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How do oedipus and hamlet fit the model of a tragic hero
Comparison of Oedipus and Hamlet
Oedipus is a tragic hero compare to hamlet
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Images of disease dominate Shakespeare's Hamlet as well as Sophocles play, Oedipus the King, Both Hamlet and Oedipus face many problems with death. Hamlet is seeking out the killer of his father as well as Oedipus. They feel that justice hasn't been served properly and they must seek out the killer of their fathers' in order for justice to be served. In both Hamlet and Oedipus the King, there is mass turmoil amongst family relationships, the inner problems they face, and the lack of free will they had.
In Shakespeare's Hamlet, there is much skepticism as to what exactly is "rotten in Denmark." Claudius, the "incestuous, adulterate beast," essentially adopts this title as he exists as the root of all evil within the play (Shakespeare 1.5.42). Claudius acquires a "rotten" disease through the murder of King Hamlet. Not only has Claudius killed King Hamlet but also proceeds to steal his throne and wife. Shakespeare insinuates that the stimulation of Claudius' disease comes from greed and lust. Claudius ambiguously rules the kingdom of Denmark while living a life of lies and corruption. His lies infect the life of his wife, Queen Gertrude, which in turn directly affects Prince Hamlet. His uncle, Claudius composes a life of despair for Hamlet. Hamlet examines the principle of having a God to look up to because he has no voice or preference into whatever thing that comes about. Hamlet goes on along with survival in the "unweeded garden" (Shakespeare I.2.135). He uses this term to discuss Demark as being a jail and specified with the aim of Claudius having commanded for Hamlet to reside in the castle. Claudius is held captive in his own home. Thoughts of suicide begin enter Claudius' mind.
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Both Hamlet and Oedipus' lives end in disaster. Hamlet, Jocasta, and Ophelia commit suicide and Oedipus' gauges his eyes out and casts himself away from the city of Thebes. Hamlet and Oedipus the King embodies an important essential skill in common with all tragedies, the collapse of the tragic hero's world and mind. They both find out who killed their fathers' in the end, but the result is devastating. Hamlet and Oedipus the King are a reflection of deep emotions. The lack of free will, the inner demons they face, and the relationships among family members are only just a few of the problems that are mentioned throughout these plays.
Work Cited
1. Edgar Roberts, Henry Jacobs. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. 1998. Ed. Leah Jewell, Vivian Garcia, and Melissa Casciano. 3rd ed. Upper Saddler River: Pearson Education, Inc., 2006.
Meyer, Michael, ed. The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999.
In the play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, poison, decay, and rotting are motifs that can be related to the theme breaking down of society, or the downfall of the state of Denmark, during this time in Hamlet’s life. Considering Claudius’s malicious acts to gain the throne, one can say he is being punished by God, and since he is the king, the punishment reflects the state of the kingdom of Denmark as well. As the play progresses, references to rotten things, repellent animals, and vile circumstances are mentioned numerous times, and one can make a connection to these allusions as the truth about Claudius is revealed, and other corrupt events unravel.
Roberts, Edgar V., Jacobs, Henry E. “Literature.” The Lesson. 470-475. Toni Cade Bambara. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. 2001
Roberts, Edgar V., Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, 4th Compact Edition, Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2008, print
Death, Decay and Disease in Hamlet Within ‘Hamlet’, Shakespeare makes a number of references to Denmark's degraded state due to the deceit that lies within. These references are made by Hamlet, Horatio as well as the apparition, thus enforcing the strong theme of death, decay and disease. As aforementioned, Hamlets makes a number of references to Denmark. Preceding the death of his father and the marriage of his mother, his mental state begins to fall into demise. Although he appears to not have much courage at first, his focus remains on avenging his father, whose murder is described as being "most foul." As noted in one of Hamlet's first soliloquies, his downward spiral has already begun and already he is contemplating suicide; "O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew (I, II, 130)" and "seems to me all the uses of this world.
Oedipus fits Aristotle's definition of the tragic flaw and protagonist almost flawlessly. Aristotle described the protagonist as "someone regarded as extraordinary rather than typical..."(1117). Oedipus freed Thebes from the Sphinx by solving her riddle-- something nobody else had been able to do. The priest in the first scene of Act I calls Oedipus "...our greatest power" (1121) and describes him as rated first among men.
Both Oedipus and Hamlet are tragic heroes because they contains all the characteristics needed to be considered one. Hamlet is a prince that had to see his mother get married again after his father unexpectedly died. A ghost appears around the castle and he claims that he is the king. He also tells Hamlet that he was murder which causes Hamlet to become skeptical. In order to confirm what the ghost says he conducts some investigations. It’s through a play, “The murder of Gonzago,” that Hamlet is able to confirm that what the ghost told him was completely true. After Hamlet discovers this he has to decide whether to bring an end to Claudius or let him be. One can consider this to be one of Hamlet’s biggest flaw. Hamlet shows his indecisive side. Hamlet can’t make a decision quickly which eventually leads him towards his defeat and also the suffering of people he is close to. “To be, or not to be” (Shakespeare 1750). A famous quote from Hamlet, but what does it mean? The quote comes directly from a Hamlet’s speech on whether it is better to be alive or dead. Hamlet goes on and on like a broken record discussing if death is the most appropriate thing
The tragedy’s both men experience throughout their stories is a result of their own tragic flaws.... ... middle of paper ... ... Hamlet meets his end with revenge, and Oedipus meets his downfall with curiosity.
There are many reasons why both of these characters are classified as tragic figures. First off Oedipus' fate was determined from birth, and no one knew Hamlet's fate. Oedipus's parents sent him off to be killed, and Hamlet's father was killed by his brother Claudius.
Hamlet is Shakespeare’s most famous work of tragedy. Throughout the play the title character, Hamlet, tends to seek revenge for his father’s death. Shakespeare achieved his work in Hamlet through his brilliant depiction of the hero’s struggle with two opposing forces that hunt Hamlet throughout the play: moral integrity and the need to avenge his father’s murder. When Hamlet sets his mind to revenge his fathers’ death, he is faced with many challenges that delay him from committing murder to his uncle Claudius, who killed Hamlets’ father, the former king. During this delay, he harms others with his actions by acting irrationally, threatening Gertrude, his mother, and by killing Polonius which led into the madness and death of Ophelia. Hamlet ends up deceiving everyone around him, and also himself, by putting on a mask of insanity. In spite of the fact that Hamlet attempts to act morally in order to kill his uncle, he delays his revenge of his fathers’ death, harming others by his irritating actions. Despite Hamlets’ decisive character, he comes to a point where he realizes his tragic limits.
Throughout Shakespeare 's Hamlet, the protagonist, Hamlet himself, is determined to achieve his ultimate goal by seeing that Claudius is put to justice for the crime of murdering the king of Denmark, Claudius 's very brother and Hamlet 's father, and figures that he must pretend to have been driven insane by his father 's death in order to gather the evidence needed on Claudius without anyone figuring out his true intent. However, this ultimately becomes the undoing of Hamlet and causes harm to everyone that comes in contact with him. The suffering of others in the story, inflicted by Hamlet, are examples of the motifs of misogyny (evoked by his mother), incest and incestuous desires (occurring between Ophelia and Laertes, Claudius and Gertrude, and even Hamlet and Gertrude), which compliments and help develop the main themes, such as, the impossibility of certainty,
The motif of a seemingly healthy exterior concealing inward sickness establishes meaning through foreshadowing and irony by demonstrating that it spreads throughout and ultimately rids itself of everything that conceals inward sickness. Corrupted thoughts throughout William Shakespeare’s Hamlet are based on greediness and the act of avenging a family member’s death.
Theater audiences and literary enthusiasts are not spared of Shakespeare’s astonishing ability to capture the human spirit in his play Hamlet. The story of the tormented prince who desires revenge but is unable to take action delves deep into the human mind than plays before it. While some uninformed readers may write off Hamlet’s behavior to poor writing, it is clear that the Oedipus complex is the true driving force of Hamlet’s actions when delaying his revenge.
Hamlet is the best known tragedy in literature today. Here, Shakespeare exposes Hamlet’s flaws as a heroic character. The tragedy in this play is the result of the main character’s unrealistic ideals and his inability to overcome his weakness of indecisiveness. This fatal attribute led to the death of several people which included his mother and the King of Denmark. Although he is described as being a brave and intelligent person, his tendency to procrastinate prevented him from acting on his father’s murder, his mother’s marriage, and his uncle’s ascension to the throne.
Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen R. Mandell. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Compact 8th. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.