The Role Of Ambition In Federigo's Falcon

Ambition Everyday, goals are set and dreams are formed. They are written down and kept in the back of the mind of the dreamer, bothering to become a reality. What most do not understand, is that those dreams will never become a reality without the ambitious mindset that is required. This is seen in movies and, most prominently, in literature. Ambition is a motivating force that pushes a person to go beyond setting goals, making them come to life. The theme of ambition is one that has been around for centuries, making an appearance in old literature as a life, and mind, altering influence. Throughout life it is normal for dreams to come and go as it is realized some are unrealistic. Eliminating those unlikely dreams makes way for the likely ones. Those dreams are the life altering ones that bring a …show more content…
Over ambitious people tend to meet their goals in ways that negatively affect others and themselves, if they are able to meet their goals at all. These are the individuals who feel the need to cheat their way to the top or the ones who misjudge what is necessary to achieve their ambitions. Giovanni Boccaccio’s Federigo’s Falcon tells a tale of a wealthy bachelor who desires the love a beautiful woman named Monna Giovanna. Federigo thought Monna wanted luxurious gifts and a brave, macho man. His assumptions led him to spend all of his money and risk his life in competitions. When Federigo had nothing but a falcon, resulting in him trying to please her by cooking it for her. Federigo misjudged the situation and ended up feeding the falcon to her when the falcon was all she wanted, leaving his desire to give her what she wanted unfulfilled. Much like Federigo, Macbeth misjudges how he should reach the position of king, resulting in him murdering others to get to the top. Federigo and Macbeth are two characters in literature that portray the negative effects of over