Macbeth's Soliloquy (Act I, scene vii)

If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly. If th' assassination Could trammel up the consequence, and catch, With his surcease, success; that but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all -- here, But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We'd jump the life to come. But in these cases We still have judgment here; that we but teach Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return To plague th' inventor: this even-handed justice Commends th' ingredients of our poison'd chalice To our own lips. He's here in double trust: First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his taking-off; And pity, like a naked new-born babe, Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself And falls on th' other --

Macbeth is second guessing his plan to murder Duncan. Macbeth is concerned that he will be punished in the afterlife Acts as foreshadowing--the idea of karma, if you do bad things it will come back to you Macbeth concerned about betraying Duncan because kinsman and his subject Macbeth is also his host, so he should protect Duncan, not kill him Duncan doesn’t deserve murder; he is a good king who the people respect and love Macbeth realizes that he had no reason to kill Duncan, except for his ambition to be king

But are we Truly Evil?

   I do not believe that evil is inherent or is within all of us. I believe that we mimic the actions of others to fit social norms. These norms may appear to be "inherited" but our species is very social, and we want to fit in, so we bend our personality so we don't seem taboo. When we see something or someone evil, it is assumed that action is okay or normal to do. You could consider it evil to walk past a homeless person without giving change. However, nearly everyone does it, so it doesn't seem out of the ordinary to do it. Being "evil" is simply just peer pressure to a more extreme degree.

Fate vs Free Will

Do we have free will? Would we know if we didn't? What is it to begin with?

The concept of free will is a difficult one to comprehend. Basically it means that one has the ability to his or her own decisions and be able see them through to the end. In a free society like our one would think that every person does in fact have free will, but what really goes in this decision making?

The human brain is essentially a computer. I accepts input, calculates and stores data, and provides output. This means that any decision one makes is really just the product of calculations put through a machine that was programmed by an experience  that was affected by other people making the same type of calculations, making the whole thing one large loop that predetermines what every future decision will be. In this sense we really don't have free will do we?

However there is a way to break this loop. Fate. You make decisions not based on past experience  you leave it up to fate to sort it out. This is done through the flip of a coin or the roll of a die. Since your experiences has no control over what the out come may be this is the only way to ensure that a non preordained decision can be made.

Basically the more you leave if up to Fate, the more Free Will you have.

Vaulting Ambition

 

 

Ambition is the desire to successfully achieve a goal through determination. People who are ambitious tend to be hard working and willing to do almost anything to achieve what they want. Being ambitious usually helps the individual because it motivates them to get to a better position in life. Although, ambition can sometimes have a negative effect as well.

As people gain success in their life they tend to lose track of what is really important because their ambition blinds them from the consequences of their goal. For example wanting to gain a better position at work could cause a person to spend more time there than at home and strain their personal relationships. In the end the person could be higher on the workplace ladder but unhappy in their life with the people they care about.  

Ambition is also a personality trait that is never satisfied with what it has. People who are extremely ambitious tend to have multiple goals, and when reaching one start on another. This is good because it is ambitious people who progress society in all aspects of life.  But we should also sometimes be content with what we have and recognize when to stop and enjoy it.

I think people should have ambition because it is what motivates us to do things that help advance ourselves and sometimes society. I think that it helps people aspire to do great things for themselves and others and is what progresses civilizations into better ages. But I also think that ambition without thinking of consequences can sometimes be more harmful then beneficial.  

Perspective of Evil

Dexter

I believe that we are surrounded by evil people, and it is within those whom we may least expect. There is a degree of evil in which people cannot control, they are simply natured that way. Take Dexter, (from this video clip) for example. He is driven by a unique sense of evil, because he claims to kill for the better of society. He kills people who have not yet been captured by the police, and more importantly, people who have committed horrific acts of crime themselves (murder, rape, etc.). After watching every season of this amazing series, it has come to my realization that evil is not always visible to us, and looks can be deceiving. The question after watching this show really becomes whether or not it is acceptable to kill others who potentially "deserve it." It's like fighting fire with fire, but I believe that Dexter isn't doing anything wrong. What's your thoughts on this controversy?

Ambition

How does ambition impact people?

In my opinion ambition is what dictates individuals actions. Meaning throughout life individuals have motives behind there behavior that drive them to act the way they do in order to reach their goal(s). The difference between a positive ambition and a negative ambition is drastic and is what shapes us as individuals.

Examples:

Positive Ambition:
         Reaching your desired goal(s) through hard work and dedication.

Negative Ambition:
         Reaching your desired goal(s) by using others negatively (i.e. cheating, stealing).

How do you think ambition impacts people?

Fate and Free-will

          I don't believe in fate. I think that what happens to us is a result of the decisions we make. What we can't control is a result of the decisions of others. I think that this quote is interesting and presents some very good points: “There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under the jurisdiction. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with, whom I share my body and life and money and energy with. I can select what I can read and eat and study. I can choose how I'm going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life-whether I will see them as curses or opportunities. I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts.” - Elizabeth Gilbert. What you think dictates how you spend your time and, in turn, what happens to you, and what happens to the people who you interact with on a daily basis. This is why people always think that decisions are scary because they are final, and can change everything.