Power is something that is sought by many people. Not everyone desires power, but those who do will often go to great lengths to obtain it. Some people desire power because they have a thirst for superiority. Others simply want to satisfy an inflated ego. Whatever the reason, the ambition for power can sometimes consume an individual. Some people can become so obsessed and desperate that they even go against their moral principles to gain power. They will commit acts they never thought they would commit and they will become corrupt and evil human beings. Ultimately, they learn that their desire for power only ended in disaster. They try their best and, in the end, all they get is a distorted and destroyed reflection of who they once were. The ambition for power will ruin a soul. This idea is expressed in Shakespeare's Macbeth and Julius Caesar. These plays feature characters driven to evil by the desire to gain power. Shakespeare shows the reader that ambition for power can turn an individual into a ruthless and unsympathetic savage through the characters of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Brutus, and Cassius. Three witches tell Macbeth that he will become king of Scotland. This prophecy is the spark that ignites the essence of Macbeth's ambition at the beginning of the play. From the moment the witches tell Macbeth the prophecy, he immediately begins to have dreams and visions of what he will achieve. He is filled with enthusiasm for his future and he knows in that moment that he must fulfill this destiny. Later in the play, he assassinates the current king, Duncan, and usurps the throne. The story then unfolds detailing Macbeth's descent into madness...... middle of paper...... in the end they are left with nothing but calamity and evil hearts. This is seen with the characters of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Cassius and Brutus. Macbeth received a prophecy that he would be king, and as soon as he heard it, he immediately became ambitious. Soon he fell into madness and began killing people to ensure that his position as king would not be threatened. Ultimately, he was killed because his ambition pushed him over the edge. In Julius Caesar, Cassius and Brutus chose to kill to take Caesar's place. Cassius was driven by envy and manipulated Brutus to get what he wanted, and Brutus only wanted what was best for Rome but was still persuaded to kill. In the end, both characters died because their plan backfired. Some people may think they have to do whatever it takes to gain power, but ultimately that will only turn them into monsters..