Although the play is referred to as "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" Caesar was partly at fault for his own death. His arrogant attitude towards Romans and his self centered attitude brought an early death upon him. Caesar received many warnings which may have saved his life but unfortunately hubris got the best of him and Caesar was brought down. Arrogance is defined as "offensive display of superiority or self importance and overwhelming pride". This was the character of Caesar in a single sentence.
Antony states if Caesar would have been ambitious he would have not cared for those people being held captive. Antony proved that Caesar himself appealed to the censorship of the people when he said “When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept;” (99). Antony showed that Caesar was sympathetic towards the people, because they believed he was ambitious. His rhetorical technique emphasized the fact that the people were oblivious to his acts of sympathy precisely because they did not truly know him. He also states that Caesar was not ambitious because “[He] thrice presented him with a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse.
Blind, Greedy, and Corrupt In the novels “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald and “The Tragedy of Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, the main characters of the stories are blinded by their own goals and ambitions. Both the Macbeth and Gatsby have goals that cause them to become unaware of what the consequences of their actions may be. This unawareness is what eventually leads to both characters downfall. In the case of both characters, once they get a sense that their goals are near, they become more driven and eager to fully achieve their goals. This hunger causes them to make mistakes along their way which get in the way of their dreams becoming a reality.
In his view, the end to political instability justifies the means no matter how shady they may be. He states, “Many have imagined republics and principalities that have never been seen or known to exist in reality. For there is such a difference between the way men live and the way they ought to live.... because anyone who determines to act in all circumstances the part of a good man must come to ruin among so many who are not good.” (Machiavelli p.186) Many of the virtues advocated for in The Prince are apparent in Claudius’ character from William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. Hamlet tells of the various activities that take place during a questionable shift of royal power in Denmark. It is the acquisition and maintenance of this power that shows just how Machiavellian Claudius’ character is in the play.
Macbeth: Gender Role of Manhood Shakespeare's Macbeth, is a story of not only how the absence of emotions deteriorates one’s manhood, but specifically, how the reliance on gender roles negatively impacts humanity. The stoic behaviors which are attached to the image of masculinity is not exactly as beneficial as it is dignified by many. Masculinity as a vital source of manhood also entitles mankind to deny humanistic values that were intended to lead in the first place. In Macbeth, the gender role of masculinity leads to unrewarding obsession with power throughout the play. True masculinity is a conceptual fallacy.
We always make decisions without knowing the exact outcome of what we do, despite whether our intent is good or evil. In the play, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, he develops the idea that an individual’s good intentions can have devastating results. This idea is developed through the characters Romeo, Friar Laurence, Juliet, and Mercutio. In the scene where Mercutio and Tybalt were fighting, Romeo intervenes and ends up losing Mercutio the match, costing his life. “I thought all for the best.”(Act 3, Scene 1, line 99) Romeo had the best intentions however; best intentions in Shakespeare’s plays always have a negative impact.
Javier Acosta Dr. Rutledge English 2521 Is King Claudius an immoral monster whoʼs every intention is to do evil? To answer this, the definition of someone bound on evil and someone who is a moral weakling would have to be very clearly defined as different audiences have different conceptions of each. Readers of Shakespeare have various examples on which to judge immoral monsters, such as Aaron the moor from Titus Adronicus who claims “If one good deed in all my life I did, I do repent it from my very soul” (V.iii.189-190) When Claudius is placed next to someone like him, we have to judge with different scales. Not to say that the kings crimes are not evil, for they surely are, but to say his attitude after the crimes have been committed are that of a man who wants to repent but can not seem to bring himself to do so. A man whoʼs twisted conscious haunts him by placing him in a state of paranoia, confusion, and weakness.
In William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’, there were numerous factors that accumulated to lead up to the tragedies that occurred. The Weird Sisters were not catalysts for these tragedies, as they only acted as a mirror to reflect and reveal man’s true nature and flaws. A Shakespearean tragedy is when character flaws become so dominant that they lead up to a number of tragic events, and eventually the downfall of the characters themselves. This was demonstrated in the play when, after being foretold by the Weird Sisters that he would soon be King, Macbeth’s true nature began to surface. His desire for power eventually overpowered his morality and caused him to perform a series of violent murderous acts.
Ambition is usually defined as a strong desire to do or achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Having too much ambition can lead to ones downfall when that person is selfish. There isn't a problem with having a goal, but ambition soon becomes a dreadful fixation when one is blind- sided. The play Macbeth wouldn't be as popular and tragic as it is considered today. Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth both had ambition that was unchecked by morals; there ambition led to the destruction of themselves as well as others.
Immoral acts result in destruction when tempted with ambition and inability to act on the righteous conscience. Some of the many consequences include guilt and regret. In Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, and Mister Pip, written by Lloyd Jones, the characters are hungry for power and their own profit, which only results in mixed emotions of guilt and revenge and eventually, their downfall. Both writers use the theme of ambition and consequences of immoral acts as a conflict and advancement in plot, as their characters carry out impulsive behaviour thinking of only their own profit. As shown by Lloyd Jones and William Shakespeare in their respective novels, too much ambition for power and not being able follow one’s conscience leads to immoral acts that result in nothing but regret and guilt.