Hamlet Ambition Analysis

Ambition is a force of driving passion, one which inherently connotes neither a sense of right or wrong, the flavour of the ambition is defined by the selfish- or selflessness of the intent. In Hamlet, Shakespeare draws focus mostly upon 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, as Claudius’ act of regicide is the first boulder in a terrible rockslide of woe and madness which ensues. While this tale may be fiction, it teaches the very true nature of suffering, and coerces the audience to reflect on the effects of their actions, and to take responsibility for the pain and suffering which happens around them. Every instance of sorrow and death which arises throughout the play can be traced back to the original coup d’état of King Hamlet, exemplifying how deeply corruption can effect one’s surroundings. Although, just as the first drop of water into a vase cannot be defined as the one responsible for filling it1, the ambition of others – mainly Hamlet and Laertes – also contribute to the suffering of the royal community.

Hamlet teaches the true, perilous effects of selfish ambition. Through ignorance, actions are committed with the expectation of satiation of lust and greed, while in reality such actions serve only to propagate suffering and exacerbate the habit of seeking pleasure. This can be clearly observed in this classic play, as nearly every instance of suffering therein 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 that he craved, but learns that the...

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...mmencement of the fencing match: “If it be now, ‘tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come…. Let be.[V,ii,234-236,238]” The final dark flourish of ambition reaches its apex during the bout between Laertes and Hamlet. In this final scene we see a very literal display of Claudius having a drink of his own medicine and suffering the repercussions of his selfish ambition, as the poison which he brewed to kill Hamlet ends up killing his queen, with his own death following shortly thereafter. Throughout Hamlet, Claudius’ malevolent ambition has ill effect, 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 to all that Hamlet can teach us about the human condition.