Lolita And Hamlet Comparison

Despite the subtle differences between Lolita and Hamlet, it is inarguable that the two acclaimed pieces of literature are absolutely intriguing, emphasizing several unsettling motifs/themes throughout the novel/play. Although the two remarkable works are quite unlike, there is one unique aspect that they do share: the protagonists in both of the novels have an unusual way of treating their love interest. Both Prince Hamlet and Humbert Humbert initially treat their sweethearts with affection wholeheartedly, later on they are repulsed by their lovers due to their certain traits, and then rebounds back to their loving nature. William Shakespeare and Vladimir Nabokov use this strategy effectively, allowing the story to flow with more eloquence

He describes her immaturity:

A combination of naiveté and deception, of charm and vulgarity, of blue sulks and rosy mirth, Lolita, when she chose, could be a most exasperating brat. I was not really quite prepared for her fits of disorganized boredom, intense and vehement griping, her sprawling, droopy, dopey-eyed style, and what is called goofing off – a kind of diffused clowning which she thought was tough in a boyish hoodlum way. Mentally, I found her to be a disgustingly conventional little girl (Nabokov 166).

Although he was thoroughly pleased with her nymphet looks, he is irritated by her constant whining and childishness. As their travel continues, he notes her simplicity, which he is disappointed with, wanting her to become more sophisticated and polished, becoming the proper young adolescent he wants her to become. Humbert is only satisfied with her childish looks, but is deeply disappointed with her lack of delicacy, where he wants her to appreciate art and literature. However, after Ophelia’s burial, Hamlet becomes grieved by her sudden death. After stumbling upon his sweetheart’s funeral, he challenges her brother, Laertes,

After the over-controlling ‘father’ discovers that another man had abducted his Lolita, he collapses into a stormy rampage in the hospital his ‘daughter’ had stayed, swearing to “destroy [his] brother” (Nabokov 281). Later on, when he reunites with his separated lover after several years, he recognizes that she has grown up, noting her mature features. Despite her lack of nymphet traits, Humbert realizes that he still loves her, and offers her to live with him for the rest of her life, leaving her husband, and they shall “live happily ever after” (Nobokov 317). Through this passage, the readers recognize the shift Humbert undergoes, discarding his preferences of young girls, and still yearns for mature Lolita. After grown-up Lolita gently declines Humbert’s proposition, the heartbroken man reflects the sins he has committed upon innocent Lolita in her youth, and truly regrets his