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Essay / Analysis of Hamlet's ambition - 1185
Ambition is a driving force of passion, which by nature evokes neither the sense of good nor evil, the flavor of ambition is defined by the selfishness or altruism of intention. In Hamlet, Shakespeare focuses primarily on the malevolent face of ambition, which arises from greed, lust, ignorance, and fury. Through this exploration of ambition and its effects, Hamlet encapsulates the cause of suffering, for Claudius' act of regicide is the first rock in a terrible slide of misfortune and madness that follows. Although this tale may be fiction, it teaches the true nature of suffering and forces the audience to think about the effects of their actions and take responsibility for the pain and suffering around them. Each instance of heartbreak and death that occurs throughout the play dates back to King Hamlet's original coup, illustrating how deeply corruption can affect a person's environment. Although, just as the first drop of water in a vase cannot be defined as the one responsible for filling it,1 the ambition of others – primarily Hamlet and Laertes – also contributes to the suffering of the royal community. Hamlet teaches the true and perilous effects. of selfish ambition. Through ignorance, actions are committed in the expectation of satisfying lust and greed, when in reality such actions only serve to spread suffering and exacerbate the habit of seeking pleasure. This can be clearly seen in this classic play, as almost every instance of suffering is deeply rooted in the cardinal sin committed by Claudius – the murder of his brother, the king. Claudius believed that this subversive betrayal would bring him the ephemeral pleasures he dreamed of, but learns that in the middle of paper ......at the start of the fencing match: "If it is now, it is not coming ; if it does not come, it will be now; if not now, it will come…. Let it be so.[V,ii,234-236,238]” The last, dark surge of ambition reaches its peak during the fight between Laertes and Hamlet. In this final scene, we see a very literal depiction of Claudius drinking his own medicine and suffering the repercussions of his selfish ambition, as the poison he prepared to kill Hamlet ends up killing his queen, followed by his own death shortly some time later. . Throughout Hamlet, Claudius' malevolent ambition takes its toll, but seeing the repercussions so literally in this scene sets the concept in stone; this heart of the play vividly encapsulates the cause and effect of suffering and selfish ambition, serving as a summative reminder of all that Hamlet can teach us about the human condition..