Comparing Hamlet And Oedipus The King

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? Then which murderer is more blameworthy--Oedipus or Claudius?

Hamlet by William Shakespeare and Oedipus the King by Sophocles are both tragic stories which contain many elements of which are similar and different. Although both Hamlet and Oedipus suffer from fate, Hamlet’s father is murdered by his brother Claudius, while Oedipus kills his own father. Both Hamlet and Oedipus have the opportunity to shun their fate, but the two men believe themselves to be the only individual who can resolve the predicament which they are faced with. The homeland of Hamlet and Oedipus, Denmark and Thebes, are both in a state of tumult. After Hamlet’s father’s death Denmark was presided by a new court, after Claudius, who in addition to murdering Hamlet’s father, became king by marrying his

Another reason Oedipus' is a more commendable character than Hamlet is because of the differences in the way they treat the women they love. Oedipus is clearly in love with Jocasta, showing it by treating her well and respecting her opinion on things. Hamlet decides to act like someone who is crazy, and disrespects Ophelia even going as far as to talk bad to her. He even tells her he never loved her. "I loved you not." (116)

Oedipus from the drama, “Oedipus the King” and Hamlet from, “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” are two characters that are different, yet they both share the same title of being a tragic hero. Oedipus and Hamlet have many characteristics of a tragic hero that separates them in varieties. However, some of those characteristics show that both characters have and use similar thought processes and methods, which classify them as tragic heroes of their dramas. The five characteristics of a tragic hero are: nobility, tragic flaw, peripeteia, anagnorisis, and lastly irony. Both Oedipus and Hamlet hold or have a nobility position in their drama’s plot. Oedipus is the son of the king, and fate has foretold that he will kill his father and take over the

Oedipus is living in a dream from which he is only just beginning to awake. In this dream, he not only believes that he is in control of his own fate but that he is in control of his own identity. He assumes that he has three virtues: wisdom, reason, and self-control. When he attempts to use these virtues, however, he discovers that he is mistaken on all three counts. His first mistake is believing that he is wise. From this wisdom he hopes to maintain control over the events around him, but true wisdom is actually surrendering to the fact that control is an illusion, a "seeming." His second mistake is believing that he is a rational man. Indeed, Oedipus has great cognitive

Oedipus is a man of unflagging determination and perseverance, but one who must learn through the working out of a terrible prophecy that there are forces beyond any man’s conceptualization or control. Oedipus’ actions were determined before his birth, yet Oedipus’ actions are entirely determined by the Gods who control him completely. In the beginning of this tragedy, Oedipus took many actions leading to his own downfall. He tried to escape Corinth when he learned of the prophecies that were supposed to take place in his life. Instead, he

Oedipus, throughout this work, seems more than a merely passive player lost in the hands of fate. He makes

The closings of Hamlet, Oedipus the King, and Death of a Salesman provide insight into the thoughts of characters regarding the tragic hero and intimate major themes through the dialogue of the characters. In Oedipus the King, Creon reveals his apathy towards Oedipus by saying, “Command no more. Obey. Your rule is ended” (68). The Chorus declares that misfortune can occur to even the greatest of men and that no mortal can experience true happiness until death brings freedom from the troubles of life. The Greek belief that it is futile for one to attempt to escape his fate is expressed. In Hamlet, the death of Hamlet is honorable in comparison to the shameful exile of Oedipus. Horatio respects Hamlet’s request to tell his tragic story to

In fact, almost all of the play’s characters die by murder. Claudius kills his brother King Hamlet and inadvertently poisons his wife Gertrude. Hamlet is responsible for the deaths of Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Laertes, and Claudius, and Laertes kills Hamlet. Notably, Ophelia is the only character who dies not by murder but by suicide and yet Shakespeare presents her death as a greater taboo. Suicide and murder are almost symmetrical crimes, and Christianity prohibits both; however, while Hamlet explains that he never acts upon his suicidal idealizations because of Christianity, he seems to take no issue with the act of

The concept is initially hinted at near the beginning of “Oedipus the King.” Oedipus learns that his kingdom is plagued and takes it upon himself to rid his people of the disease. In his search to cure this problem, Oedipus seeks out what he must do “from the god[s],” and he learns that he must seek out the men who murdered the late King Laius and punish them accordingly (Prologue. l. 97). His task becomes the focal point of the play, and although it is seemingly straightforward, Oedipus’ quest from the Greek God Apollo also serves as the beginning of the suspicion that he never had control over his own actions. It is clear after his exchange with his brother-in-law, Creon, that throughout the whole play, Oedipus would be dictated by a task that was not decided out of his own volition—“Lord Phoebus” or Apollo decided what he must do for him (Prologue. l. 96). The protagonist, Oedipus, is led on throughout his quest because he is willed to by higher beings, and he is directed—much like an actor—to see the story to its end even if he is not aware of it himself.

In Oedipus the King, one of Sophocles’ most popular plays, Sophocles clearly depicts the Greek’s popular belief that fate will control a man’s life despite of man’s free will. Man was free to choose and was ultimately held responsible for his own actions. Throughout Oedipus the King, the concept of fate and free will plays an integral part in Oedipus' destruction.

Hamlet and Oedipus have two vastly different reactions to the familial situations they find themselves in. While the story of Oedipus is often used to describe a situation in which a person feels romantic ties towards one of his or her parents and a loathing towards the other, the reaction of Oedipus when he realizes the situation he has found himself in is relatively suitable. Unlike many of the situations that the story is used to describe, Oedipus lives mostly unknowing to his incest and does not live normally once he realizes the situation. He instead chooses to act in the manner

Some explain Hamlet 's mysterious hesitancy as a result of the Oedipus complex. One might think that Hamlet continually postpones the act of vengeance against Claudius because of the overly confused psychodynamic situation in which he finds himself. Although he hates his uncle, at the same time he unconsciously identifies with him, for having killed his father and having married his mother. Claudius has fulfilled the frustrated desires of Hamlet. However, from the beginning of the play there is an essential element that marks an important difference between Hamlet and Oedipus, which brings with it certain effects in the clinical analysis.

In Oedipus Rex, there is nowhere for Oedipus to go but down. The active, decisive part of his life has already happened and is recounted in the play through flashbacks; now, however, there is nothing Oedipus can do about his own fate. He has already killed his father and had four children with his mother, and there is absolutely no way to change that. For that reason, there is a dreadful sense of the unavoidability of fate. Oedipus' parents tried to get away from it but obviously failed miserably; so did Oedipus. their efforts at tricking fate only succeeded in creating the very circumstances they were trying to avoid. There is really no free will or choice, because in a way, their choices are fated to lead them, in the end, to exactly what they think they are avoiding. The line uttered by Creon, "You can not judge unless you know the facts" (28) is telling. No one can judge correctly unless he has all the information; however, no one in this play has enough information to make a correct choice when it matters. Laius does not know that his son survived, so he thinks he is safe from his fate; in fact, by sending his son away, he deprives Oedipus of true knowledge of who his parents are and thus of the ability to make an effective decision himself about his fate. Without sufficient information, informed judgment is impossible, and this contributes to

Oedipus is effected by outside influences as much as Medea is, however it is not as exemplified. The outside influences slowly creep into Oedipus’s mindset as the story moves on. Despite how swayed Oedipus might have been by others, he showcases actions influenced only by personal desires in the beginning of the story. Oedipus is one who has a position of power, which may have shaped him to trust his own mind and decisions over others. His mental toughness is broken through however with characters such as Tiresias and the Herdsman. Little details about his past break down the barrier that shields his mind from being influenced by outside sources. As Effie Coughanowr suggests, Oedipus willingly listening to this toxic information serves as, “a single false step and tragedy becomes reality.” (Coughanowr para. 17). This process is a long one where at the end he is seen as broken man that blames himself for the events unfolded. The manner in which he blames himself, “O Kithairon, why did you bring me in? Or once you had