The Importance Of Ambition In Beowulf

There are many reasons to have ambition, having good ambition can help a person go a long way in life, but having bad ambition can also be harmful or a major threat to others. Being a person with ambition is great, but be sure to use it for the right reasons. Ambition can be really motivating like in the epic poem Beowulf where Beowulf himself risked his life many times to save the lives of others, but could also go to the extreme and leave people making irrational decisions, such as Macbeth, who became senseless trying to become king for his wife who was power hungry.

To be that person that carries ambition inside of them at all times is a great character trait, and being that person to carry ambition for the right reasons is even better because it could take someone a long way in life. For example, Beowulf’s ambition led him to saving others’ lives and save

These ambitions are best if avoided because you can really hurt yourself or harm others. For example, Macbeth was a loyal soldier to his king Duncan but he later turned on him and killed him in his sleep so he could become king. He committed these acts because of the prophecies he was told by from three witches. He was also trying to please his wife who lead him into thinking murdering the king would greatly benefit them. Macbeth’s negative ambition to become king also caused him to kill others that tried to stop him or got in his way of being king. All of this madness caught up to him and started to make Macbeth act bizarre, “…sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep”-the innocent sleep” (II, I, 35). Macbeth’s unhealthy ambitions also caught up to him when he went to fight in the forest of Donaldbain and got killed, “Hail, king! For so thou art. Behold where stands The usurper’s cursed head stands” (IV, VIII, 54). Although ambition has two sides to it, useful and dangerous, always use it for the good in life. Always use it for the right