Fame does not necessarily bring happiness, because it depends upon how one defines happiness and contentness. In order to be happy one must first understand why they are seeking such fortune. Fame has its consequences and it is for this reason that it does not guarantee inevitable success and achievement. In Shakespeare's King Lear, the main character, the King sought to prove himself and confirm that he mattered. His fame ultimately led to his demise, and this matter of fact also applies to Melville's Captain Ahab from Moby Dick.
In King Lear, the King is depicted as a venerable public figure. He is well known throughout all of the land, however, his fame does not necessarily influence his contentness with life. His public image rather gives way to his vulnerability, and he ultimately becomes taken advantage of by his two self-gratification seeking daughters. Lear's unlimited surplus of goods, access to money, and entitlement to power influence his morose life. Lear's demise is the result of the terrible burdens of fame. His destruction occurs because he is so privileged and this relates to how fame is not a predecessor for enjoying life. His daughters sought to seek his fortune, and because of this matter he was forced to lead a mundane and melancholy life until he died.
In Moby Dick, Captain Ahab is perceived as an experienced and well to do ship captain. His fellow shipmates admire his tenacity and accomplishments, and this leads to this fame throughout his small sailing town in Boston. Throughout the story Ahab seeks to prove his worthiness by setting out to seek revenge upon the whole who ate his leg. Ahab is unable to take on the force of the whale and this ultimately leads to his destruction and untimely death. Ahab's perceived image and fame do not bring him happiness, because he constantly feels the need to prove himself. Ahab's desire and need to confirm that he is the ship captain that everyone makes him seem out to be influence his manic nature and ultimate discontent with life.
There is no definite way to ensure that fame brings about happiness, because it has so many consequences. Ahab and Lear are prime examples of how fame can evoke burdens in life, and and lead to one's relative unhappiness and death. Both Ahab and Lear's commitments of time and effort were ultimately wasted, because their notoriety brought about their destruction and led to their unhappiness.
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