Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, fate and free will both play a critical role that ultimately lead to both protagonists’ downfall. Prince Hamlet has more control over his actions and the choices he makes, whereas Oedipus’ fate overpowers his will. The nature of knowledge and ignorance play a significant role as Hamlet exhibits self-awareness while Oedipus is impulsive and ignorant about the truth about his parenthood. Lastly, Hamlet is reluctant to succumb to his fate, while Oedipus surrenders
One central theme in Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, is the Oedipal complex, evidenced by the rivalry and resentment that characterizes Hamlet’s relationship with Claudius. Until the bedroom scene, this could be any son’s resentment towards a new stepfather, towards a mother who appears to have forgotten her late husband, and towards defending his family’s honor. However, the Oedipal complex, a reoccurring theme throughout the book, perhaps suggests a more personal motive behind Hamlet’s disgust with
The Oedipal Relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude Throughout William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Shakespeare portrays Hamlet with the same types of behaviors and frustrations in humans that Sigmund Freud saw at a much later date. When the relationship between Hamlet and his mother is analyzed Freud's oedipal complex theory comes to mind. Sigmund Freud first wrote about his theory in his book An Interpretation of Dreams in 1899. Simply put, Freud states that it is normal for children to have sexual
tendency stems from the natural course of suppressing one’s inherent Oedipal inclinations. The Oedipus Complex is Freud’s explication of a child’s relationship with the parent of the opposite sex, it is a phase that every man experiences as a child. This phase entails the desire to replace the father figure as he creates competition for the mother’s attention. According to Freud, in order to overcome the Oedipus, individuals must repress their desire for sexual interaction with their mother; failure to
years, Sophocles's Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark both possess a plot akin to each other with a similar main idea of attempting to discover the main character’s father’s murderer. These famous tragedies depict two tragic heroes plagued with incestuous mothers and bad luck who fight to find truth and justice. Although both plays are similar in plot, the characterization of Hamlet and Oedipus have crucial differences which begin to appear: Oedipus is dependent on
Sophocles and William Shakespeare in Oedipus the King and in Hamlet, illustrate the theme of the destructiveness of truth through their main characters, who both pursue the truth leading to their own demise. In Sophocles’s Oedipus the King, the protagonist, Oedipus displays characteristics of being ignorant and persistent, which results in his own self-destruction. While in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the protagonist, Hamlet, displays characteristics of being cunning and hesitant, which also lead
Hamlet Has My Heart Faith is a very important aspect in life. It is the trust or the bond between your actions and yourself. Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, and Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, show really good examples of faith. They start the same, but end in opposites within themselves. Both Hamlet and Oedipus start off as curious innocent individuals, and from there just find themselves or whatever they’re trying to achieve. Both stories explain faith and share similar concepts as well as differences
Maloney Mr. Frabizzio British Literature Honors A, B 246 January 9, 2015 The Oedipus Complex or Oedipus Rex is the “complex of emotions that is aroused typically around the age of four, by an unconscious sexual desire for the parent of the opposite sex and a wish to exclude the parent of the same sex.” This idea of Oedipus Complex came from or was derived from Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus. In Oedipus Tyrannus, Oedipus was cursed to kill his father to sleep with his mother. Sigmund Freud, an Australian
Sophocles’ Oedipus and Shakespeare’s Hamlet are both known as classical literature. They both center around powerful men but from two different time periods and two different cultures. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark and Oedipus King of Thebes are very contrasting characters. Yet, there are as many similarities between the two stories as there are differences. Oedipus is a story of a baby prince who is cast out by his own father, King Laius. The King fears the boy for he has been told by the Oracle of
Sophocles' "Oedipus the King" and Shakespeare's "Hamlet", both contain the basic elements of tragedy of innocent and illusion. Hamlet and Oedipus go through drastic changes throughout the play that change their personality and shows their madness which leads the two characters in their most tragic downfall. The both characters in the play share one thing in common is that they are both seeking for the truth behind their parent’s death. In these two plays, two kings must leave their innocent behind