Comparing Hamlet and Oedipus the King Essay example

Images of disease dominate Shakespeares 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 hasnt 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 Shakespeares 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†¦show more content†¦Tiresias, master of all omens-public and secret, in the sky and on the earth-your mind, if not your eyes, sees how the city lives with a plague (Sophocles 1.305). When asked to reveal the pollutant, Tiresias was apprehensive do to the understanding of what he knew. Let me go home! If you will listen to me, You will endure your troubles better-and I mine (1.325). Tiriesias wisdom was so great that once he revealed it, even Oedipus cried out that the profit was not blind. Sophocles points out that there is great power behind understanding through Tiresias. Oedipus could not escape his destiny and had lack of free will to do as he pleased. His life was mapped out for him the moment he was brought into the world. Hamlet has many problems dealing with the fact that his mother married his uncle less than two months after the death of his father. Hamlet sees his mothers remarriage as disgusting and sees murdering Claudius as a way of freeing his mother of an incestuous marriage as well as avenging his father. Hamlet and his mothers relationship is also shown as more sexual than the traditional mother son relationship because of Hamlets long and private conversation with his mother, as well as his rivalry toward Claudius for his mothers attentions. Hamlet makes numerous sexually allusions. The closet scene in Act 3 Scene 4, proves to be essential in understanding Hamlets and Gertrudes relationship because theShow MoreRelatedComparing Hamlet And Oedipus The King1263 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeare’s Hamlet, and Sophocles, Oedipus the King, both of the main characters conform to the same classic tragic hero formula. Oedipus suffers a life based on a pre†birth prophecy, whereas Haml et finds himself burdened with the task of avenging his father’s death. In both situations, two kings must leave their innocence behind as the truth leads them first, to enlightenment and then to their downfall. They battle between the light, the truth and the darkness, the lie. Both Hamlet and Oedipus are similarRead More Comparing the Tragedies of Hamlet, Oedipus the King, and Death of a Salesman1023 Words   |  5 PagesComparing the Tragedies of Hamlet, Oedipus the King, and Death of a Salesman The tragedies Hamlet, Oedipus the King, and Death of a Salesman have strikingly different plots and characters; however, each play shares common elements in its resolution. The events in the plays’ closings derive from a tragic flaw possessed by the protagonist in each play. The downfall of each protagonist is caused by his inability to effectively cope with his tragic flaw. The various similarities in the closingRead MoreOedipus vs. Hamlet: a Character Comparison Essay1077 Words   |  5 Pagessuch errors in it. Oedipus vs. Hamlet: A Character Comparison After reading Sophocles Oedipus the King and Shakespeares Hamlet, it is quiet clear that Oedipus is by far the more admirable character of the two. Aside from Oedipus history and life experience, his superior character traits are also displayed in the way he handles several incidents throughout the play. One of the primary reasons Oedipus is more admirable than Hamlet is just their history. Oedipus is a king. He got there by savingRead More Comparison of Oedipus and Hamlet Essay1322 Words   |  6 PagesComparison of Oedipus and Hamlet Compare and contrast Oedipus and Hamlet. Is Oedipus more a man of action? Or is he more a man driven by whim and sudden, rash decisions? Which character is more selfless? Does Hamlet show any signs of selfish motives in his actions or inactions? Which protagonist seems more learned? wiser? more religious? more loving? more incestuous? Which seems to be a better murder investigator? Does Oedipus have any of Claudius motives when he kills the king, Laius? ThenRead MoreComparing Hamlet And Oedipus Rex1868 Words   |  8 PagesMartinez John Q. Davis English 103 Date†¦.. Hamlet Oedipus Rex In Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, there is a seemingly close common relationship shown between the two plays regarding mainly the community and era in which they took place in. As well as different scenes throughout both stories which show very similar ideas from the writers such as, murder being the common theme in both plays. One example comes from the story, Oedipus the King, and it is that there is a direct relationshipRead MoreWhy Did Freud Use Oedipis As Basis?1355 Words   |  6 Pages?!! HAMLET Freudian theories are most prominent in Hamlet out of all Shakespeare’s plays. The most common repressed desire is that of Oedipus. In the myth Oedipus killed his father, and went on to marry his mother, without knowing who each of them were. In this myth the feelings are brought to light however in Hamlet they stay repressed. We only learn of it through the effects it causes. Hamlet is all about incest. After his father’s death his mother plans to marry his uncle. This is Hamlets firstRead More From Homer’s Odyssey to Star Wars - The Unchanging Path of the Hero2789 Words   |  12 Pagesdifferent. From comics or TV it is seen that heroes change physically and spiritually through time, but the heroic pattern stays always the same when moving from ancient times to todays heroes. The first hero whose pattern I am going to unfold is Oedipus. Just like all other heroes he lives an extraordinary experience which normal people would not live, and that is one of the reasons that the heroic pattern seems so appealing to people. People could read and think about the situations that would notRead MoreLiterary Criticisms of Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay1234 Words   |  5 Pages This essay will discuss several literary criticisms of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. After skimming through several articles, I ended up with four peer-reviewed journal articles, each a different critical perspectives of the play: feminist, psychoanalytical/freudian, moral, and new historicism. My previous studies of Hamlet, as well as my rereading of the play this semester, has collectively given me a general knowledge of the text. My familiarity of the play made it easier for me to decipherRead More A Freudian Reading of Hamlet and Titus Andronicus Essay2542 Words   |  11 PagesA Freudian Reading of Hamlet and Titus Andronicus  Ã‚     Ã‚   In 1900 the eminent Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud produced a seminal work entitled The Interpretation of Dreams which contains the idea that dreams allow psychic exploration of the soul, that dreams contain psychological meanings which can be arrived at by interpretation. Freud states that â€Å"every dream will reveal itself as a psychological structure, full of significance, and one which may be assigned to a specific place in the psychicRead MoreEssay Death of a Salesman, Tragic Hero. Willy Loman.1503 Words   |  7 Pagesperfect tragedy is Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. ‘Death of a Salesman’ is definitely a tragic play, but is Willy Loman, the main protagonist, a tragic hero? According to Aristotle a tragic hero must possess ‘Megalopyschia’, otherwise known as an elevated status. Willy Loman is an unsuccessful salesman of the late 1940s. He is not perceived to be ‘great’ or ‘noble’ such as other characters in traditional tragedies including Oedipus Rex, Macbeth and Hamlet all of which whom are kings. Willy’s last name