AMBITION AND TRAGIC FALL: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S MACBETH AND CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE’S DOCTOR FAUSTUS

Abstract

This study explores the theme of ambition and tragic downfall in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus. It examines how ambition becomes a tragic flaw that leads both heroes toward moral and spiritual ruin. Using a qualitative and comparative method, the research analyzes how Shakespeare and Marlowe portray the growth of ambition and its destructive effects. Aristotle’s theory of tragedy and the ideas of Renaissance Humanism guide the analysis. The study finds that ambition in both plays begins as a noble desire but soon turns into pride and moral blindness. Macbeth’s political ambition and Faustus’s intellectual ambition both cross moral boundaries and end in destruction. Their stories reveal that ambition, when not guided by conscience, becomes a force of self-destruction. The research concludes that both playwrights warn against the dangers of excessive ambition and remind readers of the need for balance between human desire and moral duty. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how Renaissance tragedy reflects the timeless struggle between aspiration and limitation in human life