ENTERING THE CONVERSATION

1. Both W. H. Auden in his poem “Musée des Beaux Arts” (p. 318) and William Carlos Williams in his poem “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” (p. 320) refer directly to Bruegel’s painting Landscape with the Fall of Icarus (p. 319). Revisit each poem and compare and contrast their interpretations of Bruegel’s work.

2. Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias” (p. 332) and the excerpt from Shakespeare’s Henry VIII (p. 334) feature individuals who once had power and then lost it. In Shelley’s poem, the individual is the once-great “king of kings” Ozymandias, and in the speech from Henry VIII it is the once-powerful advisor to the king, Cardinal Wolsey. Compare and contrast the fundamental causes of Ozymandias’s and Cardinal Wolsey’s loss of power and the extent to which each was responsible for his own downfall. Use evidence from the texts to support your analysis.

3. In his essay “Ambition” (p. 324), Jeffrey Kluger explores some of the science behind ambition and the drive to win. In the short story “The Rules of the Game” (p. 336), Amy Tan’s protagonist, Waverly, is an individual who exhibits a strong will to win as she learns how to play chess and navigate two distinct cultures. Explain how the ideas in Kluger’s piece are either illustrated or contradicted by Waverly’s actions. Use evidence from each text to support your analysis.

4. In Brian Aldiss’s poem “Flight 063” (p. 322), the speaker asks why the focus is on the fall of Icarus rather than the flight, pointing out that “[b]efore the fall, the flight was” achieved. The traveler in Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias” (p. 332) discovers the remains of a statue that, when it was constructed, glorified a once-mighty king but now stands as a monument to his downfall. Using these two texts as your sources, pair up with a peer and prepare a debate in which you argue whether ambition is its own reward, or if it is better to play it safe and not risk the dire consequences of experiencing a great downfall.

5. Culturally, what are the legacies of the character Don Quixote and the character Icarus? Are both admired? Pitied? What lessons have we learned from these stories, and how do those lessons compare?

1. In this Conversation, you have explored both the concept of ambition and the need to balance a will to succeed with restraint. The mythological Icarus was an inspiration for many of the texts. Synthesize evidence from at least three of the texts in this Conversation, as well as your personal experience and observations, and incorporate this evidence into a coherent, well-developed argument for your own position on whether Icarus should be considered a hero or a failure. Your argument should be the focus of your essay. Avoid merely summarizing the sources.

2. For some people, ambition is by its very definition negative. To those who hold this view, being ambitious suggests a drive that is inherently aggressive and self-serving. Other people view ambition as a positive force that pushes individuals to achievements previously thought impossible, such as sending astronauts to the moon. Referring to at least three texts in this Conversation, discuss at what point ambition goes from being a positive quality to becoming a negative trait.

3. Is ambition more often the subject for cautionary tales warning us of hubris, or for inspirational messages urging us on to greatness? Base your response on at least three texts from this Conversation, as well as any novels or films that you may be familiar with.

4. Icarus stands as a testament to the will to succeed in the face of impossible odds. There are many examples from history that illustrate the same ambition that led Icarus to his doom. Explorers died trying to reach places previously unknown to them. Test pilots have died attempting to stretch the limits of aviation. Mountain climbers have died attempting to summit previously unreached heights. Do some research and select a person from history whose ambition led to greatness, but at a great cost. In your research, determine what drove this historical figure to achieve and how his or her accomplishments contributed to history. Refer to at least two sources from this Conversation as you present your findings.