Ruthless, relentless ambition drove Hitler, Stalin and Macbeth. Each was willing to anything to win, and each threw all notions of ordinary morality under the bus in their pursuit of power. All three men were willing to betray and murder people they were close to get ahead; in fact, all three were willing to murder anybody who got in their way. They displayed no loyalty and no compassion: in fact, all three considered mercy an obstacle to the "strength" they needed, compassion a quality they had to crush.
Hitler betrayed his close friend Röhm, having him murdered cold-bloodedly when he threatened Hitler's grip on power. This was a person Hitler had considered a dear friend, an old companion, a drinking buddy. Likewise, Stalin betrayed his old comrade Trotsky, eventually having him assassinated. Macbeth killed his king, Duncan, despite Duncan's goodness to him, because Duncan stood in his way to the throne.
All three men had an insatiable desire for political power. Each man wanted to be the undisputed, unchallenged leader of his country, and in Hitler's case, the world. None of them were willing to accept second place. Nor were any of them willing to wait any longer than they had to to get what they wanted.
For both Hitler and Macbeth it ended badly. Stalin managed to stay alive, but wreaked havoc on millions and millions of innocent people.
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