Shakespeare's Macbeth and Milton's Satan of Paradise Lost have many similarities to each other. Both characters possess diabolical ambitions to subvert the natural order of their circumstances for the sake of power. Both committed heinous acts that led to the downfall of others: Macbeth committed numerous murders, and Satan vowed to corrupt humanity and did so through deception. Both are depicted as complex characters with, in some cases, mixed feelings about their evil actions. Aside from these similarities, there are also significant differences. For one thing, the incitement to both characters' evil actions is different. Macbeth, it could be argued, is a victim of fate, while Satan is portrayed in Paradise Lost as very stubborn in his rebellion. Although Macbeth and Satan are similar in their ambitions, their lust for power, and their conflicted emotions, they differ greatly in what initially led them down their evil paths and pushed them toward final destruction. Macbeth, who at the beginning of his play the plot is in a position of some honor and power, obtains the position of king of Scotland through secret foul play, spurred by some external manipulation as well as personal ambition. "Macbeth's ambition is not controlled by either moral or legal considerations: he will stop at nothing to get what he wants...Macbeth's unbridled ambition is the root of the play's evil because he is willing to throw the world into chaos to satisfy his personal desires." .” (Thrasher, 92). Her rebellion is atrocious, yet she has remained unknown for so long. His ambition, although present to some extent from the beginning, metastasizes within him throughout the play as further obstacles to his maintenance of royal status emerge. “It starts well… but this… middle of paper… is guilt. The characters Macbeth and Satan share a number of qualities with each other. Both describe the corrupting influence of power, or lack thereof. Both possess immense ambitions. Despite these similarities, however, the disparities between the two, in the conception of their evil, are evident. Works Cited Danielson, Dennis-ed. The Cambridge Companion to Milton New York, Cambridge University Press 1989.Loewenstein, David A Student Guide: Milton-Paradise Lost, 2nd Edition Cambridge University Press, 1993, Second Edition 2004.Thrasher, Thomas E. Understanding Great Literature: Understanding Macbeth Lucent Books , 10911 Technology Place, San Diego, CA 92127, 2002.Tucker, Martined. Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism… vol. I- The beginning of the seventeenth century New York, Frederick Publishing Co. 1966: