On the golf course Donald TrumpAn American television personality who became US president from 2016 to 2020. He is running to be president again in 2024. meets three strange women. "Get these weird dames out of here!" he growls. But then one of them steps forward: "All hail, Donald," she says, "that shall be president hereafter!"

"Hm," says Trump. "Maybe there's something in this! Have them meet me later."

This modern version of Macbeth is a fantasy. But some believe that there are parallels with Trump's presidential campaign.

In ShakespeareAn English playwright and poet who is often called the greatest writer in the English language. 's play, Macbeth is tempted by the witches to believe he can become king of Scotland. But to do so he must murder the existing king. When he hesitates, it is his wife who persuades him to go ahead.

Lady Macbeth is seen as ambitious woman who pushes her husband to behave terribly. Laura Loomer may not be married to Trump, but she seems to influence him.

Loomer is known for pushing conspiracy theoriesTheories that explain world events by blaming shady groups of powerful people operating in secret. Some conspiracy theories have a basis in fact, but many more of them are completely invented. What is more, they often play on dangerous prejudices such as antisemitism. It's worth being especially cautious and critical when you come across accounts that ascribe enormous agency to small and secretive groups.. After a school shooting in Florida she claimed it was a hoax to make Americans give up their guns.

She has called Islam "a cancer". She recently posted that if Kamala HarrisUS Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's running mate. If elected, she will be the first female vice president of the USA., who is partly Indian, won the US presidential election, the White HouseThe official residence of the US president, in Washington DC. Burnt by British troops in 1814, it was rebuilt and painted white to hide the smoke stains. would "smell like curry".

None of this seems to worry Donald Trump. Loomer travelled with him on his private plane to his recent debate against Harris.

Many people in the Republican partyAlso known as the Grand Old Party or GOP, it is one of the USA's two major political parties. Its first president was Abraham Lincoln. It sits on the right of the political spectrum. are against Loomer. One, SenatorA politician who has been elected to a body called a Senate. In the US, one of the two houses of Congress is the Senate. Ancient Rome also had a senate and senators. Thom Tillis, has called Loomer "a crazy conspiracy theorist who regularly utters disgusting garbage intended to divide Republicans".

But Tillis may be underestimating her. In his new book Fair of Foul: The Lady Macbeth Guide to Ambition, Stefan Stern notes that Lady Macbeth is sometimes thought of as purely evil. But, he argues, "she is much more interesting and complicated than that... she has a much more sophisticatedFor example, artificial intelligence can now be programmed to teach itself - suggesting robots could develop many of the qualities that make us human. understanding of human nature, and society, than she is often given credit for".

Is ambition a curse?

Yes: It can never be fully satisfied, so those who have it are condemned to a life of frustration and unhappiness. It drives people to do appalling things and puts a huge strain on their relationships.

No: We need ambition to drive us forward and nothing would be achieved without it: talent on its own is useless. People can be as ambitious in a good way as Lady Macbeth is in a bad one.

Or... As Stefan Stern says, it is "natural for individuals to want to achieve more and improve the condition of their lives... And yet excesses of ambition, and selfish ambition, can clearly do a lot of harm".