James's obsession with money has done him the most harm. He had a promising career as a Shakespearian actor. He was living the American dream. He'd pulled himself up out of poverty and made it in a big way. He quickly became a rising star on Broadway, even receiving praise from Edwin Booth, the most famous actor of his day. James was so honored that he wrote out the exact words Booth used, and "[read] it every once in a while until finally it [made him] feel so bad [he didn't] want to face it anymore" (4.1.145). For more on the symbolism of James's piece of paper, head on over to "Symbols, Imagery, Allegory."