Hi, if anyone has studied Macbeth and Gladiator then I'd appreciate some ideas for body paragraphs. I'm having a hard time coming up with them and actually making comparisons like similarities and differences. I've looked everywhere on the internet for sample essays but there's only one crappy one.
Here's what I've got so far:
Compare and contrast the consequences of ambition in Macbeth and Gladiator.
Ambition is a powerful catalyst that drives individuals to seek power, and is often portrayed positively in society. Shakespeare’s famous tragedy ‘Macbeth’ explores the corrupting power of ambition and the consequences it brings to those who are engulfed by it, which also affects people around them. Likewise, Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator’ illustrates the antagonistic Commodus Aurelius’ excess ambition as it grows into a potent greed for power. Both texts are similar in the sense that they depict the downfall of 2 tyrannic megalomaniacs who were both slain by vengeance-seeking soldiers, as a consequence of their actions in an attempt to maintain the throne. However, where both texts explore similar plot devices, ultimately, they differ in their portrayal of character motives.
One of the consequences of ambition is that a surplus of it removes the ability to make reasonable decisions, which is highlighted in both narratives. A clear example of this is demonstrated in ‘Macbeth’ where due to successfully murdering Duncan and in addition to being heavily supported by his wife, Macbeth’s hunger for power grows. He attempts to justify this heinous act by candidly acknowledging that he is only being driven by his ambition, which he defines as “vaulting” and “o’erleap[ing] itself”. Because he has no good reason for killing Duncan, this shows the strength of Macbeth’s ambition and how he only wants that power for himself. Likewise in ‘Gladiator’, when Commodus is denied the throne by his father, he lists one of his traits as ambition, which he calls “a virtue [that can] drive us to excel. The reason for this being that Marcus Aurelius did not think of his own son as a suitable candidate for the title of Caesar as he did not possess any of the “four chief values.” Enraged, Commodus mercilessly strangles his own father as he cries out that he “would’ve butchered the whole world” if only he had been loved. His sister Lucilla also disapproves of his kingship from the outset, and later plotting to assassinate him. Ergo, both Macbeth and Gladiator equally demonstrate one of the consequences of unchecked ambition; an individual’s conscience will eventually fail in the face of their ambitious tendencies, causing them to make irrationally violent decisions.