Ambition can either create or destroy. It can inspire people to accomplish great things, or tempt others with their deepest desires into eventually destroying themselves. No matter what the motive is, we are all drawn to pursue it. We all succumb to ambition. William Shakespeare elaborates on this with his dramatic tragedy, Macbeth. Accompanied by Patricia Smith’s poem, “5 P.M., Tuesday, August 23, 2005”, and James Thurber’s short story, “The Macbeth Murder Mystery”, it becomes evident that we all have the trait of ambition. William Shakespeare’s dramatic tragedy Macbeth tells of a man who was once a loyal and honest servant but is corrupted by the same universal trait that can be seen in us all; ambition. Macbeth, like Banquo, used
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However, Macduff’s ambition pushed him to set right what others had messed up. With this in mind, it all started with Macbeth’s consideration to killing King Duncan. Although lacking a motive, Talking to himself, Macbeth says, “I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which o 'erleaps itself / And falls on the other…” (1.7.25-28). Macbeth is honest with himself and admits that Duncan is a perfectly good king and that Macbeth has no viable reason to kill him. However, Macbeth’s ambition gets the best of him, and he selfishly takes that power for himself. Consequently, Banquo becomes suspicious. He was there with Macbeth when the Weird Sister prophesied about them, and begins to process king Duncan’s death. Although Banquo did not kill anyone for self-gain, he still lets his ambition get the best of him. Thinking to himself, he says, “Thou hast it now—king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, / As the weird women promised, and I fear / Thou played 'st most foully for 't. Yet it was said / It should not stand in thy posterity, / But that myself should be the root and father / Of many kings. If there come truth from them / (As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine) / Why, by the verities on thee …show more content…
We quickly learn that she is a ferocious reader, and almost an expert in the murder mystery field, when she says, “I’d/ read all the others, so I bought this one without really looking at it carefully” (Thurber 301). The lady’s ambition fuels her desire to read as many books as possible. Her ambition is so great, that she has arrived at the point where she does not need an actual murder mystery book to feel satisfied. After explaining that she accidentally picked up Macbeth, she mentions, ‘“I don’t think for a moment that/ he killed the King,” she said. “I don’t think the Macbeth woman/ was mixed up in it, either. You suspect them the most, of course/ but those are the ones that are never guilty-- or shouldn’t be/ anyway”’ (Thurber 302). Even though plainly stated, she is eager to find out who killed Duncan. Consequently, the reader shortly realizes that reading the book for its content is not important to her. What is important is for her to solve the mystery of the book, even if that means making it up. Poking fun at her, the author jokingly states that he will discover the mystery of Hamlet, also claiming that Hamlet is not to blame. She then questions, ‘“But/ who,” she demanded, “do you suspect?” (Thurber 305). While teasing her, he
However, Macduff’s ambition pushed him to set right what others had messed up. With this in mind, it all started with Macbeth’s consideration to killing King Duncan. Although lacking a motive, Talking to himself, Macbeth says, “I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which o 'erleaps itself / And falls on the other…” (1.7.25-28). Macbeth is honest with himself and admits that Duncan is a perfectly good king and that Macbeth has no viable reason to kill him. However, Macbeth’s ambition gets the best of him, and he selfishly takes that power for himself. Consequently, Banquo becomes suspicious. He was there with Macbeth when the Weird Sister prophesied about them, and begins to process king Duncan’s death. Although Banquo did not kill anyone for self-gain, he still lets his ambition get the best of him. Thinking to himself, he says, “Thou hast it now—king, Cawdor, Glamis, all, / As the weird women promised, and I fear / Thou played 'st most foully for 't. Yet it was said / It should not stand in thy posterity, / But that myself should be the root and father / Of many kings. If there come truth from them / (As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine) / Why, by the verities on thee …show more content…
We quickly learn that she is a ferocious reader, and almost an expert in the murder mystery field, when she says, “I’d/ read all the others, so I bought this one without really looking at it carefully” (Thurber 301). The lady’s ambition fuels her desire to read as many books as possible. Her ambition is so great, that she has arrived at the point where she does not need an actual murder mystery book to feel satisfied. After explaining that she accidentally picked up Macbeth, she mentions, ‘“I don’t think for a moment that/ he killed the King,” she said. “I don’t think the Macbeth woman/ was mixed up in it, either. You suspect them the most, of course/ but those are the ones that are never guilty-- or shouldn’t be/ anyway”’ (Thurber 302). Even though plainly stated, she is eager to find out who killed Duncan. Consequently, the reader shortly realizes that reading the book for its content is not important to her. What is important is for her to solve the mystery of the book, even if that means making it up. Poking fun at her, the author jokingly states that he will discover the mystery of Hamlet, also claiming that Hamlet is not to blame. She then questions, ‘“But/ who,” she demanded, “do you suspect?” (Thurber 305). While teasing her, he