Figure Analysis
Amaziah is a righteous king of Judah—he kills the conspirators who murdered his father, but refuses to kill their children as well, noting that the laws of Moses say that children shouldn't be punished for their parents' sins. That's a pretty level-headed way of looking at things, we'd say. He makes all the correct religious moves, except for removing the high places, which he fails to do.
Yet, Amaziah gets cocky. Emboldened by his victories in battle over the Edomites, he provokes Jehoash of Israel to fight him. Jehoash captures Amaziah, defeats his army, and loots the Temple in Jerusalem. Nonetheless, Amaziah manages to outlive Jehoash by fifteen years—only to be murdered by a conspiracy, just like his Dad was.