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Life Of Pi And Hamlet Comparison

Decent Essays

Hamlet/ Life of Pi Essay
Life throws different sorts of hurdles at every individual. We are faced with new obstacles every day due to which we learn many lessons, but probably the most important instinct being survival. Some circumstances lead to hurtful experiences that undoubtedly teach us survival. The novel, The Life of Pi written by Yann Martel and Shakespeare’s Hamlet both have that in common. Pi and Hamlet both encounter life altering situations and to survive through it is all what matters.
Determination is the key characteristic that is seen in both the stories. Hamlet and Pi are faced with heart wrenching tribulations and staying determined is what helps them survive. Walter Anderson once said, “Bad things do happen; how I respond …show more content…

Shakespeare is recognized for having most of his characters die throughout his plays and Hamlet is no different. Hamlet suffers because of his father’s brutal murder. “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/And, by opposing, end them” (3.1.64-68) Hamlet seems suicidal in the beginning of the play and he thinks that the whole world is fraudulent and that he wishes his “flesh would melt”. He wants to commit suicide but considers it to be a great sin. Instead, Hamlet starts to explore and ponder upon the reasons as to why people do commit suicide. As there is a constant pattern of deaths in the play such as the death of his father, his murder of Polonius and Ophelia’s suicide, it seems as if there is a never ending string of deaths in the play. On the other hand, Pi also goes through this same suffering of dealing with the death of his loved ones. He loses his entire family in a short period of time and is left alone to mourn their deaths. “They were dead; I could no longer deny it. What a thing to acknowledge in your heart! To lose a brother is to lose someone […] to lose your father is to lose the one who’s guidance and help you seek; who supports you like a tree trunk supports its branches. To lose your mother, well, that is like losing the sun above you.” (Ch. 46) Pi speaks of the death of his brother, father and mother and how it feels like to lose each one of them. He is left alone at the sea alone with his thoughts and anguish along with the ferocious tiger, Richard Parker. Both the characters face the worst of suffering and death, a theme that truly controls the plotline of these sad

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