The convention's notable speakers

Workers prepare the main stage at the Tampa Bay Times Forum ahead of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida on August 23, 2012.

/ MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/GettyImages

(CBS News) While this week's headliners are soon-to-be Republican nominee Mitt Romney and his running mate Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, the four-day Republican National Convention will feature numerous other speakers selected to convey the party's message and to unify Republicans before the general election.

Personal ambition is almost always an element of convention speakers' agendas, as this is also an opportunity for them to further their own political careers with the eyes of a nation watching them.

We have taken a look at who the prominent speakers are, the possible themes of their speeches and the reasons why they were chosen.

CBS News' look at the convention's notable speakers begins on the next page.