Frankenstein's Ambition

Ambition, the desire to succeed and achieve in different areas of life, can be found in almost each individual person, driving them to pursue their dreams and reap the rewards, though not without various consequences. This idea of ambition, in addition to its risk and benefits, is discussed within Mary Shelley’s Romantic era science-fiction novel Frankenstein, in which scientist and protagonist Victor Frankenstein exhibits severe ambitious tendencies involving pushing the bounds of science, with lethal consequences, in addition to being expressed within an excerpt from William Shakespeare’s Renaissance era play King Henry VIII, in which clergyman Cardinal Wolsey is dismissed from his position in court and recalls the circumstances which brought

him to his state. Both Shelley and Shakespeare throughout their respective texts illuminate the idea that one’s ambition can be beneficial as it can lead to the progressing of oneself and society as one’s goals are achieved, though an ambition gone too far can be provide great risk, resulting in one’s downfall as intense ambition can cause them to become too proud or obsessed, leading them to be in over their heads.

Both Shelley and Shakespeare discuss the benefits of one’s ambition within their individual texts, with Frankenstein’s extreme ambition possibly leading to the progression of a scientific community and humanity itself, while Wolsey’s ambition results in glory and greatness for himself, in addition to a noble and prestigious position. As Frankenstein has begun his work on his project, in which he is incredibly driven and plans to give new life to a previously inanimate creation, pushing the boundaries of science, he thinks of how he “will pioneer a new way...and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation” (Shelley 48). Frankenstein’s ambition and desire to forge a new path in the scientific community, which he believes will progress science further than ever before, making the lives of many better, drives him to work endlessly on his creation. Thus, his intense ambition towards his project and its finished product is beneficial as Frankenstein truly believes that by completing his project and discovering the secret of reanimation, he will improve society and push the scientific community and the world towards a new, brighter future. Benefits of

one’s ambition can also be seen in the speech of Cardinal Wolsey on his downfall, as he laments on his dismissal from the court of the king, thinking of the time spent in the service of the king and what might’ve come if not for his discharge from court. As he gives his speech, Wolsey speaks upon all that he had when in power and gives a “farewell, to all [his] greatness” (Shakespeare). Wolsey’s ambition for glory while in court prompted him to ascend to greatness and eventually be a main consultant of the king, providing him with many perks, such as land and wealth. Therefore, Wolsey’s benefits greatly from his ambition to achieve eminence in the service of the king, as it pays off, for a while at least, and his desires lead him to an elevated position with the king. Thus, in the cases of Frankenstein and Wolsey, the benefits of Frankenstein’s ambition manifested in the further progression of science and society, as he continued the construction of his creature, while Wolsey’s ambition led to personal benefits, as his strive for greatness and glory within the kingdom paid off as he eventually enjoyed a high and prestigious position in the court of the king.
Though examples of the benefits of ambition are seen within both texts, the evident risk and detrimental consequences of ambition are also exemplified within the novel Frankenstein and Wolsey’s speech from King Henry VII, as each character’s respective ambition leads to their downfalls, with Victor Frankenstein’s ambition towards his project quickly turning towards an out of control obsession, and Wolsey’s ambition causing him to be extremely prideful, leading to his demise.

As Frankenstein delves deeper and deeper into his project, his ambition to progress science and society concludes in him becoming entirely obsessed with the prospect of completing his creation, causing him to “neglect the scenes around [him and] also to forget those friends who were so many miles absent” (Shelley 55). Frankenstein’s intense ambition turned obsession causes him to lose touch with those he loves, in addition to losing focus of what once brought him happiness, eventually resulting in his downfall, as his finished creature ends up being the leading cause of his extreme pain, horror and eventual death. Hence, his ambition leads to his destruction as he becomes too ambitious and near obsessed with the further exploration of science, creating the monster that lead to the death of his loved ones and himself. In addition Victor Frankenstein’s utter demise as a result of his ambition, within the excerpt from King Henry VIII, Wolsey’s own ambition turns to into immense pride, which in turn leads

to his dismissal from the court of the king. Continuing to recall the events leading up to his discharge from court, Wolsey states that he was way in over his head and that his “high-blown pride at length broke under [him] and now has left [him]” (Shakespeare). Wolsey’s own ambition for greatness and glory within the kingdom caused him to be too proud, whether in his abilities or his noble title, leading him to be way out of his depth and proving too much for him to handle, eventually leading to his downfall, in the form of him being forced from his position in the king’s court. Therefore, Wolsey’s ambition led to his demise as his ambition turned to pride, causing him to be in over his head and having his status in the kingdom taken from him. That being said, both Frankenstein and Wolsey’s ambitions soon got out of their control, leading to their downfall, as Frankenstein’s ambition turned into an intense obsession with creating his creature and furthering society led to his eventual death, while Wolsey’s ambition for glory turned pride led to his position becoming too much for him to handle as he was in over his head, soon leading to his removal from the kingdom’s court.
That being said, the prospect of one’s ambition, discussed within Mary Shelley’s Romantic era science-fiction novel Frankenstein and William Shakespeare’s Renaissance era play King Henry VIII, contains a series of benefits and risks that have to be considered when pursuing almost anything. Protagonist Victor Frankenstein has a taste of both benefits and risks as his ambition for innovation and exploration in the field of science had the potential to bring great and positive change for humanity, though eventually turned sour as his ambition turned to an obsession, contributing to his own death as he essentially dug his own grave by creating the monster that eventually destroyed him and all that he had loved. Moreover, Cardinal Wolsey also participated in the benefits and risks of ambition, as his ambition for greatness and glory led to the possession of a noble and prominent position in the court of King Henry VIII, though eventually leading to his downfall as his ambition got the best of him and pride took over, leading to his dismissal. Thus, as discussed in both texts, ambition can truly be beneficial as it can lead to furthering of one’s own position and the innovation and betterment of human society, though ambition indeed has its risks, as it can result in one’s utter demise, due to an ambition going too far and out of control, turning to either an obsession or pride, contributing further to destruction and downfall.