Dami Kim

HWLC
Period 7
Ambition: What are you actually striving for?
The word ambition, for the most part, has a very positive connotation. Success, hard work, and
aspiration are all things that one may tie with ambition. However, recent research and the events that
Macbeth, from Macbeth by Shakespeare, goes through contrasts with these beliefs. Rather, ambition is
shown to predominantly lead to more negative outcomes than good.
An excessive amount of ambition can lead to uncontrollable greed. Ambition and greed may seem
very far from each other. However, in reality, ambition is the domino in front that sparks the start of
greed. Ambition is the motivation to reach one's goal. And when this desire becomes excessive, it may
take complete control. Ambition will cause the person to [have] a much weaker effect on life
satisfaction if the goal is not achieved (Crees). Of course, ambition brings a peak in ones life. A peak
in which the person feels a momentary joy in living, but this will fade after the rewarding feeling of
success is gone (Crees). This leads to people crave greater and greater outcomes that, in many cases, may
not even be possible. Although the concept of not always getting what you want may seem simple, people
who are driven by ambition may have a harder time swallowing this idea. In a sense, ambition may be
viewed as a desire to get ahead of other people (Lewis). There is no problem with one trying to reach
his very best potential; however, it begins to become a conflict when one tries to take on a bigger name
than another. An example of this is case is shown in an article by C.S. Lewis Institute. There is nothing
wrong with for an actor to want his part as well as it can possibly be acted, but if this greed becomes so
big that he [wishes] to have his name in bigger type that the other actors, then it becomes a case where
ambition has taken its negative turn (Lewis). It is completely natural for one to struggle with selfish
ambition at some point in life (Lewis). But, if reaching your goals becomes prioritized above following
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the natural flow of life, then extreme actions are taken; often without boundaries. These similar patterns
are shown in Macbeth. Macbeth is a courageous nobleman who is portrayed as a hero in the beginning of
the story for his success in battle. However, as Macbeth gains knowledge of his future kingship, he gets
swallowed in greed for authority and power. In this case, he was controlled by his ambition to take the
position. Although Macbeth has just been introduced to the idea of power and murder yet is but
fantastical, his single state of man is so shaken up that he does not even know who he is anymore
(1.3.153-154). The selfish greed in Macbeth was so great that the first thought he has was to go as far as
murdering Duncan to take his place. In both real life and fictional characters, ambition is powerful
enough to take over people and cause them to behave in a way that they would never have acted if they
were not blinded by their own greed. Macbeth even admits himself that he [has] no spur to murder
Duncan but it is his vaulting ambition that oerleaps itself and falls on the other (1.7.25-28). Although
Macbeth is fully aware that he is acting out of greed, he cannot stop his actions for his burning ambition
for power is dominant.
In many cases, ambition results in dissatisfaction and regret. Similar to the idea mentioned in the
paragraph above, sometimes, all the striving and hard work may not pay off as well as someone may have
expected. That may mean not meeting a timeframe, or in worse cases,not [achieving] the success they
were striving for (Crees). These people who realized that their hard work may not pay off the they have
been anticipating, were significantly less happy than others (Crees). Because ambition has no
guaranteed success, ambitious people who were less successful may experience the negative effects
without any of the positive (Crees). Sooner than later, one must halt the endless prospecting, learn to
let go of their illusions, and begin the process of reconciling ourselves to a life unfulfilled (Chopra).
Not only does ambition cause one to be unhappy, but many times those who support the ambitious are
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[casted] aside (Chopra). Ambitious people are sometimes so caught up in their hard works that they
dont realize what they are sacrificing until it is too late. Often times, when ones eyes are set on
achieving their goal and nothing else, they dont realize

they are losing things that they once held dear to them. These may include things such as relationships,
hobbies, and more. For ambition will come to an end in one way or another, people who were not able to
succeed will be left with melancholia. Similar grief is found in Macbeth after he finds out that Lady
Macbeth has been murdered. Although Macbeth took extreme extents to achieve success, ambition has
put him in a worse position than before by taking away the only relationship he had left; his wife.
Macbeth realizes that all his hard work was useless for there would have been time for such a word, and
all was bound to happen despite his hard work (5.5.21). His hopelessness and regret is shown through him
defining life as a walking shadow (5.5.24). Having fallen into lifes illusion himself, Macbeth is now
aware of how dangerous and pointless ambition is.
Like many things in life, ambition must be done in moderation. It can be a driving force for
innovations and personal growth, but, it can also take a turn towards living a life of greed and discontent.
Due to mans nature of a selfish state, the balancing of ambition and realism will always be extremely
difficult, and ambition will predominantly produce more negative outcomes than good (Chopra).

Works Cited

Crees, Alex. "Study: Ambitious People Unhappier, Don't Live as Long." Fox News. FOX News
Network, 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.
"C.S. Lewis Institute." Reflections October 2004 - Ambition: Vice or Virtue? | C.S. Lewis
Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.
@eyeonthepitch. "Ambition, the Dangerous Vice and Compelling Passion." Samir Chopra.
N.p., 28 Aug. 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.
Shakespeare, William, and Eugene M. Waith. The Tragedy of Macbeth. New Haven: Yale UP,
1954. Print.