Ambition is a human trait that pushes us to achieve a goal. So the question remains is the trait of ambition a good trait or bad trait when looked at through the eyes of human society? Pick one side and defend your reasoning as to why ambition is either good or bad. Make sure to cite examples that are found in our society and the play of Macbeth to support your answer.
If you have a last name that goes from A-L you will argue that ambition is a good trait.
If you have a last name that goes from M-z you will argue that ambition is a bad trait.
Remember ladies and gentlemen, I am looking for a discussion!
Have fun!
Ambition can be a bad trait mainly due to ambitious people's tendencies to sacrifice things to get their way. Whether the sacrifice be friends, family, personal happiness, or morality and integrity, many things may get lost on the path to greatness.
ReplyDeleteMacbeth, for example, sacrifices his morality, his friend's advice, and even his common sense to become the king. By murdering Duncan, he let his ambition take over.
Without ambition, I believe there would be much less immorality crime in the world.
To add to my original comment (which was not quite sufficient), a real-life example of ambition going wrong is Nasa's spaceship "Challenger". The engineers were almost certain that the spaceship was not fit for another trip, but their objections were ignored by their managers because of NASA's ambition to be regarded as infallible and perfect by the population. This mistake cost the lives of seven astronauts.
Deletei do see your point Laura, but i am going to have to disagree. i think that if our society lacked ambition it would not go anywhere; being ambitious is understanding that something will be hard to achieve but still going for it. i agree that if someone is too ambitious then it would be bad, but too much of a good thing is always bad. its like, if you eat one cookie, you're all good...but if you eat 60 you're obviously going to get sick. its a conscious decision to try and stay balanced.
DeleteI am also going to have to disagree, though i see your point. You do put up a strong argument, but the problem is that you only look at the negative side of ambition. Of course all things good have a bad side, and in this case ambition is more a strong, and respectable characteristic. Yes ambition gets in the way at times, but don't confuse ambition with pride. Ambition is a unique characteristic in which people dream about. NASA did make the one mistake of assuming everything will go according to plan, but what is one mistake out of a dozen tries. They did get us to the moon, and place all our satellites into space. Their ambition to make human society reach the stars is what gave them the belief that nothing can go wrong. Of course people make mistakes, but what are you going to do? Are you going to cancel the NASA program so that people never explore space? People learn from their mistakes, and if they fail do you lock them up and keep their dreams to themselves?
DeleteAmbition does require sacrifices, but in return you make up for it by living the rest of your life with what you always dreamed of. For example you work hard at school or practice everyday at some sport sacrificing time, which is obviously important. In return you achieve knowledge, fame, or fortune. ambition is the feeling you get that keeps you going no matter what.
Ambition is the drive to make a step forward, to strive for your goals. Sometimes we make a bad step, and sometimes we take a step in the wrong direction, but if we didnt move we'd be worse than dead. We'd be less than useless. Everything worth having is worth fighting for (metaphorically), its only through the twin disasters of arrogance and ignorance that ambition is twisted into a harbinger of downfall, the same way any dog will become aggressive if abused.
Delete-Marley H
DeleteSaying that without ambition, there would be less crime in the world, is a very strong statement if you look at it. Ambition is what drives people to also make things better, not just worse. Without ambition, we would still be living in the stone ages. I think that what you mean to say is that without the wrong type of ambition, there would be fewer crimes.
DeleteLaura, though I agree with the role ambition plays in creating immorality in humanity, I still believe ambition is a good trait, as one must also consider the triumph and prosperity it brings. Ambition is the driving force behind success, and thus happiness. Without ambition, an individual has no motivation to set and accomplish goals. For example, in Macbeth, ambition provides Macbeth with the mental strength required to achieve his goal of murdering Duncan. Without ambition, Macbeth would have had no motivation to improve his life by becoming the king. Indeed, as you have said, the ambition created ruthlessness and wickedness in Macbeth. But, the ambition ultimately allowed Macbeth to achieve his goal and find joy, so therefore, in my opinion, it remains a good trait.
DeleteIn addition, though the Challenger explosion is a very good example of ambition going wrong, there are also several instances in modern society where ambition has taken people to great heights. Ambitious entrepreneurs who build multinational companies from small ideas, ambitious immigrants who establish lavish lives after coming to a new country with virtually nothing, and ambitious students who work hard through years of schooling to have a pleasant career, are amongst the few examples of how rewarding ambition can be.
I agree with Laura. In this generation, people are striving hard for the good of themselves. It’s all about bringing in the latest technology, the newest discovery, or even having the fame, that would make us such a driven society. We are bound to sacrifice one of the things you pointed out just to get what you want to achieve, although maybe immoral when listed. However, I do think that ambition can be a good thing as it is what you want from the future and you’re not so present-minded.
DeleteI disagree with you, Laura. I think ambition has costed a few lives here and there, but overall it is what makes the earth a better place. The ambitious people of the world are the ones that succeed in the end, and isnt that what really matters?
DeleteLaura, I feel that you made a great response in your submission, but what really hit me was that you said there would be less immortality crime in the world, I must disagree. Ambition is classified as a desire, a motivation, and people do not really desire to commit crimes. When they do commit crimes it is because they feel that they have to in order to solves issues, money issues for example, but in the end they just get themselves into more trouble than before. I guess what I'm really trying to say is that you should not relate ambition with crime, because people do not desire to be criminals.
Delete-Rafal
I totally agree with you Laura. Ambition corrupts our world, and makes people make horrid decisions. Ambition can take you over, it makes you want something so bad that you would do anything to get it. It makes people make mistakes even if the end result is success. For example, someone may want to win something so bad, that to make sure they win, they cheat, they manipulate, they take the low road. All this because of their ambition to win, that is what drives them to do evil.
Deletei believe that being ambitious is a good trait to have. Without ambition, one lacks a reason to achieve their goals; to be ambitious is to understand that to attain a desired goal, you need to work hard. i think that life without ambition is just mediocre, No one would have any drive to do anything really.
ReplyDeleteShakespeare himself is a prime example of someone with ambition. If he wasn't ambitious he wouldn't have wrote nearly as many plays as he has, especially as in-depth as they are. In Macbeth, we've learned that Lady Macbeth basically is wearing the pants in her messed-up relationship with Macbeth, and stuff like that just wasn't heard of in that time period. i think that Shakespeare had a vision in his plays that he wanted his audience to witness, and without ambition driving him, he would never be as great as he is. Ambition is definitely the driving force behind success.
Yes i agree that without ambition we wouldn't be living in the same world as today. we wouldn't have computers, cellphones, and maybe even a decent living condition. Ambition is what makes us want more.
DeleteI also agree Shakespeare created a play in which nobody really heard of before. If he wasn't properly motivated he probably wouldn't have completed the story. I believe ambition and motivation go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other. that's just how people function. they usually won't want to get something done if it doesn't benefit them in any way. basically ambition gets things done, and you can't deny it otherwise your denying success.
Ambition is a strong desire to do or achieve something.
ReplyDeleteAmbition is a good thing becauses it drives people to attain something whitch took lots of hardwork and would not be achieved any other way. An example of ambition in our society is a dad/mom working two jobs and going to college, coming home late, barely enough money to support for their kids. however what drives them to give up their life for their kids is Ambition and when the dad/mom finishes school after struggling for years they finsd a well paying job and are now a ble to support their family. Without Ambition and determination the family would still be poor.
An example of good ambition in the story of Macbeth is when macbeth wins the war and defeated the other army his desire to win forced him to try really hard and they won the war.
In my opinion, ambition in our society and in Macbeth is a bad trait. Ambition is what drives to achieve what you want. It can potentially make you make bad decisions to get just that. Ambition can change your original intentions into one's you would never think of doing. In our society, wanting something so desperately and strongly can get you into trouble. For example, people who crave richness may gamble there way to become wealthy or endanger their lives just to get that wealth. Ambition makes you go to extremes. In Shakespeare's play Macbeth, Macbeth is filled with ambition to become king. And to do that he needed to get rid of the current king, Duncan, his relative. That ambition was a big factor that was played into Macbeth murdering his relative, the king. Macbeth went to the extreme and murdered somebody just to get what he wanted.
Deleteomg i just wrote this and then read that i was suppost to agree... fml
I agree with both Awais and Gianna. Ambition can be a good trait, in moderation, but too much of it can make a person go too far and become ruthless. Ambition can lead people to do great things, like win wars, make incredible discoveries, and create movements, but it can also lead people to become blind with greed and hate.
DeleteI agree that ambition is what gives you hope. It takes patience and self-sacrifice to achieve greatness, but really its worth it. I agree parents often sacrifice their lives for their children to have a better future. Ambition is what motivates them to getting somewhere. Without ambition we would stay in an isolated, and undeveloped society. Ambition is what gets us to create the wonderful ideas that run through our minds.
DeleteIn your example you use parents working hard to get a better future, and ambition is what drives them to achieve their goal. This not only applies just a family, but if numerous people were to not follow their example we would have a poverty rate that overwhelms the population.
Macbeth also wanted to become king which has driven by ambition. Slowly climbing the ranks he got only were he wanted to go because of ambition.
Laura, i agree with you that too much is a bad thing. But ambition isnt entirely bad, it does "lead people to do great things" . It's the people who arent truly sincere or "nice" that is bad. They chose to make those actions out of greed not ambition. Macbeth killed Duncan because being whoever he was wasnt enough for him, he wanted more. Which to me is greed, he didnt need to have ambition to make the choice to kill duncan all he needed was for Lady M to push him far enough so that he would kill Duncan.
DeleteI agree with you Gianna. However, what if the thing you wanted to achieve was a good thing.. Would that make ambition good? In the play, the thing Macbeth did was totally wrong. His ambition to do the wrong thing was encouraged by his wife, Lady Macbeth. Although, it was what he truly wanted, you are able to see that it was something he had strong remorse for. The example you used about the gambling and becoming rich from it is a good example. There's a good to it, and even a bad.. As you are able to profit from doing it, yet are not concerned if however, you were to lose all that money.
DeleteI think people are overlooking the fact that Macbeth had a huge castle and servants. How did he get all of that stuff you might ask? Well it's because he is ambitious. The fact that he was led astray from being a good person is irrelevant. There are other motives for that, like how his wife bullying him etc. Ambition was a great trait for Macbeth for most of his life, until the moment when around Act 1 scene 3.
DeleteI have to say ambition is good because it keeps people from depending on others. I believe it's not wrong to be ambitous, yes there are dangers of being ambitous but one would just have to look more carefully at their motives and sacrifices for being ambitous. Ambition is very important, without it no one would be motivated in doing anything. for example macbeth wanted to prove to his wife that he could be the man she wanted him to be, because he was ambitous and last time i checked that wasnt a bad thing. also because he was an ambitous person or a "go-getter" he was admired by a lot of people, they praised him in scene one for being such a hero. Ambition is not bad, it's only bad when people take it too far.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your view of ambition being very important, but disagree on the point that you say that too much ambition is what can make it wrong. Ambition is wrong when it is linked to a wrong type of goal, no matter how little ambition is coming from the person. If a murderer was even a tiny bit ambitious about something, the slightest movement would be harmful to the victim. But if your goal is to help people, ambition can lead you from giving them some money to actually giving them some shelter.
DeleteI disagree with you. I believe that ambition causes tragedy. Yes, Macbeth is ambitious and it gets him what he wants but how he does it is not good at all. He murders his relative because of how ambitious he is to become king. Ambition gets you what you want but how you get there is the question. We go to great extents that may be the wrong road to achieve what we desire with ambition. Overall ambition is bad, the bad takes over the good in ambition.
DeleteAmbition is what makes us human. Its what allows us to progress and improve our society. Without ambition nothing would get done. Ambition is driven by curiosity, fear, and acknowledgement. Curiosity because people what to learn one way or another. Fear because people want peace and protection and in order to protect someone who must think ahead and be ambitious. Acknowledgment because people do want to be recognized and you must apply yourself to the fullest extent if your ever to succeed in this world. Yes ambition can sometimes be a bad thing but, the overwhelming number of good things that can come from it just makes the bad side seem insignificant. In the story of Macbeth ambition is a prime example of a person who is determined to achieve his or her goal. Ambition is what got Macbeth into his position at the start of the play and throughout the play he continues his goal for power. Macbeth's ambition for power is not necessarily a good example but whose to say he will become a bad king. Maybe the ambition which led him to the highest position of his entire country will make them become the most powerful empire. He was determined to become king so whose to stop him from taking over the entire continent. His ambition is what makes all of this even possible. In Act 1 Scene 3 Macbeth states "come what come may, Time and the hour runs through the roughest day" which means he will become the king no matter what, and nothing is going to stand in his way. Though the ways Macbeth attempted to achieve his goal was brutal, he did get were he wanted to go, and thats what is important to him. Today we face a similar situation in which we are destroying all our natural resources and enslaving entire populations of animals for our personal need, but if we don't do this then the human population won't be able to sustain itself. Sacrifices must be made to achieve greatness, and making corrections comes later.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that ambition gets people where they want to go, and you also raise the issue of people making sacrifices to get there. However, these sacrifices are not insignificant, and are sometimes permanent and unable to be corrected. In terms of our environment, we live in a waste-generating culture. I believe that if we were forced to use less resources, then we would quickly adapt to consume much less. Whether it's rationing food, replanting field that had contained cows with soybeans, using less water, or recycling and reusing paper, we are definitely capable of making a smaller impact on the environment.
DeleteIn this way I think that the ambition of the industries (oil, forestry) to make money is a bad thing indeed. It promotes a consumer society, which pollutes and destroys our planet.
Ambition can be a good trait to have. Like you stated, it is ambition that promote us to achieve, to gain, and to continue progressing. Indeed, sacrifices must be made to achieve greatness, but like Laura said, these sacrifices of "destroying all our natural resources and enslaving entire populations of animals for our personal need" are not insignificant at all. At this point, ambition has also selfishness. We only think about the need we want at the moment but did not consider the massive problem that we are creating that cannot be solve easily or even impossible. Even though some of these issues won't affect us greatly yet, but it will eventually to our future generation.
DeleteAs for Macbeth, I agree that no one can stop him from becoming the king, but even if he does become a good king, I doubt that he'll earn respect from his people. Since his method of becoming the king is just wrong. Macbeth, even says that "Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office, that his virtues will plead like angels" (I,vii). Macbeth himself knew that he had no reason to kill Duncan. Duncan wasn't a tyrant, but a good king. Macbeth may become the most powerful of his kingdom and have people who are still loyal to him, but it is due to fear, not respect.
I do agree that ambition can bring great accomplishment to our lives, but it can also lead us to our downfall. Ambition can only be good if we can notice it's flaw and control it, instead of it controlling us.
Alan, I strongly agree with your point, "sacrifices must be made to achieve greatness." Certainly, ambition brings out some bad aspects in individuals. But it is still an essentially good trait, as it allows for success and joy. Macbeth is a prime example of this. Though his ambition allows him to attain his goal of becoming the king, his ambition also creates brutality and cruelty in Macbeth. His ambition makes him capable of committing murder. But, as you have said, though ambition can be a bad, there are still many positives that come from it. Because of ambition, Macbeth was still able to accomplish his aims. Because of ambition, Macbeth bettered his life by becoming king. Ambition allowed Macbeth to reach his desires, instead of simply dwelling upon the thought of becoming king until "chance may crown [him]." (I, iii) This can also be seen in modern society, where ambition brings out some bad aspects, but is still good because it brings about triumph and happiness. For instance, an ambitious businessman may neglect his family, friends, and other responsibilities to ensure his business becomes prosperous. Despite these downfalls however, the determination provided by ambition will bring the businessman great achievements, allowing him to accomplish goals and find happiness. Thus, in both cases, ambition encouraged the sacrifice of completing some violent actions or neglecting some responsibilities. But, this ambition ultimately led to success, and therefore it is a good trait.
DeleteAmbition is what drives us to follow our dreams and goals. To want to reach something is the same as having ambitions. But there are all kinds of ambitions out there, both good and bad ones. We all have ambition, but when you want something, you might have to do a sacrifice for it. For example, workaholics or people who devote their lives to work and thus neglect everything around them, and as time passes by they might be successful with their business, but at the same time, they might become isolated from their family and friends, and even have to sacrificed their health. Does it worth it?
ReplyDeleteSometimes ambition can lead us to great desire, and to gain what we want, but ambition can also control and manipulate us, and become our flaw that lead to our downfall. In fact, ambition can easily manipulate our minds. Ambition can become an obsession and make us all greedy. We become short temper and easily frustrated when we can't achieve our desires/goals. We then would dare ourselves to do anything we can to fulfill our ambition. Even if it's against our morals, or knowing that there will be consequences. For Macbeth, his ambition has entirely manipulated him. Even though at first he was going to wait and let faith to have him become the new king, but as soon as he heard that Malcolm is heir of the throne, Macbeth immediately became furious and decided that he'll have to kill Duncan himself. It didn't take Lady M. much effort to convince Macbeth to carry out the murder, since he was too obsessed to become the King of Scotland. Macbeth sacrificed his moral, and let his ambition took over.
Yes, ambition can easily control us by taking over our senses, and make us to do wicked deeds and great sacrifices.
You have posed a very interesting question, asking whether the sacrifices encouraged by ambition are worth being made. In my opinion, ambition is a compulsory trait for humanity, as it encourages and motivates individuals to remain devoted and determined. Though ambition can encourage negative traits in a person, as they encouraged cruelty and a lack of remorse in Macbeth, ambition ultimately allows a person to find success and happiness. The achievement of triumph and joy are indeed worth some of the negative qualities ambition may instill in a person. In the play for example, certainly Macbeth committed a murder, a negative action, but ultimately, he was able to fulfill his dreams and goals. Therefore, it was indeed worth it for Macbeth to do some negative actions to find happiness and success by becoming the king.
DeleteI also agree with your point that ambition can manipulate our minds, however, without this manipulation, society would remain apathetic and unmotivated to improve life. For example, without ambition being strong in the minds of our country's historic leaders, Canada would not be the strong country it is today. Without ambition, those leaders would have no interest in making our a better place to live. Canada would be the same undeveloped forest that it was over 100 years ago. Thus, we need ambition to manipulate our minds, because it only with this manipulation can humanity become inspired to create success.
I agree that there are both good and bad ambitions as well as sacrifices that are involved. The way that ambition can manipulate is very true, but it can go both ways. Sure we become angry and frustrated when we dont achieve our ambition/goal but what happens when we do achieve it? We are happy and proud of ourselves and strive to achieve and even bigger ambitions, which again, can make us or break us. Overall, the manipulation that comes with ambition is either really good, or really bad.
Delete^Amanbir. I do agree with your point that ambition "encourages and motivates individuals to remain devoted and determined." Yes, ambition is what drives us to follow our dreams and goals, and it does allow us to be successful. However, in my opinion, it all depend on how individual's view on the situation. ex. I could think that sacrificing all my social activities to have a better grade is not a big deal, but to other people it could be a big deal. Then is their ambition not strong enough? Or am I the one who is too obsessed with getting a good grade?
DeleteYes, ambition has motivated us to improve our lives, and I do think that ambition is a great trait to have. But I don't agree that we need ambition to manipulate our minds to be successful, we should be the one who need to have control over our ambition, and know its limit. Otherwise, ambition can eventually turn into obsession and greed. For Macbeth, yes he did fulfilled his dream of becoming the new king, his ambition did make him happy and successful, but it may not to the same for the others. Is Macbeth's ambition successful? Yes (for now, spoiler! :P) Is his ambition great? well... there are all kinds of answers for that.
Thanks Amanbir! I enjoyed reading your comment and thoughts on this!
Ambition is another word for motivation, which is a force that drives us to get something done that we see a need for. Ambition is sort of a grey area in our lives. It isn't that ambition is either good or evil, it is the goal to which ambition leads us to that is good or evil. It can't just be one or the other. In the case of Macbeth, the title character lets his ambition get the best of him and he shows it by murdering Duncan. If it were not for his desire for power in an evil way, he would not have done so many immoral things in the play. Also, in our own lives, we witness people in power taking advantage of their resources by sacrificing their own morality in order to get what they desire. But what I think this topic of ambition is missing is the element of a goal. Ambition cannot be lumped into one group. It was just that in Macbeth, the ambition was not a tool for morality.
ReplyDeleteAmbition pushes us to achieve goals that are desired in one’s life, which can be seen as a good or admirable trait to have. Ambition allows us to achieve what we can sometimes find rather difficult to overcome. It’s the desire for success. Success is what may fulfill one’s happiness and satisfaction, being that without the desire or hope of success, what is the point of life?
ReplyDeleteMacbeth desires to be crowned King, and his ambition to do so make him successful. His ambition allows him to overcome fears, and push aside consequences. Without ambition, the thought of Macbeth being King would be a mere idea or thought to which he desires but would not pursue. Ambition is the action to which we are to achieve our goals. Ambition in our society may seem risky. For example, take a look at successful businesses. Businesses start from the ground up, as they literally start from a small group of people that desire to expand to a large co-operate business. Business is risky, being that it’s often relied on consumers and public relations. However, that small group of people that start a business are quiet ambitious. They know the consequences can be severe (debt, bankrupt) but their ambition drives them to become successful. Without ambition, society may not be as developed as it is today. Ambition allows us to succeed as humans, to push further and achieve desired things in life.
“Ambition allows us to achieve what we can sometimes find rather difficult to overcome.” - Erica, I really like this phrase because it is the perfect description of true ambition. The only thing that helps people overcome what is in there way is the ambition that they have to succeed. I also really enjoy the example of a company that you used in your post, it shows how there are so many things that can go wrong and ruin your dreams, but the only thing that keeps you going is the ambition you have. While making a company you never know when an obstacle will come and try to stop you short of achieving your dreams.
Delete-Rafal
"Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver and gold." Bob Marley.
ReplyDeleteThis quote I feel fits in with the theme that ambition is bad. Ambition can be blinding at times, when someone sets their sights on something they do not have but want desperatly. Like a business man who wants to become the CEO of a mega corporation, or a girl who wants to fit in with the "IN" crowd. Or in Macbeth's case, to be king. Ambition in most cases is looked down upon. It stirs a certain hunger in someone, making them go for their hearts desires with such a passion that all in it's path will be destroyed or forgotten. Some men will do whatever they want to get it in the end. Even murder. But as some say, it is lonely at the top.
i think that "[the] certain hunger in someone" that it stirs is quite simply survival. Think of a caveman who needs to eat because he's starving. He's off on a stroll and sees a big old kitty. if it were not for ambition, he would run away and starve to death. Ambition is the motor for our souls! Ambition is what drives people to reach goals that they never dreamed attainable.
DeleteWhen you're a child, you're told to reach for the stars. Ambition is what helps us achieve our goals and desires in life, even if we don't achieve we are still able to say we tried. Without ambition, how do we have CEO's in the world, and how do we have people that become Presidents and Senators? Without ambition, people would just settle with what they have in life, and not pursue further to achieve desires and dreams. Such as Macbeth, he is OK with his life, however desires to become King. He knows that happiness in his life would be fulfilled when he becomes King, and he pursues further to do so. Ambition is what gets us further in life, it's what makes us happy.
Deletei agree with Erica, from when we were young we were tought to set goals, and to achieve those goals we need to have ambition. Think about it.. without ambition what would we have? everyone would just settle and not reach to achieve higher.
DeleteSam, I agree that is certain cases ambition can be bad when a person does not look at the consequences of their actions, but think of all the good ambition has done. Just deciding to get up off the couch and do your homework or going out to walk the dog requires ambition. If there was no ambition nothing would get done, there would be no new inventions, people would just sit around. Ambition benefits everyone.
DeleteSam, I definitely agree with your opinion that ambition is bad. People will go to whatever extent they can just to satisfy themselves with their win. We go after our goal until we have achieved it by doing what ever is necessary. We may cheat, lie, manipulate, defy the law or even murder in Macbeth's case, just to achieve what we want. We lose our control and all we see is the result, our win.
DeleteI believe that ambition is a great trait to have, whether it is in a good or bad way. Without it I figure that our world would be controlled by people who don't really care. People with ambition fight for what they want and achieve what they believe is right.
ReplyDeleteFor example the creators of the movie Planet Earth didn't do it just for fun, they did it because they had the drive to create something successful that would give everyone a look into different lifestyles of animals and other creatures. I agree with Lexy that Shakespeare is a prime example of a person with great ambition because of the choices he makes with his plays and what they're about. Within the play though the examples of ambition aren't always the greatest though, for example Macbeths drive to become king. Its an innocent thought but what he is does is what makes it so wrong.
-Rafal
"People with ambition fight for what they want and achieve what they believe is right" -Rafal. I strongly agree with this quote, being that ambition is a trait that one may have when one desires something in life in which they believe they can achieve. Ambition is something most people have in life, whether or not it is to become the school president or get a job at the local Whitespot. In the story of Macbeth, withouth Macbeth's ambition to become King, he would just dwell on the thought of becoming King but never achieve his desires. We all have goals in life, but those with ambition are able to pursue further and meet their goals
DeleteIn the play, Macbeth doesn't really understand that his ambition is bad, not only for him but for others as well. Sure this is his ambition but overall, the thought of him becoming king is better and more beneficial for him in the long run. I think that people need to understand that in order to have good ambitions, it actually has to be achieveable.
Delete"People with ambition fight for what they want and achieve what they believe is right" I do agree that it is because of ambition that drives us to achieve our dreams and goals, but is it always the right thing? Certain ambition is great, like funding a million dollar for a charity. However, at the same time there are certain ambition that we should have limit to it or we shouldn't have it at all. Like Macbeth, he shouldn't have the thought of becoming the King of Scotland in the first place, for the throne was never for him to have. In this case, his ambition would become his greed, as he would do anything bad to become the king. Yes, ambition is a trait that we all have, but we need to know what we can do and cannot do, for what is the best for us.
DeleteAmbition is a good trait that can present itself in many different ways, especially if we are passionate about something. Without ambitions we don't have much motivation to work towards a goal or do it well. Like any other trait being overambitious has its downfalls, such as in Macbeth on his quest to become King. But, so do other traits, a mother being overprotective of her child leads to ailments to the child later on in life when one grows older and needs to be independent. The trait of ambition itself is a profitable trait to have as it allows you to strive towards greater things.
ReplyDeleteI agree on your example of how all traits have their downfalls. Trust, honesty, confidence all can lead to downfalls in our society, such as trusting someone then having that trust broken. Lady Macbeth may seem confident but however her confidence about killing Duncan and her and Macbeth succeeding to do so may lead her to overconfidence and failure in the end. However, ambition is a good trait because its a trait that helps up strive further in life, a trait that helps one succeed
DeleteLike oh mah gawd, ambition is the best thing ever. like seriously you guys have it soo right. I mean, where would we be without ambition? What if the pyramids never got built? Life would be completely different without ambition, because then everybody would just waste their time playing video games and doing drugs, and thats bad. Dean you're like so totally on the ball with this one, I agree with you 62%! The only reason I dont agree with you the other 54% is because you didnt talk enough about how good ambition is. Ambition is really the best. Really. -Marley H
DeleteAmbition supplies an individual with the motivation and inspiration required to achieve goals. Without ambition, an individual remains apathetic to attain triumph. It is only with driving ambition, can an individual have the mindset to better their own life. Ambition is the driving force behind success, thus it is a vital and good personality trait
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In modern society, ambition is often seen as an important and good trait. For instance, an ambitious student will remain determined to achieve at the highest level in school. This student will consequently be rewarded with high grades in high school and beyond, ultimately leading to a well-paying and enjoyable career. In this case, ambition pushes the student to work dedicatedly and diligently, allowing him to achieve goals and have a comfortable future. Another example of ambition valued in modern society can be seen with entrepreneurs who transform small businesses into major corporations. For example, Debbi Fields founded Mrs. Fields Cookies and if it were not for her ambition, she would still be making minimal profits in her small street shop. However, Field's ambition made her think bigger, allowing her company to expand all over North America and make millions in profits. Therefore, ambition consistently leads to success in modern society.
In Macbeth, Shakespeare has also portrayed as ambition as a fundamentally good trait. Clearly, Macbeth is characterized as a noble with much ambition, as he says, "I have no spur to prick the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself." (I, vii) Ambition is a important trait for Macbeth, as it allows him to achieve his dream of becoming the king. His ambition pushes aside any feelings of remorse or fear. It provides him with the courage to murder Duncan and fulfill his goal. However, it may now appear ambition is consequently a bad trait, as it encourages brutality and cruelty in Macbeth. Nevertheless, ambition lets Macbeth accomplish his goal. Thus, despite the ruthlessness ambition creates in him, it still allows Macbeth to achieve his aim, therefore making ambition a good trait for him.
Thus, as examples in Shakespeare's play and modern society show, ambition is essential to become successful. Despite the negative traits it may create in a person, it ultimately allows for goals to be achieved. It ultimately allows for an individual to be successful, and is therefore a good trait.
Your statements are very clear and well-thought out. I agree with everything you stated and you used a great quote from the play. I enjoyed your sentence and agree completely when you said that ambition is was makes us become successful, whether it is for the good or for the bad. Also, you make a good case for the good side of ambition as well in the second paragraph.
DeleteAmbition is a good trait for many reasons. It is the driving factor for all people to succeed in life. Without ambition we would still be hitting rocks together barely surviving. The main counter argument for ambition is that is hurts people. People being left in the dust is just how life works. For every winner there is a loser. The way I see it, ambition helped Macbeth. Without it, he would not have an amazing castle with servants and a beautiful wife. If he had not been the outgoing person he is, he would have been a peasant like everyone else.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, my reply to awais was meant to be my original response.. I don't know what happened there. so consider it my response to the question not to awais please.
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