Final Draft

Most people largely consider ambition as a positive, motivating force. Ambition is, after all, the desire to complete one's goals; to reach success. However there is a darker side to this force. When it comes to the means of reaching one's goals, some do not let morality, or even honor get in the way. Instead, some turn to exploit these negative means, and make it the basis for reaching one's goals. This was certainly the case with Macbeth, whose ambition of maintaining the throne proved more powerful than his concern for his own morality and honor. Although he did succeed in one respect, in the end he killed his friends and destroyed his honor. Ambition is a driving force, but what matters is whether that force is pointed in a positive or negative direction.

Ambition drives humans to achieve success. To many, it is what keeps them going in life and propels them to better themselves. Even at a young age ambition can produce great results. For students, it is their ambition (along with some parenting) that motivates them to succeed. This is certainly the case with two students at Canyon Crest Academy who "both scored 2400 on the widely used college admission test". Clearly, without ambition, such a goal would seem impossible.

In reaching one's goals, many exploit negative means. This is certainly prevalent in athletes' use of performance-enhancing drugs. With such a highly competitive environment, athletes constantly strive to be the best. But often they turn to negative means and thereby overlook their own honor. In the baseball hall of fame, many feel that even baseball legends such Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens should be banned from the hall of fame for their use of performance enhancing drugs. According to one source, "the majority of people are not comfortable electing people who they believe have cheated the game, have cheated by using performance-enhancing drugs." For some, their ambition is too powerful and although they reach their goal(s), they lose their dignity in the process.

Surely the greatest evidence of ambition is portrayed throughout Macbeth and it's mostly affected by its characters. Everyone possesses ambition nevertheless there are some people who utilize this ambition for good and some for evil. In the beginning of the play Macbeth drives ambition with good intentions as he fights for his country, defeating the traitors.

At first sight, Macbeth is a great soldier who portrays his battlefield valor. This scene is kind of complicated, because once Macbeth sees the three witches, we can point out that his physical courage is connected by a consuming ambition and addiction or affection to self-doubt. This is evident when he says, "So foul and fair a day I have not seen" (Act 1, sc.1). Yeah, when the witches' prophesize that he will be king, makes him really happy, but at the same time creates inner distress. These three characteristics test Macbeth's ability throughout the play. Before he kills Duncan, Macbeth is so worried and almost checks out of just thinking about committing such crime. As the play goes on, Lady Macbeth butts in and presses his husband to do the dirty deed. So this idiot give in and kill poor Duncan. An interesting