Ambition in Hamlet

Ambition is almost always seen as a positive trait to possess. Ambition is what creates great leaders, inspires great discoveries and sells great products. In Hamlet, however, ambition is portrayed in a less positive light. Instead of being enabled and inspired by ambition, Hamlet's friends believe it to be contributing to his depression. He is unable to exercise his ambition and feels trapped and bored. While his friends intend telling Hamlet he is ambitious to be a compliment, they expose it as one of the reasons he is so unhappy. So far, arguably the only ambitious character who has been able to act on their ambition is King Claudius. The way he acts, though, is far from positive. These actions, murdering the King then marrying his wife to take the throne show the negative, even evil side that ambition can have.