Ambition

Ambition is a constant theme throughout the novel, as each character is driven by their own desires into conflict through the course of the events of the plot. The theme of ambition can be studied particularly by looking at Robert Dudley's character and his relationship with his wife Amy. During the period depicted by the book (Tudor England), it is distantly possible for a person to be raised to greatness by being spotted by a wealthy patron or proving indispensable to the throne. It is equally possible, however, for a person to be brought low by losing the favor of the court or by being caught plotting or supporting the wrong candidate for the throne. Robert Dudley, in particular, is hounded by his lack of status when once he was a member of the second greatest family in England, and his ambition arguably blinds him to all of...