One of the most ambitious individuals of all of all time, Napoleon Bonaparte once stated, “Great ambition is the passion of great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principals which guide them”. Therefore, these words reveal an imperative reality about ambitious individuals which is that the quality of one’s ambition is heavily dependent on that individual’s morals. Thus, it can be acknowledged that if a person’s ambition goes unhindered by a sense of morality and compassion, it can transform into a vile force of annihilation, as it did in Shakespeare’s tragic play, Macbeth. On that account, if one’s ambition lacks compassion, it can morph into the ultimate vices of humanity- greed, envy, and insecurity, thus leading even the most promising individuals into the realms of damnation. …show more content…
The Spanish Conquest of the Inca Empire is a prime example of the transformation of ambition into greed. Originally, many colonists sailed to the Americas, for their ambition of a better life, yet slowly that ambition morphed into greed, as they witnessed the abundance of gold in that area. The Spanish colonists were corrupted by their greed, and as a result their sense of morality was left behind by their growing ambition for power and wealth. Consequently, the Spanish colonists gave “gifts” of small-pox infested blankets to the native population, in hopes of wiping them out and plundering the riches from the flourishing land of Peru to the Spanish Empire. Furthermore, the Spanish conquistadors executed 2000 of the Inca warriors and also demanded a ransom of half a room full of gold, if King Atahualpa wished to come out of the Spanish imprisonment alive. Once the ransom was paid, the Spanish conquistadors executed the King anyways, displaying their
In the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, there is a deep relation to ambition. Macbeth's ambition started after the witches told him that he was going to be king after Duncan died, so then Macbeth and Lady Macbeth just decided to kill Duncan. After this first murder he then decided that he would do anything to keep his crown, since he was so hungry for power. Guilt soon got the best of him which then led to his demise.
The strive of an ambition for power can be very tempting, but one should be careful on how thirsty they get, because it could be just that power that they are striving for that could lead to their downfall. This is shown in William Shakespeare’s tragic play Macbeth. Macbeth is a brave kind hearted soldier who is loyal to his king until he meets three witches. They give him prophecies of the future and this embarks him on a path full of regrets. In Macbeth, Shakespeare develops the idea that when one is confronted with circumstances they can be affected in different ways.
Ambition is frequently seen as desirable - it provides purpose, motivation to work hard, and a goal to strive towards. Yet it also has a dangerous side, when it becomes too great and out of control. Although ambition is often positive, an excess of it can have detrimental effects. This unrestrained ambition is predominant in the tragedy Macbeth. In this play, Shakespeare employs the use of hallucination, blood, and prophecy motifs to emphasize the theme of ambition, which, when goes unchecked by moral constraints, wreaks destruction upon an individual. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth hallucinate, which propels the consequences of ambition. Blood is shed in the pursuit of ambition, when desire for power overwhelms morality. Ambition is further
Throughout Macbeth, the greed which Macbeth and Lady Macbeth carry, leads them to do acts which are not applicable. They demonstrated their greed by killing individuals who quite frankly did not deserve such an inevitable fate. Macbeth and his lady were not the only ones to ever be overtaken by the powers of grief. In thousands of other books, plays, movies,and television shows, characters struggle with the wrath of greed and it shows in their actions. Frank Gallagher from Shameless is a prime example of greed consuming a person. Macbeth and Frank both act upon urges which only benefit them, while taking from others, making them extremely similar.
Ambition means an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth; and the willingness to strive for its achievement (dictionary.com). Throughout history there have been many examples of ambition. There have been ambitions people all the way in since the beginning of time. An example of ambition is Adolph Hitler; he had such a strong desire for the perfect race he was not going to let anyone get in the way of it. Another example would be Walt Disney and his ambition to create a theme park that his children could enjoy. This turned out to the biggest entertainment industry in the world at the moment. Ambition is a good quality to have but can become evil very quickly. In the story of Macbeth there
Unchecked ambition, along with other traits, comes upon Macbeth in the form of a curse and carries on throughout the story. The curse is put on him by three witches who tell him of multiple prophecies concerning his future. His unchecked ambition causes enough fear for him to kill those who he is loyal to, and to have Banquo and his son murdered. Later on in the story the witches present him with three ghosts that show him his inevitable doom that he misunderstands and misuses as a confidence boost.
The society people live in today, is built on the ambitions and actions of the previous generations. Ambition is a component of human nature and survival instinct. However, ambition can be dangerous, as it has led to the downfall of many leaders in the past. One of the most well known example is Napoleon Bonaparte, after his attempt to invade Russia. Similarly, Macbeth's "vaulting ambition" causes a series of events to occur, which results in his own demise. In Shakespeare's Macbeth, ultimately Macbeth's ambition, fuels his paranoia and produces a tyrant that murders impulsively, which leads to the downfall of his character.
Many people seek power, even if it will bring undesirous actions. In some cases, individuals bring their own destruction when they want more than they need. People’s greed can lose their sanity and allow them to do scandalous actions they would have never done. As a courageous warrior greedy for power, Macbeth allows his ambition take over and assassins his friends and family. Ambition harms more than it can benefit when powers with greed. In the Elizabethan play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, William Shakespeare shows through the usage of blood that greedy ambition creates a guilty conscience to the mind and vengeance from the past.
In the play of “Macbeth”, Shakespeare gradually and effectively deepens our understanding of the themes and most importantly the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The main theme of Macbeth is ambition, and how it compels the main characters to pursue it. The antagonists of the play are the three witches, who symbolise the theme appearance and reality. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s relation is an irony throughout the play, as most of their relation is based on greed and power. This is different from most of Shakespeare’s other plays, which are mostly based on romance and trust. There is also guilt that leads Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to the final consequences of the play. As the progresses, the constant changes in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are exposed.
Macbeth shows how greed and ambition can bring down a person as well as others and how the changes of power occur because of loyalty and betrayal. Macbeth is the play’s main unhappy character. The play tells of Macbeth's greedy thirst for power is a dangerous trait.
To achieve a goal you need to dream it, set your mind to it, and accomplish it. This explains how Macbeth 's speedy rise to the throne. Macbeth makes quick work of becoming king because he sets his mind to the ambitions he holds, and accomplishes them with Lady Macbeth 's support pushing him. However, sometimes harmless ambitions set in motion a path of negative and harmful actions required to achieve them.
Words are the basic elements of the English written language. With words, one can say precisely what one wants to say, a skill that Shakespeare has mastered. In Macbeth, he carefully chooses each word so as to say exactly what he wants to say, and often leaves these words open to the reader’s interpretation. One such carefully chosen word is the word “slave,” a simple word meaning “someone entirely under the dominion of a person or an influence” (Random House, 674). Although this word appears only four times within the play, it’s importance should not be underestimated. Every time that Shakespeare chooses to use the word “slave” he is using it to show a “slave of ambition,” an important symbol within the play.
Where is there a page in William Shakespeare's tragic play Macbeth which does not present the selfish virtue of personal ambition. This paper addresses the problem of ambition in the drama.
A key issue involved in Macbeth is ambition. Ambition is created when determination gets out of hand. It finds its most significant expressions in the plays two main characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The main reason why it all gets started is because of the witches' interference by putting suggestions into Macbeth's mind. Lady Macbeth's ambition forces him to act on these ambitions as well. The couple proves that unchecked ambition will ultimately destroy.
In Macbeth, Shakespeare confronts audiences with universal and powerful themes of ambition and evil along with its consequences. Shakespeare explores the powerful theme of the human mind’s decent into madness, audiences find this theme most confronting because of its universal relevance. His use of dramatic devices includes soliloquies, animal imagery, clear characterisation and dramatic language. Themes of ambition and mental instability are evident in Lady Macbeth’s reaction to Macbeth’s letter detailing the prophecies, Macbeth’s hallucinations of Banquo’s ghost and finally in the scene where Lady Macbeth is found sleep walking, tortured by her involvement.