Ambition was formerly seen as dark and potentially dangerous, but has come to be regarded as necessary and desirable in modern times. The comparison of 3 stories illustrates this point. Two older stories come to us from British heritage, "Macbeth," by Shakespeare and, “To Please His Wife,” by Thomas Hardy. The third story is a contemporary T.V. series,"Suits." The comparison of the older stories to the new one reveals that ambition is valued and storied differently now as compared to then. In the short story, “To Please His Wife,” by Thomas Hardy, ambition is the moral focus. Through the use of Joanna, a young maid, ambition is seen through her actions and words. In her process to make her friend Emily jealous, Joanna marries without love, is conducted into poverty, ruins her friendship with Emily, and causes her to lose her husband and sons. Joanna’s will to exceed Emily begins when she marries Shadrach, only to make her friend jealous. Joanna does not love him; she simply wants him because her ambition has her thriving for, “the best.” Because of this marriage, Emily is announced as the wife of a rich merchant. This set of class leaves Joanna in an envious state. Joanna’s ambition now craves for greater wealth than Emily’s, so much so, that she sends her husband, and eventually sons, out to sea. Knowing the dangers of the sea, Joanna allows her husband to leave with their sons, hoping to make, “thousands.” Her ambition for greed has casted them out to death. Although Joanna’s ambition had always been to be greater than Emily, Emily still treats Joanna with the kindness and respect as she has always done. This kindness leads Joanna to believe that Emily is trying to show that she has been, and always will be, better than her friend. This ultimately ruins her friendship with Emily. Joanna’s ambition ruined all the things she enjoyed in life. Hardy portrayed that ambition, in the likes of greed and selfishness