The Danger Of Unchecked Ambitions - 1305 Words

The Danger of Unchecked Ambitions Everyone is born with a capacity for great evil. The idea of freedom and absence of law alters our character to ignore values and virtues, exposing our egotistic personality. Over the course of the play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, unchecked ambitions awakens evil within characters, allowing them to be compared and contrasted. In the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth is initially presented as a confident yet ruthless individual who lacks concern for the well being of others. Meanwhile, Macbeth, the new Thane of Cawdor is able to maintain loyalty to King Duncan but also Scotland, being a character that easily obtains sympathy from the audience. Therefore, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth can be compared and contrasted to one another for their apparent similarities and differences in character. This is achieved by examining their personalities, decisions made and the conflicts they are involved in. To begin, each of the character’s personality undergoes an indisputable transformation that is represented through their vulnerability and exposure to events, allowing them be compared and contrasted to one another. Confidence and self-assurance encapsulates how the husband-wife duo can be contrasted in their seemingly different personality. Prior to committing the ultimate crime of regicide, Macbeth acts with uncertainty and is manipulated his cunning wife: â€Å"I am Thane of Cawdor./ If good, why do I yield to that [thought of killing Duncan]/ WhoseShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Ambition In Macbeth1213 Words   |  5 PagesAmbition, a trait which underlines success, but while unchecked can lead to self or societal corruption. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, â€Å"Macbeth†, a brave general falls into tyranny and paranoia after he acts immorally upon the witches prophecies. Macbeth’s pursuit of long lasting power reveals the consequences of hubris and unche cked ambition, which ultimately leads to the the deterioration of his human nature and the corruption of the kingdom. Through the use of thematic motif, the theme ofRead MoreFrankenstein And The Psychologic And Moralistic Effects Of Community1521 Words   |  7 Pagescreate a monster out of fervent ambition. It is this unchecked ambition and mental state at causes him to create a creature against the natural order and abandon it, ultimately leading to his demise. So, what causes Victor to live this life of ruin? Part of the answer exits within the effects that community has within â€Å"Frankenstein†. Adam Smith writes the following on the effects of community on human virtue and morals: Human virtue is superior to pain, to poverty, to danger, and to death; nor does itRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Macbeth s Macbeth 1250 Words   |  5 PagesDeemed Shakespeare’s shortest and most bloody tragedy, Macbeth is the tale of a valiant Scottish general whose unchecked ambition elicited his transformation into an immoral and tyrannical ruler. The story follows Macbeth’s encounter with the three Weird Sisters whose ambivalent â€Å"prophecies† prompted him to murder King Duncan and ultimately triggered his moral decline. Most prominent in the play is the theme of equivocation and a pervasive feeling of uncertainty is felt throughout the entirety ofRead MoreMacbeths Struggle to Gain and Hold the Crown of Scotland1288 Words   |  6 Pageswhether he needs it or not but the slowly begins to dream about Duncan’s throne. Then begins his struggle to gain and hold the crown of Scotland. He does one foul deed followed by another to get hold of the crown of Scotland. Under the influence  of unchecked power which he posses from his kingship, Macbeth takes actions that have serious and devastating consequences for himself and for other characters in the play. Once Macbeth has committed an act in which he uses power for negative ends, he finds itRead More The Transformation of Macbeth in William Shakespeares Play Essay823 Words   |  4 Pagesthee (5.3.1-7). Macbeth would develop a false sense of security, which lead him to believe that he was invulnerable. He would act as if his throne could not be threatened and that he had nothing to worry about, when however he was under great danger of being backstabbed by his once loyal friends. Furthermore, Macbeth creates a false sense of mind and forces himself to believe that the words of the Three Witches are true. Macbeths incorrect conclusions formed from the apparitions and his ownRead MoreModule a961 Words   |  4 Pagesutilises the creative arrogance of the Romantic imagination to fashion a Gothic world in which the protagonist’s usurpation of the divine privilege of creation has derailed the conventional lines of authority and responsibility. Her warning of the dangers of such actions is encapsulated within Victor’s retrospective words of â€Å"how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge†, whilst Shelley’s use of a fragmented epistolatory narrative adds a disturbing sense of truth, foreshadowing the dark consequencesRead MoreEssay on The Historical Perspective in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1040 Words   |  5 PagesFrankenstein. In the novel, Victor Frankenstein is a doctor who seems discontent and achieves satisfaction by exploring the supernatural realm. The creation of his monster comes about because of his unchecked intellectual ambition: he had been striving for something beyond his control. Consequently, his ambition is misled and his life becomes a hollow existence. Frankenstein states, Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how happierRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth - A Man Without Ethics Is A Wild Beast Loosed Upon This World1286 Words   |  6 Pageshis renowned work, Macbeth. In this play, Shakespeare primarily uses the characters of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Banquo to warn of the dangers of a loss of morality. Closer to Camus s time, the 1998 film A Simple Plan uses strikingly similar techniques to exhibit the same concept. It too, uses its main characters- Hank, Sarah, and Jacob- to warn of this ambition-fuelled c orruption of morality. Through juxtaposing the significant actions the main characters of each work make, it is clearly evidentRead MoreTheme Of Ambition In Macbeth1552 Words   |  7 PagesShakespeare, ambition is the key theme throughout the plot. It is the sole reason the events occur as they do. Many refer to Macbeth as the play of ambition due to this very reason. However, as we read through the play we begin to see effects of each character’s desires on themselves as well as those who surround them. We see some characters follow their ambition through violent ways while some achieve it through manipulation. Three characters in particular however, followed their ambitions and eventuallyRead MoreEssay on Great Expectations Theme Analysis1256 Words   |  6 PagesPip lies to the both of them about his experience, but feels guilty about doing the same to Joe and confesses his wrongdoing. Joe shows understanding towards Pip, and instead of sternly rebuking him for lying, h e simply but seriously Pip about the dangers of lying, saying â€Å"if you can’t get to be oncommon (uncommon) through going straight, you’ll never get to do it through going crooked† (Dickens 100). While Pip’s relationship with Joe is being tested by his desire to gain a higher social standing,