Final answer:
Shakespeare's play Macbeth suggests that ambition is a double-edged sword that can lead to greatness but also to severe consequences when left unchecked, aligning best with option C: Ambition can lead to both success and downfall.
Step-by-step explanation:
Shakespeare's portrayal of ambition in his plays, particularly Macbeth, suggests that he views it as a potentially dangerous trait that can lead to one's success or downfall. In Macbeth, the protagonist's intense ambition is evident, particularly in the line "I have no spur to pr!ck the sides of my intent, but only vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself and falls on the other." This suggests that while ambition can motivate one to achieve greatness, it can also lead to disastrous consequences if not checked or balanced. Here, Macbeth recognizes that his ambition is the only thing driving him towards regicide, foreshadowing the tragic events that follow.
Throughout the play, Shakespeare demonstrates the destructive power of unchecked ambition. Macbeth's desire to fulfill the witches' prophecy leads him down a dark path of murder and tyranny. However, this ambition is not exclusively portrayed as evil; it is the excess of ambition, the "vaulting ambition," that seems to cause his downfall. Therefore, the nuanced depiction of ambition by Shakespeare aligns closely with option C: Ambition can lead to both success and downfall.