Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Ambition in Michel de Montaigne’s “Essays” and William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 3 page paper which compares the notions of ambition in these two contemporary literary works. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: TG15_TGmontbard.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
- French philosopher Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592). In Montaignes Essays - which represents more free-flowing thoughts on a variety of topics than a collection of persuasive arguments - there
are more than a few similarities in its approach to ambition with William Shakespeares greatest tragedy, Hamlet. Both authors regarded ambition as a vice rather than a virtue, a
curse and not a blessing, a disease instead of a cure. While Montaigne offers his own personal views on the subject, Shakespeare illustrates the point by taking it to
the extreme in his characterization of the vengeful Prince Hamlet of Denmark. Montaigne made his disdain for ambition readily apparent in Book Is Chapter IX, entitled, "Of Liars," in which
he compared ambition to a disease, to which men (including himself) are easily susceptible. He observed, "It is an evil from which principally I have found reason to correct...
that would easily enough have grown upon me, namely, ambition" (Montaigne). In Book II, Chapter XVI, entitled "Of Glory," Montaigne contemplated virtue by noting, "Virtue is a very
vain and frivolous thing if it derive its recommendation from glory... He who first likened glory to a shadow did better than he was aware of; they are both of
them things pre-eminently vain glory also, like a shadow, goes sometimes before the body, and sometimes in length infinitely exceeds it" (Montaigne). This, in essence, was Hamlets
flaw, which was ultimately more tragic than his quest for revenge for it was ambition that responsible for fueling all of his rage. For as long has he could
remember, the Danish prince was trained to one day assume his fathers place on the throne at the time of his death. At the time of King Hamlets murder,
...