It seems that the problem with Tom “Voldemort” Riddle is that, although he was ambitious, he had no ambition. He was Sorted into Slytherin, and was driven by fear and cleverness to grasp at any opportunity for advancement which he could imagine. But there was no great ambition that he was driven to accomplish—at best he could grasp his way upward into the role of a hero, or a Dark Lord, or into personal immortality, or some other position of merely personal success, never breaking the bounds of his own lonely existence.
True ambition was the power that he knew not, and his downfall.
But I knew the Muggles would eventually destroy the world or make war on wizardkind or both, and something had to be done if I was not to wander a dead or dull world through my eternity. Having attained immortality I needed a new ambition to occupy my decades, and to prevent the Muggles from ruining everything seemed a goal of acceptable scope and difficulty.
I think a good way of describing Voldemort’s ambition or lack thereof is that he has no preferences about worlds that do not contain him, whereas Harry Potter does.
I think he’s referring to the definition of ambition Quirrel uses in Chapter 70:
The Defense Professor’s fingers idly spun the button, turning it over and over. “Then again, only a very few folk ever do anything interesting with their lives. What does it matter to you if they are mostly witches or mostly wizards, so long as you are not among them? And I suspect you will not be among them, Miss Davis; for although you are ambitious, you have no ambition.”
It seems that the problem with Tom “Voldemort” Riddle is that, although he was ambitious, he had no ambition. He was Sorted into Slytherin, and was driven by fear and cleverness to grasp at any opportunity for advancement which he could imagine. But there was no great ambition that he was driven to accomplish—at best he could grasp his way upward into the role of a hero, or a Dark Lord, or into personal immortality, or some other position of merely personal success, never breaking the bounds of his own lonely existence.
True ambition was the power that he knew not, and his downfall.
Let’s not forget this:
I think a good way of describing Voldemort’s ambition or lack thereof is that he has no preferences about worlds that do not contain him, whereas Harry Potter does.
Not sure what definition of ambition you are using but
seems to fit pretty well.
I think he’s referring to the definition of ambition Quirrel uses in Chapter 70:
I guess it depends on what one finds interesting. Clearly QQ/LV found taking over Magical Britain interesting enough.
The claim is that he found being Lord Voldemort interesting, but he didn’t find taking over Magical Britain interesting.
Yes—but achieve what?
He just… wants immortality. And then… that’s it. No real idea of what he wants to do with it.