Ambition and the desire to succeed are very strong forces that drive people to whatever it takes to reach a goal, be it compromising morals or even hurting other people. This was the case in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. When the witches tell Macbeth that he would one day become king if he murders the king, Macbeth falls into a dilemma. Eventually he decides to kill the king to gain the position as king, which is a desirable position for anyone. Afraid that he would lose his position as the king, Macbeth kills everyone who can take his place. As a result, he loses support, becomes crazy, and even loses his own identity. Macbeth demonstrates what disastrous consequences can result from the desire to succeed, including a loss of identity.
In the same way, the glory from achieving a goal can distort one’s perception and ability to reason. Julius Caesar was a great military and political leader who achieved his goal of uniting the country under his rule, but his selfishness and lack of insight gradually caused the glory of his victory to dissipate. As a result, his fellow politicians and countrymen murdered him, even Brutus whom he loved dearly. Though he succeeded in gaining power and uniting the country, the power and glory of his success blinded him and lead him down a path full of calamity.
The two examples above, Macbeth and Julius Caesar, clearly demonstrate how stories of success are not always happy endings. Although stories of success are usually thought to have happy endings, success can bring out the worst in people and turn terribly disastrous. The desire to reach success, and the fame and glory from being successful can both blind and destroy a person. In my opinion, the old cliché, “Be careful what you wish for” should not be dismissed as a worthless saying.