The Influence of Ambition and Power in Literature

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, ambition is defined as an ardent desire for rank, fame, or power. Power is defined as the ability or right to control people or things. Neither of these definitions have a positive connotation. Often, people with ambition will step on whomever they need to get what they want. Do ambitious people ever feel happy with their lives, or are they always striving for more while others are perfectly content? How do power and ambition influence the choices we make? This is apparent throughout many works of literature and film. In Macbeth, Macbeth is driven by his ambition to become king. In Animal Farm, Napoleon is driven by his ambition to control the farm. In The Little Mermaid, Ursula is driven

All of these characters want power and control. The choices they make in life are largely influenced by their ambition for power.

In Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is definitely someone who is driven by power. He feels that power is extremely important, and he will do whatever it takes to become king, even if that means killing others. When the story began, Macbeth was a noble thane who only wanted to help the king. But, after hearing “[a]ll hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter!” (1.3.53) from the witches, everything changed. Macbeth became a totally different person. He wanted the power that came with being the king. Lady Macbeth also influenced Macbeth’s need for power. She knew that when he became the king, she would become the queen. The power that came with these positions caused both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to do things that they never thought they would do. When, at one point Macbeth waivered in his plan to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth

In this novel, the animals rebel against the farmer and take control of the farm. Because the pigs were thought to be more intelligent than any of they other animals, they take on the leadership roles. However, “[t]he pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others. With their superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership” (Orwell 16). The pigs do not do any of the actual physical labor. Instead, they tell those who are doing the actual labor what to do. “Throughout the spring and summer they worked a sixty-hour week, and in August Napoleon announced that there would be work on Sunday afternoons as well. This work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half” (Orwell 93). After Napoleon gains control of the farm, he begins to rule through cruelty and treachery. The choices he makes mainly benefit him rather than all of the animals on the farm. He wants control of the farm and will do whatever it takes to get it. One choice Napoleon makes is to take nine puppies from their parents and begin raising them for himself. When they reappear, they act at his personal police protecting him. He feels that the animals will