What did Robert Walton want to be the first to discover?

Robert Walton, in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," aspired to be the first to discover a passage to the North Pole. He sought to explore uncharted territories and achieve great fame for his discoveries, driven by the desire to expand human knowledge and experience the wonders of the Arctic. His ambition reflects the themes of exploration and the pursuit of knowledge that are central to the novel.