Essay Comparing Macbeth And Suharto's Ambition

“He who sacrifices his conscience to ambition burns a picture to obtain the ashes.” (Chinese Proverb Quote) Ambition is a dangerous trait, it can cause both bad and good. The outcome is determined by ones ability to control their desires. If not, ambitious actions can even bring down the most powerful. In the play Macbeth the main character Macbeth looses control over his ambition. A similar situation occurred in Indonesia to the leader Suharto. Both Macbeth and Suharto let their ambition fuel their actions without check, eventually causing their own downfall. At one point Macbeth and Suharto were noble and respected men. Macbeth was reflected as a noble soldier and even considered a “worthy gentleman” (I.ii.24) by King Duncan. Those
around Macbeth even looked up to him referring to him as “brave Macbeth” (I.ii.16) Suharto also was once highly regarded as he rose through the ranks of the army. He “distinguished himself as a battalion commander in central Java and achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel.” (Levy). After steadily rising through the ranks Suharto reached the top becoming the president of Indonesia. These two leaders power and nobility is what allowed for them to have such tragic downfalls.

The main similarity between Macbeth and Suharto is what they did after they were given more and more power.
Their actions are what separate them from successful leaders. Macbeth and Suharto became blinded by their own ambition. Both men were never satisfied with what they had already received. Macbeth had become Thane of Cawdor and Suharto the president of Indonesia. This was not enough for either of them. Macbeth was not satisfied of only being Thane of Cawdor and Glamis he wanted to be the King also. To achieve such an ambitious desire Macbeth murdered the current King. Suharto too wanted more power he did so by embezzling billions of dollars. He allowed relatives and friends “to assume control of key sectors of the economy and amass enormous fortunes by means of monopolies and lucrative trade arrangements.” (Levy) Both of the leaders awful actions gave them even more power. However “to be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus.” (III.i.50-51) Macbeth and Suharto were still needed to keep their power protected. Macbeth did so by ordering the murder of Banquo and his son, Fleance. Suharto arranged a massacre of communists resulting in the loss of thousands of lives. Decisions and actions like these are what led to the downfall of Macbeth and
Suharto.

Ambition led Macbeth and Suharto to make ruthless choices, which they suffer the consequences for. The ambition of being King among other things blinded Macbeth from the truth. He let his ambition blind him into trusting what the supernatural was saying. The words of the witches caused Macbeth to go on a killing spree, which he later results in extreme paranoia and guilt. By the end of the play everyone has turned on Macbeth and he could see everything he had missed from being focused on only one objective. He suffers the greatest consequence for his actions by being murdered by Macduff. Right before he his killed Macbeth has an epiphany and realizes he’s the one to blame for his end. He knows that Macduff will probably kill him; being ambitious he decides to fight regardless. “[Macbeth] will try the last” (V.VIII. 33). Suharto also focused too much on the wrong desires not allowing him to see bigger issues. As the president he should have focused on the needs of the people but instead he constantly wanted to improve upon his own wealth. The Indonesians noted Suharto’s selfish ambitions resulting in many protests. Suharto eventually “lost the support of the military, [and] was forced to resign the presidency on May 21.” (Levy) He is now known as the world’s most corrupt political leader.

Macbeth and Suharto once strong leaders let their ambition get in the way leading to their own demise. Ambition has a series of consequences in life if not controlled. Macbeth was killed as a tyrant and Suharto stepped down from his fraudulent presidency. Neither man even has much opportunity to enjoy what they had originally achieved before trying for more thus destroying all they had. Perhaps suggesting that it is more satisfying to achieve your goals fairly than to achieve them through corruption.

Works Cited

Berger, Marilyn. "Suharto Dies at 86; Indonesian Dictator Brought Order and Bloodshed." The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Jan. 2008. Web. 9 May 2013.
Levy, Michael. "Suharto (president of Indonesia)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Jan. 2008. Web. 9 May 2013.
News, CBC. "CBC News In Depth: Indonesia." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 11 Jan. 2008. Web. 9 May 2013.
"Rise and Fall of Strongman Suharto." BBC News. BBC, 28 Sept. 2000. Web. 9 May 2013.
"World 's Ten Most Corrupt Leaders." Infoplease. Infoplease, 2007. Web. 9 May 2013.