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Macbeth: Impact Of Ambition On Self And Others

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Impact Of Ambition on Self and Others
Ambition is often defined as the driving force that pushes individuals to overcome or attain the impossible. Possessing the character trait is a milestone in one's path to success. However, ambition can become one's doom. It can corrupt individuals, impact their relationships or build a ruthless force leading them to catastrophic failure. Consequently, Shakespeare, in his play Macbeth, which features the conquest of a Scottish nobleman to become the king of Scotland, articulately highlights how ambition can be dangerous to both an individual and others around them. This paper explores how Shakespeare's play highlights the impact of ambition in the characters Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and Banquo.
Macbeth, who …show more content…

Banquo is also approached by the witches with the same prophecy. However, he refrains from acting on his ambitions. This is evident in the play, 'but tis strange:/ and oftentimes, to win us to our harm, / The instruments of darkness tell us truths;/ win us with honest trifles, to betray's/ in deepest consequence' (1.3.126-130). Contrastingly, Banquo is used by Shakespeare to identify the influence of one's ambition on others. Banquo becomes wary of the motif of the witch's prophecy and cautions MacBeth against having any faith in their words. Banquo and MacBeth share a deep, noble friendship. However, despite lacking any destructive ambition, he is a victim of Macbeth's ambition, who kills him due to his perceptions of him as a threat to his conquest for power. Other victims of over-ambitious characters in the play include MacDuff. Macduff, who is loyal to the rightful king Duncan possesses no personal ambitions for power (4.3.221-226). However, he and his family end up on the trail of Macbeth's murders as he is perceived as a threat to Macbeth's reign as king of Scotland. Duncan also succumbs to the destructive nature of Macbeth's ambition despite being the rightful king. He is also a victim of other people's ambitions who exploit his good character for their own gains

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