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A Taste Of Ambition
Conceived by the mother of boundless desire and the father of sheer
determination, the Ambitious selfishly strive to accomplish their goals and aspirations in
a timely manner. With an affinity for affluence and success, the Ambitious never cease,
as their desires seldom suffice their thirst and craving. They endure a life without
restraint, eliminating their obstacles with ease, while maintaining focus of their
objectives. From the conniving antagonist of Shakespeare’s Hamlet to the elite business
tycoons of modern society, ambition continues to manifest and unveil throughout time.
While the Elizabethan Era chastised the Ambitious for their covetous demeanor, society
today admires and encourages ambitious personalities, as we desire assertive and driven
leaders for our future.
The Ambitious strive to establish a kingdom for themselves and themselves only.
Consumed by their insatiable obsession with success and power, the Ambitious pay little
attention to petty trifles unrelated to their rapturous plans (“Lonely At The Top”). As
Joseph Hall notes in his book, Characters of Virtues and Vices (1608), “Having once
cleaved, like a burr, to some great man's coat, he resolves not to be shaken off with any
small indignities; and finding his hold thoroughly fast, casts how to insinuate yet nearer:
and therefore he is busy and servile in his endeavors to please, and all his officious
respect turns home to himself.” As the Ambitious begin to ascend the staircase of
success, they relinquish every ounce of selflessness to accomplish their mission. Once
attaining the highest peak, the Ambitious will beguile and manipulate others to secure
their lofty position. In the course that they do not succeed in their attempts, the Ambitious
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shall try infinitely until they reach the zenith of fruition. As Lord Henry said in Oscar
Wilde’s The Picture Of Dorian Gray, “Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a
meal. More than enough is as good as a feast.” The Ambitious are covetous majesties
when speaking of debauchery. Feeling as though that their possessions and achievements
do not amount to “enough”, they will persist to seek and accumulate more. While the
Malcontent cannot be easily satisfied, the Ambitious are pleased when and only when
they obtain everything – as Hall notes, “His disposition is never but shamefully
unthankful; for unless he have all, be hath nothing." Because the Ambitious passionately
devote their precious time to establishing themselves, they harbor great antipathy over
instances of failure. When faced with defeat, they will conspire to deliver a vengeful and
malicious blow to their adversaries and hindrances.
From the vast number of ambitious personalities encountered in literature, Ayn
Rand’s delineation of Peter Keating in her novel The Fountainhead immaculately
parallels Joseph Hall’s definition of the Ambitious. In the novel, the ruthless and
ambitious Peter Keating cunningly flatters and manipulates his path to success
throughout the chapters. Of the many tricks the Ambitious occupy, the dexterity of being
an adroit actor – who at any moment may masquerade a variety of personalities is
imperative to their cause. Hall mentions this aspect by stating, “He can be at once a slave,
to command; an intelligencer, to inform; a parasite, to soothe and flatter; a champion to
defend; an executioner, to revenge: any thing for an advantage of favor.” After
graduating as valedictorian of his class at Stanton College Preparatory School, Keating
weighs the advantages and disadvantages of accepting the Prix de Paris Award versus
taking a job under the acclaimed Guy Francon (Rand 45). Realizing that he will gain
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higher recognition for working under a prestigious firm, he takes Francon’s offer and
moves to New York. Keating quickly takes control of the Francon & Heyer Firm through
means of false flattery, politeness, and determination. Once becoming the favored
employee, he instantly turns on the impotent Lucius Heyer during a visit to blackmail
him, thus causing him to have a heart attack. Following the death of Francon’s business
partner, Peter Keating is signed as the new co-owner of the firm, and his popularity
accumulates from there on. Although Keating successfully establishes himself, he
realizes that his accomplishments are only meaningful to himself – as Ayn Read states,
He thought of how convincingly he could describe this scene to friends and make
them envy the fullness of his contentment. Why couldn’t he convince himself? He
had everything he’d ever wanted. He had wanted superiority – and for the last
year he had been the undisputed leader of his profession. He had wanted fame –
and he had five thick albums of clippings. He had wanted wealth –and he had
enough to insure luxury for the rest of his life. He had everything anyone ever
wanted. How many people struggled and suffered to achieve what he had
achieved? How many dreamed and bled and died for this, without reaching it?
“Peter Keating is the luckiest fellow on earth.” How often had he heard that?
(335)
As the Ambitious are blinded by their success, they fail to realize that excessive hubris
will only turn others away, as one’s success is of no value to another (“Lonely At The
Top”). While it could be argued that Peter Keating could fit either interpretation of the
Ambitious archetype, he exhibits greater instances of selfishness and manipulation for his
own wants, which matches Joseph Hall’s concept of the archetype.
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Similarly in William Shakespeare’s, Hamlet, Claudius, the brother of the
deceased king, Hamlet I, viciously schemes throughout the play to obtain his desires – the
throne and the queen. In his quest to take the throne, Claudius of Denmark disturbs the
Great Chain of Being, the divine hierarchy of objects and their places, thus causing chaos
throughout the play (Melani). In accordance to the Great Chain of Being, “An object's
"place" depended on the relative proportion of "spirit" and "matter" it contained--the less
"spirit" and the more "matter," the lower down it stood” (Melani). Because God did not
intend for Claudius to become king, his actions create a disturbance in chain, which result
in the play becoming a tragedy. In relation to conspiring, Hall notes that, “He hath
projected a plot to rise, and woe be to the friend that stands in his way.” With a clear plan
in mind, Claudius of Denmark vowed to himself that he would take over and dispose of
anyone who opposed his rule. During the prologue of the play, the audience learns that
the King of Denmark has mysteriously died from an alleged snakebite. Unlike Peter
Keating, Claudius of Denmark acts as an impeccable chess master and puppeteer, whom
not only manipulates his kingdom, but also devises an array of plans to avoid failure.
While Claudius of Denmark could have successfully taken over the kingdom, his
carelessness to divert suspicion from the grieving Hamlet II becomes his great demise. As
the play proceeds, the ghost of Hamlet is introduced, who tells his son that he was
poisoned by Claudius – the true serpent of the tragedy. Now with the knowledge that
Claudius has corrupted the kingdom and the Great Chain of Being, Hamlet states, “The
time is out of joint; O cursed spite, That ever was I born to set it right" (II.iii). Hamlet II
vows to exact revenge on Claudius and save the kingdom before it is too late. By the
climax of the play, Claudius is revealed to be the culprit responsible for poisoning the
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blade and goblet, and he is ironically killed with his own methods by Hamlet II.
Evidently, the Ambitious will take any measure to achieve their demands, even if it
means comes to death. Like Peter Keating, Claudius of Denmark demonstrates a variety
of manipulative and selfish acts, thus linking him to the Elizabethan perception of the
Ambitious.
In Walt Disney’s adaptation of the fairy tale, The Little Mermaid, the sea witch,
Ursula, plays the ambiguous and deceitful antagonist, who schemes to conquer the city of
Atlantica throughout the film. Before being banished from the city, Ursula served as a
high-ranking member of the King Triton’s court, but was removed for her interest in
unlawful necromancy and infidelity toward the kingdom (The Little Mermaid). Ursula
represents the epitome of animosity caused by instances of failure, as she makes
numerous attempts to take over the seas, only for her plans to be thwarted by the king and
his loyal subjects. Hall describes defeat as,
But now, when he finds himself desperately crossed, and at once spoiled both of
advancement and hope, both of fruition and possibility all his desire is turned into
rage; his thirst is now only of revenge; his tongue sounds of nothing but detraction
and slander: now, the place he sought for is base, his rival unworthy, his
adversary injurious, officers corrupt, court infectious; and how well is he, that
may be his own man, his own master; that may live safely in a mean distance at
pleasure, free from starving, free from burning!
As she resides in her desolate leviathan, Ursula plots to kill King Triton and obtain his
grandiose trident (The Little Mermaid). While driven by strong ambition and revenge,
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Ursula’s intentions are selfish and impure, and like in every Disney film – the villain is
defeated.
Unlike Joseph Hall’s classical interpretation of the Ambitious, contemporary
society shines a new light upon this archetype. While ambitious personalities were
thought to be narcissistic and covetous in the past, society in the present admires the
Ambitious, as these individuals are viewed as assertive and determined – qualities we
currently seek in our leaders. In a sense, we are all ambitious. As students, we compete
for the highest academics and scholarships, just as adults compete for occupations and
promotions. We constantly strive to accomplish goals, goals of which we may share with
others, and goals that may be entirely our own. Without competition and ambition,
society would fail to advance, as we persist to outdo one another (Milani). Unlike
Joseph’s Hall concept of the Ambitious being entirely selfish, today individuals can be
ambitious in helping others. For example, an ambitious president may wish to erect new
schools and increase educational funding to enhance and secure our children’s wellbeing.
Such actions to aid others without a returning gain could never be deemed as selfish.
Although ambition is prevalent in our society today, aspects of Hall’s interpretation of
self-centerment still exist within individuals. For example, the founder of Apple
Incorporated, Steve Jobs, is a perfect example for Hall’s idea of an ambitious individual.
Before his rise to fame, Jobs was an amateur technical, who through cunning, skill, and
determination was able to establish one of the most successful technological businesses.
While he successfully built a technological empire, he frequently clashed with his
associates, stole software ideas, and destroyed unpopular companies – all risks of being
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ambitious or an entrepreneur. When it comes to morals, ambition cannot be labeled as
right or wrong, as only opinions can make such an assumption.
Although the consistency of the Ambitious archetype has seen little change
throughout the centuries, modern society has been able to form and adapt to new
interpretations of the archetype. Once viewed as an absolutely selfish trait, society failed
to realize that we are all ambitious, though in different amounts. While one may be
ambitious for his or her own desires, another may be ambitious to better the world for
everyone. Ambition drives us to accomplish our goals, and even if we do not succeed at
first, we shall try again. Whether they are taking over a kingdom or gaining fame for their
achievements, the Ambitious will continue until they reach their ultimate goals.
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Works Cited
Hall, Joseph. “Characters of Virtues and Vices.” Renascence Editions.
University of Oregon, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 12 Apr. 2011.
“Lonely At The Top.” Tvtropes.org. Web. 16 Apr. 2011.
Milani, Lilia. “Introduction to the Renaissance.” n. pag. Web. 16 Apr. 2011.
Rand, Ayn. The Fountainhead. New York: Merrill, 1943. Print.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Dover Publications, 1992. Print.
The Little Mermaid. Dir. Ron Clements, John Musker. Perf. Rene Auberjonois,
Christopher Daniel Barnes, Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll. Walt Disney Pictures, 1989.
Film.
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A Taste Of Ambition
Thesis: In the tragedy, Hamlet, Shakespeare portrays King Claudius as the conniving and
ambitious antagonist, while modern society admires an individual who seeks superiority.
I. Introduction to the Ambitious archetype
A. Joseph Hall’s definition of The Ambitious
1. Nobility
a. Selfish and covetous
b. Disliked
B. Contemporary perception of ambitious individuals
1. Businessmen and entrepreneurs
a. Driven and determined
b. Admiration
II. Description of the Ambitious archetype, and featured examples
A. Literary examples of the Ambitious
1. King Claudius (Hamlet)
a. Kills his brother for the throne and his wife
2. Peter Keating (The Fountainhead)
a. Causes Lucius Heyer to have a stroke in order to obtain a
partnership
b. Marries his boss’ daughter to further his popularity
3. Ebenezer Scrooge (A Christmas Carol)
a. Selfishly establishes a life of riches
B. Film examples of the Ambitious
1. Tony Stark (Iron Man)
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2. Charles Kane (Citizen Kane)
C. Television examples of the Ambitious
1. Frieza (Dragon Ball Z)
a. Kills anyone who challenges him
b. Wants to take over the universe
2. Light Yagami (Death Note)
a. Attempts to create a new world without evil
D. Examples of ambition in society
1. Donald Trump
III. Evolution of the Ambitious archetype
1. Past
a. Looked down upon
2. Present
b. Admired by the public
IV. Ambition In Society
1. Society admires strength
a. Strong leaders and CEOs
2. “The American Way”
a. Always being the best
V. Conclusion