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Of Ambition Analysis

The essay analyzes Sir Francis Bacon's essay "Of Ambition". Bacon provides advice for people of all professions and social classes on the topic of ambition. He discusses both the positive and negative qualities of ambitious people, and different types of ambitions. Some ambitions are harmful if they are not properly directed, while others can help a person succeed if used constructively. Throughout the essay, Bacon uses examples from ancient Rome to illustrate his points about ambitions and ambitious persons.

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Hajra usman
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271 views

Of Ambition Analysis

The essay analyzes Sir Francis Bacon's essay "Of Ambition". Bacon provides advice for people of all professions and social classes on the topic of ambition. He discusses both the positive and negative qualities of ambitious people, and different types of ambitions. Some ambitions are harmful if they are not properly directed, while others can help a person succeed if used constructively. Throughout the essay, Bacon uses examples from ancient Rome to illustrate his points about ambitions and ambitious persons.

Uploaded by

Hajra usman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CRITICAL OF AMBITION

ANALYSIS :-
The essay “Of Ambition” can be used as evidence to prove the worldly wisdom
of Sir Francis Bacon. It is full of advice; it covers every profession and
department of Bacon’s era. The author has advised every person whether he is
a king, prince or a common man. The essay is less about ambitions but more
about ambitious persons. However, as usual, the author shows both sides of
the picture; he talks about the negative as well as positive qualities of
ambitious people. He also talks about their different types; some of them are
harmful, whereas others are useful. Likewise, different kinds of ambitions have
been mentioned and fully explained in this essay; if ambitions are harmful
then what are their impacts; if they are useful, then how these ambitions can
help a person in this world?

Furthermore, readers hardly find any essay of Bacon in which he has not
mentioned any example from Ancient Romans; Of Ambition is also not
different from other essays of Sir Francis Bacon in this regard. Let us see what
he further says about ambitions and ambitious persons.

Ambition and Ambitious Persons:


The author starts his essay with the definition of ambition; using a simile, he
says, “Ambition is like choler”; “choler” is a physiological word. It was believed
that there were four touches of humour in the human mind; one of them was
choler; if something wrong happened to the choler, a person became wild. Sir
Francis Bacon actually wants to say that ambition is the worst kind of disease;
ambitious persons, like choler, become mad if something wrong happens to
them; he elucidates it further; “if they [ambitious people] be checked in their
desires, they become secretly discontent”. According to Bacon, ambitious
people feel happiness in seeing others falling from prosperity to adversity;
seeing people in adverse circumstances is their desire. Bacon then suggests
princes and kings, do not employ ambitious people at any cost. However, if
they are helpless and have no other choice then they should not check their
progress as a precaution.
HAJRA USMAN

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