The Power of Ambition
For many individuals pride is the driving force behind motivation and ambition but when one’s pride gets the best of him or her it can cause the individual to break down and self destruct. Every human has a little pride in them but when that pride becomes selfish and done for personal benefit that is when it can become dangerous, taking focus away from the things that really matter like honor, love, family, friends and integrity. In his play, Macbeth, Shakespeare suggests that if one’s motivation is selfish and pride-driven, eventually honor and integrity are lost leading to one’s destruction.
Initially, when one’s selfish ambition and motivation is just starting to grow, one is able to maintain honor and integrity. Before
…show more content…
Macbeth was strongly driven by his pride; once he knew that being king was supposedly in his future he wanted it immediately. Macbeth killed Duncan in one of the most dishonorable ways one could, when someone is a guest in your home. Macbeth and his wife were suppose to protect Duncan while he was in their home but instead they murdered him thus showing his loss of honor. For Macbeth killing Duncan and becoming king was not enough, instead Macbeth decided he wanted Fleance and Banquo dead so that his unborn sons could be king. This shows that Macbeth's ambition and pride driven motivation is getting out of control. After Macbeth was crowned king he was so full of pride that he thought everyone of his friends should be at the banquet he was holding. When Macduff did not show up Macbeth swore that he would get revenge and he did by killing Macduff’s wife and son. To kill innocent people to get back at someone who you believe wronged you shows that one has no honor or integrity