Both Macbeth and Frankenstein are powerful, ambitious characters. However, they have very different ambitions and desires. Macbeth’s ambition is to become king by committing murder whereas Frankenstein’s is to create life. For example “I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.” -Victor Frankenstein, chapter 3 Frankenstein. “Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.” –Macbeth, act 1 scene 4 Macbeth. Frankenstein wants to create something innovative and astonishing, something that he can be remembered for and something that will push the boundaries of life and science. This is evident when he says, “pioneer a new way” and “unfold to the world the deepest mysteries.”
We can understand why Frankenstein is driven by creative ambition when he uses the word “pioneer” which indicates to the reader that he wants to be the “leader” of this science in the future and wants to make progress beyond existing limits. Furthermore, the word “deepest” does have some connotations of “dark” and “unknown;” this could be foreshadowing to the reader what is to come. Unlike Frankenstein, Macbeth is completely consumed by his ambition to kill. He has to commit murder to achieve his goals and his ambition is a major factor in what leads him to do so.
Macbeth is already in a highly regarded position within his kingdom, but once he has had a taste of this newfound power, his desire for more cannot be stopped. “Stars,” in the eyes of a Jacobean audience, would suggest something heavenly or Godly. So by saying this it is almost blasphemes: Macbeth is asking God to turn a blind eye on what he is about to do and asking that his true, evil intentions not be understood by his peers, “black and deep desires.” Both Macbeth and Frankenstein, to their respective audiences, would have been viewed as people defying the boundaries of life and humanity. Frankenstein, pushing the boundaries of creation and trying to “Play God:” Macbeth doing acts that are unnatural to human beings.
The Essay on Macbeth – Blind Ambition
Q. The play Macbeth explores the dangers associated with blind ambition. Discuss. William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is primarily concerned with exploring the dangers associated with blind ambition. Shakespeare presents the audience with a character faced with clear moral choices and who is led down a path towards destruction because of his tragic character flaw, his overarching ambition. We can ...
