An ambition for power may seem like true perfection, but one must be careful what they wish for, because that power could be exactly what causes their downfall. In the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, ambition plays a big role and is also a main theme. Ambition is often the motivating force in life. It is supposed to be the motivator that pushes us towards success. The main character, Macbeth, has ambition even if it leads to his downfall. In contrast, Lady Macbeth pursues her goals with more determination, but she is less able to bear the results of her actions. She becomes guilty, which leads to her death as she becomes mentally ill and commits suicide, leaving Macbeth without any moral support. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth betray King Duncan for power and their ambition is misused. Macbeth's Overconfidence Nowadays, ambition can be used in both a good way and a bad way. People who have the ambition to achieve their goal in a positive way can be good, but sometimes ambition overwhelms you and makes you want more, which can cause death and destruction. Macbeth's ambition turns into betrayal, as shown in the beginning of this play. whereas the former Thane of Cawdor "The Most Disloyal Traitor" (Act I Sc. II) of Scotland fights for the Norwegian side. The title is then given to Macbeth when the Thane of Cawdor is executed, which foreshadows future events since Macbeth will later murder Duncan who has "absolute trust" (Act I Sc. IV) in Macbeth. When Macbeth is crowned Thane of Cawdor, he begins to believe the witches' prophecies and tells his wife Lady Macbeth that she later plans to kill Duncan. However, M...... middle of paper ......g for their happiness, but as Macbeth develops, we see that his ambition and overconfidence lead to his downfall. Lady Macbeth begins to see reality and realize her mistakes. It is too late for her to tell Macbeth because her guilt has destroyed her and Macbeth is convinced that no one can take the throne of Scotland from him even if he is betrayed and alone. Ambition can lead to many negative consequences such as betrayal. , which leaves him alone in the end. Ambition can also result in a positive response if the person becomes overconfident and uses their ambition to achieve a goal without harming anyone. People who have the ambition to succeed in the right way can be good, but there are times when ambition takes over and makes you want more and sometimes that can lead to death or destruction. Macbeth/