Ambition Quote by Horace Walpole
“Oh that I were seated as high as my ambition, I'd place my naked foot on the necks of monarchs.”
About This Quote
Source Letter: Correspondence of Horace Walpole, 1760s
The speaker imagines using power to dominate rulers, reflecting extreme ambition and desire for control.
In simple terms: Ambition can lead to tyrannical fantasies.
Key Takeaway
Beware unchecked ambition.
Themes
power
ambition
politics
ego
domination
Mood
cautionary
reflective
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- leadership
- political strategy
- personal ambition
- ethical decision‑making
Key Concepts
political theory
psychology
history
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives the desire to dominate?
- Can ambition be balanced with responsibility?
A Different Perspective
Such fantasies ignore moral costs and consequences.
![“I affect no contempt for the high eminence he [Senator Stephen Douglas] has reached. So reached, that the oppressed of my species,might have shared with me in the elevation, I would rather stand on that eminence, than wear the richest crown that ever pressed a monarch's brow.” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0d1/abraham-lincoln-88_ambition_i-affect-no-contempt-for-the-high-eminen_2296058.jpg)
![“René of Anjou [(1409-80)] painted a picture of his mistress's corpse as he found it eaten by worms on having it [her tomb] openedon his return from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This [is] another instance of the strange mixture of religion and gallantry in those ages.” quote by Horace Walpole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aba/horace-walpole-3357_age_ren-of-anjou-1409-80-painted-a-picture-o_33917.jpg)
