Prompt: Do good intentions matter, or should people be judged only according to the results of their actions? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.
Many look at results as the determining factor to judge whether an action is right or wrong. Few people consider a person’s intentions which motivate and empower him or her to act. People often jump to conclusions which cause them to disdain someone’s intentions. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is a normal lawyer who takes up a case to defend a black man in the predominantly racist Sout; one by one everyone turns against him and judges him without considering his intentions of defending the man. Written by Shakespeare, Macbeth is a play which depicts the heinous deeds of a married couple. Lady Macbeth’s intentions are usually put aside in the process of justifying an action, but they serve as a means of interpreting the reason of the action and should always be taken into consideration during judgement.
During the 1920s and 1930s the South was filled with a sense of racism, especially towards African Americans. To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel which depicts the hardships faced by many in the South. Good-hearted and honest, Atticus Finch solely is judged solely by his actions; residents of his town looked down on him because it was outrageous for a white man to defend an African-American. Atticus Finch took up the case of a black man being falsely accused of rape and defended him until te end. His results did not yield what he longed for, but his intentions were still positive. He was fighting a losing case and was ostracized even by his family members. His home was attacked and his children were put in danger, but he still had good intentions to defend something he knew was just. Atticus Finch was judged solely for goting against what people believed, but his intentions were still good and should have been considered by others.
In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth hears Macbeth longing for power and as his wife she wishes to help him in his endeavors. He wants to take the throne, but he must kill the current king to take the throne. Lady Macbeth is misguided by her desire to be a good wife and support her husband so she searches for the aid of evil spirits to fill her with the cruelty she needs to give Macbeth what he was promised. She devises a plan to kill the king and take the throne which turns out successful, but will lead to their demise. Even though Lady Macbeth’s actions were horrible her intentions were good; she did not set out to do harm, but to help her husband.
There’s the saying “It’s the thought that counts.” This is partially true because someone’s intentions do matter during judgement, but results cannot be disregarded. When Atticus’s intentions are disregarded he was ostracized and when Lady Macbeth’s intentions are not considered she is thought of to be evil. Good intentions can be the determining factor of right from wrong.