Greed for power has always been evil and even made a saint turn into a demon. As the quote goes “All power tends to corrupt and an absolute power corrupts absolutely” (unquote), which is true not only in the fictitious stories but also in real life and Shakespeare, th9e greatest writer ever known, has always been in habit of making fictitious character come alive and Macbeth is no exception to the rule. The character of Macbeth has two sides, one which is wholesome while other been dubious. He symbolized great ambition but went overboard and in the process not only became corrupt but also became a killer. Macbeth reflects great strength but within he has his own weakness and thus good over took evil resulting in its downfall and finally his own death.
The Destructive Force of Human Ambition In Shakespearean time and within his plays, ambition was viewed as a downfall in character and a defiance to human nature. In today’s world, ambition is viewed as a respectable attribute in both males and females. Yet, In William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, the destructive force of ambition transcends time. Although centuries apart, Macbeth, a noble who wants to seize the position of King, and Tonya Harding, a figure skater who wants to win an Olympic gold, are two examples of ambition, its misuses and consequences.
William Shakespeare is, perhaps, the greatest literary mind in history. His works, being largely commissioned by royalty and enjoyed by the public, also contain some meanings and interpretations that are topics of widespread debate. This confusion in the minds of readers and scholars is extremely prominent in two of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Macbeth and Hamlet. In both plays, the titular character faces a wide array of choices. The protagonists respond in methods connected by their shared roots in deception.
What drives apparently good men to become ruthless, ambitious, jealous and greedy? We see an example of this in the play “Macbeth” performed at Pop Up Globe, directed by Tom Mallaburn, was written originally by the well-known author, William Shakespeare. Macbeth is based upon a big tragedy, where the two main characters, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, inevitably were forced to do evil things due to their ambition; taste the sweetness of victory and then downfall again. Although the play was written by an English author, Shakespeare smartly sets his story based upon the idea of ambition, a concept that relates to all of us, no matter where we are from. We have to admit that in our minds, the concept of power and ambition is linked to men.
Revenge Essay Revenge often drives people to undertake unforgettable, also horrible, actions. It is the driving motivator of the human psyche. As great literature often analyzes and toys with the human psyche, it is common for revenge to be a central thematic concept in many stories. In “The Right Kind of House”, “The Spirit of Franklin Landry”, and “Hamlet”, revenge is the primary instrument in moving the plot forward, and without revenge as a plot device, the development of the plot in these literary achievements might not have been as great as it is known as today.
Antigone is one of the greatest tragedies ever written by Sophocles. There is a controversial question about this play: Who is the tragic hero? Could it be Antigone or Creon? Even though the play’s name is Antigone, but as I read the story. A sensible and responsible king, Creon, is a tragic hero because of his power madness, self-righteousness, and ruthlessness.
Impact of Edgar Allan Poe on American Culture “Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality” (Edgar Allan Poe). For many readers, when they hear the name “Edgar Allan Poe” they think of horror and suspense. Additionally, the pictures and themes made by Edgar Allan Poe had a huge impact on the accompanying ages and works of different writers, with the goal that they even moved toward becoming submerged into the pop culture. During this time Edgar Allan Poe was becoming a prosperous writer, two of his most famous works are, “The Raven.” and “The Fall of the House of Usher.”
Ambition Helen Keller once said “character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” People inspired by ambition can accomplish great things. However, when tempted by their desires, people can destroy themselves as well.
“Knowledge is power” (Meditationes Sacrae [1597; Works 14.95; 79]) is a famous quote from Francis Bacon with many meanings. Knowledge is magical and beneficial; everyone wants to be able to say that they “know everything” but knowing too much is not always a good thing/has been proved to lead to destruction. Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth are two extraordinary characters that seem to struggle with the power of knowledge. Both crave any amount of knowledge they can receive which inevitably influences their ambitions, causes them to make immoral decisions and lose their sense of reality.
The prophecies were the reasoning of the awakening of this ambitious mindset of
Alexander has been named Alexander the Great, but was he really a great leader? Alexander did have some great accomplishments, but all of the many terrible things he did overpower the great things. The tactics he used in order to leave such great legacies were harsh and forceful. People only pay attention to the world-changing things he did when they should really focus on how he did them. Alexander was selfish, cruel and an overall power-hungry tyrant.
A thorough exploration of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ reveals that the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is a relationship that involves lots of ambition, affection and change which then leaves their fall terrifying and resounding and really shows that the common saying ‘the bigger they are, the harder they fall’ is true. Firstly, the Macbeth’s are highly ambitious and always want the best for themselves. Secondly, the relationship between the two is very affectionate and changes drastically. Lastly, because of the big build up leading up towards the end, the journey they went on and everything they had to go through it all leaves the reader stunned and shocked at the end.
Basic ambition is not essentially good or bad, but simply is. However, Promethean ambition, which involves a human pretending to be God. Macbeth by William Shakespeare and Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, significantly open up a sentiment of ideas regarding Promethean ambition. William Shakespeare introduces Macbeth as a combatant hero, who becomes king by altering God’s plan. When Victor Frankenstein is astray in his studies he isolates himself from human society.
Ambition is a powerful emotion in an individual's mind. It can benefit them or drastically hurt them. I have noticed in the play, “Macbeth” by WIlliam Shakespeare, that most of the important characters, especially Lady Macbeth, are very ambitious people. Once Lady Macbeth hears about the witches prophecies, her ambition takes over her conscience. She never thought twice about murdering the king: “yet I do fear thy nature; it is too full o’ the milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way,” (I.V.15-17) she wanted Macbeth to kill Duncan but feared he was too nice and too loyal to his king.