Macbeth

            
             A vaulting ambition can lead to both greatness and destruction. In the play Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is a man that could have become the Hero of Scotland, but chose to follow his ambition into evil. He is a noble, courageous man, whose ambition was the source of his actions. Macbeth's downfall and final destruction was the result of his vaulting ambition which forced him to kill his friends, commit the act of regicide, and eventually drove him into madness.
             Macbeth at the beginning of the play had many friends and allies that would die for him. His ambition began to drive him into killing these people which alienated him from the rest of his country. "To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus. Our fears in Banquo stick deep, and in his royalty of nature reigns that which would be fear"d". Macbeth explains how he has become afraid of Banquo and the prophecy the witches gave him. Macbeth did not want to just be King, but wanted a dynasty of his own. Banquo threatened his ambition, because one of the prophecy stated that Banquo will father a line of kings and Macbeth will not. Macbeth ultimately was willing to murder all his friends to achieve his goal. .
             "The castle of Macduff I will surprise; Seize upon Fife; give to th"edge o'th'sword his wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace form his line. No boasting like a fool; this deed I"ll do before this purpose cool- (Shakespeare, 4.2.149-144).
             Here Macbeth is planning to kill Macduff's family, because he suspects Macduff is trying to overthrow him by fleeing to England. Macbeth now, not only shows that he is willing to kill anyone that will get in his way, but is willing to kill anyone for no real purpose, since Macduff's Wife and children could do no harm to Macbeth. As Macbeth begins to kill his Friends and their families he only digs himself deeper in a pool of hate, by killing both Banquo and Macduff's family, anyone who had a shred of loyalty left to Macbeth has now been totally convinced that Macbeths is nothing but a tyrant.