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Anything will work, books, films etc. I already have William Shakespeare's Macbeth as an example but I need to think of another one A quote or example(an event) from the piece of literature that demonstrates the negative consequences of ambition would be greatly appreciated. Posted by veevee on Jan 7, 2009. |
Literature Group
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A good example of the downfall of someone who was too ambitious was Peter Keating from "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand. Peter was a sub-par arcituecht, but he had ambitions to be rich and powerful. He used the work of Howard Roark to reach his goal and in the end it created his downfall. "Keating achieves success rather quickly by learning, under Guy Francon's tutelage, how to manipulate others. Harboring no illusions about his lack of creativity, Keating easily accepts the help of others; in some cases he actually puts his name on others' work.
Posted by ladyvols1 on Jan 7, 2009. |
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Certainly, the ambition of Claudius to be king in "Hamlet" is pivotal to the tragedies that follow in the play. In fact, Claudius himself falls victim to tragic consequences. In Act IV he exclaims, "My soul is full of discord and dismay"(IV,i,45). Because of his father's murder, Hamlet sinks into deep melancholia; he feels antipathy toward his mother and Ophelia, whom he really loves. In fact, Hamlet develops a mistrust of nearly everyone. In speaking of his mother, for example, he remarks, "That one can smile and smile and be a villain"(I,v,23). A classic, "The Count of Monte Cristo," by Alexandre Dumas has a plot set around the evil ambition of three men who have falsely sent to prison an innocent young man. Having escaped, the innocent man returns to the world to act as nemesis for these exigent men and their careers are destroyed as their pasts and all their evil deeds exposed by Edmund Dantes. Charles Dicken's novel, "Great Expectations" demonstrates the falseness of Pip's ambitions to become a gentleman. In his ambition to attain social status and be a respectable gentleman of property, Pip makes many mistakes and hurts those who really love him. His false values do not serve him, and he must return to the genuine love of family and friends. A short work that parables the negative effects of monetary ambition is "The Pearl" by J. Steinbeck as greed destroys a family. Posted by mwestwood on Jan 7, 2009. |
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A great example of the destruction caused by ambition is "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde. Dorian desires a combination of success and hedonism that leads to the loss of his life. "The Oedipus Trilogy" by Sophocles is also a great example of the downfall of a king caused by his excessive pride. "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad also has a character, Kurtz, who loses his humanity in the quest for power. Posted by morrol on Jan 7, 2009. |
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metamorphosis by franz kafka Posted by janetbaum on Jan 7, 2009. |
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If we're throwing out Shakespearean examples of ambition, we'd better include Julius Caesar, both for Caesar and for Cassius. It was Caesar's ambition to become king that leads to his assassination; Cassius's ambition to control Rome leads to his own death (along with the other conspirators). Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby is so blinded by his drive to be with Daisy that he destroys several lives in the process. Jack in Lord of the Flies allows his ambition to become a leader turn him into a power hungry savage intent on killing his peers for sport.
Posted by mrerick on Jan 16, 2009. |
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Along with the others: "Bonfire of the Vanities" by Tom Wolfe; "The Great Gatsby" by F. S. Fitzgerald; "Kane and Abel" by Jeffrey Archer; "The Carpetbaggers" by Harold Robbins; "Giant" by Edna Ferber--Jett Rink is the epitome of how ambition can turn ugly. Posted by linda-allen on Jan 20, 2009. |
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"Frankenstein" for sure! Posted by eabettencourt on Jan 20, 2009. |
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"Lord of the flies" by William Golding tells how the good English schoolboys have become savages. It portrays violence like slaying a "nursing sow" and cutting off its head. It also portrays greediness of power among the peers and killing own friends. "Faust" by Victor Hugo is also an example of violence. It tells how Faust , in his search for perfect happiness, sold his soul to the devil to gain pleasure and satisfaction. The famous tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare portrays how excessive love put them into a terrible suicide! Romeo and Juliet Posted by jieran on Aug 5, 2009. |


