What Are The Similarities Between Water For Elephants And Hamlet

After examining the novel “Water for Elephants” and the play “Hamlet”, although differing in several aspects, the theme of suffering is thematically similar in these two works. Both pieces of literature portray this theme, a theme that adds much power to both of the plots. Although they both have this theme in common, each work treats the topic in a fairly different manner. In “Water for Elephants” they are suffering from emotional and physical pain whereas in “Hamlet” he is suffering internally. In “Water for Elephants” the circus seems like such a fun and exciting life to the audience but behind it is suffering and pain. Animals suffer, people suffer, but when show time comes they all have smiles on their faces because “The show must go on”.

Physical torture and suffering is depicted when August beats Rosie with a bull hook. He does this to get her to walk on cue. Marlena is also a victim to August’s beatings and violence so she is forced to do exactly what he wants her to do because she fears of what he’s capable of doing to her and others and she does not want to suffer from any more pain from him. Jacob is constantly suffering when he tried to protect the people and animals he loves. “I sink to the floor, overcome with grief and guilt.

I throw a book at the wall. I pound the floorboards. I shake my fists at heaven and God, and when I finally subside into uncontrolled sobbing Queenie creeps out from behind the trunks and slides into my lap. I hold her warm body until finally we are rocking in silence” (Ch. 22 Pg. 96). This demonstrates how Jacob’s suffering is expressed by his emotion and anger. Physical suffering from bodily harm is portrayed when Rosie’s first performance act goes wrong and Marlena lands wrong, badly bruising her feet. The audience applauds as they think the act looks amazing but this causes her severe suffering. This shows that life in the circus is all about suffering to make a good show, even if that means constantly suffering through emotional and physical pain. Now if we focus on Hamlet, he is also suffering except he is suffering internally with grief. The suffering he experiences all started after his father’s death, and then he continues to have grief weighing heavily on his body throughout the entire play. Hamlet’s father was murdered by his uncle which would have been a hard thing to overcome and difficult for

Hamlet. Claudius comments on Hamlet’s mourning saying “ Tis sweet and commendable in your nature Hamlet, To give these mourning duties to your father; But you must know, your father lost a father” (Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 86-89, Pg.

19) Claudius clearly doesn’t understand his mourning just as Hamlet doesn’t understand why his mother has not mourned for a longer period of time. Hamlet is suffering internally with his love for his mother. He loves her but despises her at the same time for marrying Claudius, her husband’s brother only a month after his father’s death. It kills him on the inside, so much that his thoughts cause him to contemplate suicide. In Hamlet’s famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy, he questions if he should stay or should he die? Is it better to tolerate the problems or should he fight them? When he says “To be or not to be: that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles”. At this point we see how Hamlet seems to suffer and struggle with depression. His thoughts on his life and life itself are very dark and the only thing that stops him from taking his own life is that he thinks there is a possibility of eternal suffering in the after

life. He is also suffering internally with grief when he finds out about Ophelia’s death. This hit him extremely hard, especially knowing that she died without his love. Another cause to Hamlet’s suffering is that he keeps a lot of things to himself. For example he doesn’t tell anyone about his father’s ghost and that his uncle murdered his father. That is a lot to keep inside, its not wonder he is struggling internally with his emotions. Hamlet is suffering internally throughout the play. His father, mother, uncle and Ophelia his love have all caused him doubt of his own decisions and puts him into an internal depression. The theme of suffering is present in both “Water for Elephants” and “Hamlet” but they are portrayed in a fairly different manner.