot recollect without passion my reveries while the work was incomplete. I trod heaven in my thoughts, now exulting in my powers, now burning with the idea of their effects” (Shelley 282) He realized too late what he had done and wished that he could turn back time and consider the consequences. The monster became a burden to Victor and if Victor had taken time to take care of his creation, he could have prevented many deaths. He realized too late that although he had accomplished his greatest desire, he wasn’t happy. In conclusion, although ambition is not the root of all evil, with the wrong intentions it can be detrimental. Both of the stories depict how ambition can be a major factor to the downfall of a person. Macbeth and Victor were both blinded by their ambition that they didn’t realize the consequences of their actions and how it would affect them in the long run. It drove them to madness and hurt many of their loved