Dictionary.com states that ambition is an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, Fame, or wealth, and willingness to strive for its attainment. Ambition becomes unchecked ambition when someone can’t control their desire and ends up going crazy. Macbeth allows his ambition to surprise him and becomes a murdering maniac. Abigail, in the crucible started out to be a good person, but she let her ambition get to her.
Shakespeare presents Macbeth as a very ambitious character, which is part of the reason that led to his downfall. Macbeth let his ambition get to him and it was pretty much like a mental illness. In the play Shakespeare focuses on unchecked desire of power. Lady Macbeth stated that, “art without
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Macbeth betrayed Banquo, because Banquo had good things about himself that Macbeth feared. Banquo was there when the witches told Macbeth that he was most-likely going to be king if he killed Duncan, and knowing that Banquo had a feeling that Macbeth had something to do with Duncan’s murder. Macbeth killed Banquo because he knew that Macbeth killed Duncan. Macduff was very loyal to Macbeth. Macbeth was trying to make Macduff go back to Scotland because the witches said to fear Macduff. Macbeth killed Macduff because he was a threat to Macbeth’s king title. At the end of the play, Macbeth was pretty much all alone. He was so paranoid about people wanting to kill him, because of what he had done, that he didn’t enjoy his king title and he couldn't trust anyone.Macbeth could only blame himself in the end, because it was a result of his bad decisions. Abigail is the least complicated character, she is clearly the most evil in the play The Crucible, she tells lies, betrays her friends and the entire town, and sends nineteen innocent people to their deaths. Throughout the play, Abigail is motivated by simple jealousy and a desire to seek revenge on Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail is only encouraged by sexual desire and a desire for power. Because of Abigail's selfish personal desire to be John’s next wife, as well as her desire for the power that she gains, she becomes even more in power by her
Throughout the play, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Macbeth continuously decides bad choices and the consequences of these decisions catch up to Macbeth and result in his mental deterioration, however with Macbeth’s almost infant feel for ambition this makes him susceptible to manipulation, which then grows into an insatiable appetite for power. The acts of this with the manipulation from outsiders, causes his blind ambition, his false sense of security and then finally his guilt, which all contribute to his derangement.
Throughout the play, Macbeth’s ambition steadily progresses. Macbeth realizes that his ambition is the only thing that really makes him want to kill the king because it is for his own benefit. This is evident when Macbeth says,
In Arthur Miller's play The Crucible Abigail Williams, an unmarried orphan in the Massachusetts town of Salem, incessantly grows more jealous, her desire for vengeance only grows stronger, and her selfishness escalates. She repeatedly lies to save herself by denying her involvement in witchcraft. Abigail's Jealousy of Elizabeth Proctor intensifies in attempt to realize her desire for Elizabeth's husband John Proctor. In order to save herself she accuses the innocent, without any sense of ethical violation. Abigail proves to be a selfish antagonist in The Crucible that shows no sense of right and wrong.
Just like any of us, Macbeth’s ambition caused him to be easily influenced. Based on the text, the witches say to Macbeth and Banquo, “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!” “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee Thane of Cawdor!” “All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, that shalt be king hereafter!” After the witches speak his prophecy, Macbeth with great interest and desire then asks to here more about what the witches have to say. Soon after Macbeth was given the name Thane of Cawdor, he believed what the witches said had some truth to it causing his ambition to be influenced by the wicked weird sisters. When Macbeth tells his wife, Lady Macbeth about the prophecy, Macbeth’s ambition then faces Lady Macbeth’s influence. According to the
The Crucible is a morality play due to the dramatization of Good and Evil that is shown in the characters. The characters Abigail, Reverend Paris and the Putnams are all painted as the forces of Evil in The Crucible. Abigail Williams, who is selfish, manipulative, power hungry, and intelligent, is the main antagonist in The Crucible. In Act I, it is found that Abigail had an affair with John Proctor who
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a play centring around opposing forces trying to gain power in the succession for the throne of Scotland. Macbeth, in the beginning, is known to be a nobel and strong willed man, who is ready to fight for his country. However, one may see that Macbeth has a darker side to him, he is power hungry and blood thirsty, and will not stop until he has secured his spot as King of Scotland. Though Macbeth may be a tyrant, he is very naïve, gullible, and vulnerable. He is vulnerable and willing to be persuaded by many characters throughout the play, his wife, the witches to name a few, this is the first sign that his mental state is not as sharp as others. One will see the deterioration of Macbeth and his mental state as the play progresses, from level headedness and undisturbed to hallucinogenic, psychopathic and narcissistic. The triggering event for his mental deterioration is caused by the greed created from the witches first prophecy, that Macbeth will become King of Scotland (I.iii.53). Because of the greed causing his mental deterioration, Macbeth’s psychosis is what caused his own demise by the end of the play. In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, the tragic hero Macbeth’s demise is provoked by his hallucinogenic episodes, psychopathic actions and narcissistic behaviours.
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.
Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’ is a play that demonstrates the theme of betrayal to varying extent. Macbeth to a great extent that illustrates betrayal and Macduff betrays to a less extent, however, his betrayal is driven by noble. The unfaithfulness of the two characters is followed by consequences. Juxtaposing to Macbeth and Macduff, Banquo implies no extent of betrayal because he hasn’t betrayed anyone throughout the play.
Shakespeare's Macbeth is a heroic tragedy that shows the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition for those who seek power for its own sake. These psychological effects can be seen in many characters, but are most clearly displayed in the main character Macbeth. Macbeth begins the play as a noble and stable character- a loyal husband, subject, and the Thane of Glamis. However, as Macbeth receives more power and becomes more ambitious, he loses his mental stability. Macbeth’s mind deteriorates from his strong ambition, his guilt of killing, and the paranoia that comes of power. You can also see Macbeth’s mind deteriorate by examining his visions, attitude toward fear and death, and how
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.
Now Macbeth is in a complete delusion as he now believes to be himself invincible, yet is still paranoid enough to kill Macduff even though he doesn 't think he can be caused harm. Sending murderers to take care of Macduff, who kill Macduff 's wife and children when Macduff himself isn 't there.
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.
William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, first published in 1606, is an endearing tale outlining the dangers of unchecked ambition and moral betrayal. In the subsequent centuries after first being performed, Macbeths critics have been divided upon whether Macbeth himself was irrevocably evil, or if he was guided by the manipulation and actions of the women in the play to his ultimate demise. Although Lady Macbeth and the witches were influential with their provocations in the opening acts, it is ultimately Macbeth’s inherent immorality and his vaulting ambition, that result in the tragic downfall. It was Macbeth’s desire for power that abolished his loyalty and trustworthiness and led him down a path of murder. It is evident through his actions and words
Ambition is a strong desire or drive to succeed or achieve something. It can help a person to strive at getting something they want. If someone wants something badly enough, their ambition will help them not give up until they achieve at getting what they want. But also, if a person has too much ambition, it could make that person do destructive things to get what they want and they will hurt anyone or anything that gets in their way.