But success shall crown my endeavours. Wherefore not? Thus far I have gone, tracing a secure way over the pathless seas, the very stars themselves being witnesses and testimonies of my triumph.
Letters, Letter 3 · Robert Walton
Context
Walton writes to his sister from the Arctic, reflecting on his voyage's progress so far and expressing confidence that he will succeed in his polar expedition.
Analysis
Walton's word 'shall' carries absolute certainty rather than hopeful possibility, revealing ambition hardening into presumption. The cosmic imagery—stars as 'witnesses and testimonies'—elevates his journey to mythic scale, as if nature itself exists to validate him. This grandiose self-positioning invites readers to question whether Walton recognizes any limits to human endeavor, priming us to watch for the cost of such confidence.
Essay Tip
Support a thesis that Shelley uses Walton's rhetoric early in the novel to show how ambition disguises itself as destiny—his language treats success as inevitable, which sets up the novel's central question of whether human will should be limitless.