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“Oedipus King” by Sophocles and “Hamlet” by Shakespeare Report (Assessment)

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King Oedipus and Hamlet are the protagonists of two of the most famous classic dramas: Oedipus King by Sophocles and Hamlet by William Shakespeare. In Sophocles’ play, King Oedipus appears as a stubborn seeker of verity, who ignores the dangers arising on his life path. Shakespeare’s drama portrays Hamlet as a hesitant philosopher whose search for sooth breaks his inner balance and demands a change in his personality. Thus, despite the absolute diversities in character, both heroes show the greatest resilience, which also manifests itself in different ways.

In the tragedy of Sophocles, the protagonist is the ruler of Thebes – Oedipus Rex. He demonstrates compassion for the problems of each inhabitant of his land, genuinely worries about their doom, and tries to assist them in every issue. In the composition, his destiny proves to be incredibly tragic, but despite this, his figure seems not pretentious but magnificent. In the finale, he defends his virtue and courage by self-punishment. Oedipus proceeds incredibly courageously, chastising himself for misdeeds that he committed unconsciously; his judgment is harsh but symbolic. He gouges his eyes and goes into expulsion to avoid being next to those whom he desecrated with activity. Oedipus is a king who confesses his blunders and is ready to be penalized for them. After severe challenges, Oedipus disengages from ambitions, haughtiness, and godless aspirations and abandons the land, donating everything for the townsfolk’s boon, trying to rescue them from the plague.

The main character of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, had a peaceful life until trouble entered his home, and his fate changed overnight. Hamlet lost his father and was betrayed by his mother. Ordeals begin when the specter of his deceased father appears to the hero and tells who was the culprit of his death, persuading Hamlet to take vengeance. The protagonist is on the verge of madness: an intelligent and unexcelled humanist in the world, which is an enemy to his ideas. The wish to find the culprit moves him to the fight for justice. He is tormented by doubts about whether he is able of any action. However, Hamlet understands that killing Claudius, he will change nothing. He establishes himself a painful goal to withstand the universal vice. It is not a single adversary, not an accidental offense, but a sizeable opposed society. The scale of evil dejects him, generating disappointment in life and making him realize the insignificancy of his forces.

More about Hamlet

Both protagonists, united by a desire to uncover the truth and punish culprits, demonstrate different approaches to finding the verity. Kenaan (2019) notes that the active and energetic attitude of Oedipus and the philosophical, brooding, and doubting nature of Hamlet lead both to achieving goals. However, after revealing the verity and completing their task, the heroes are crushed by the cruelty of their death. Having met face-to-face with the most challenging trials, both characters show resilience and firmness of character and do not surrender to anything.

Oedipus displays an unwavering determination to solve the murder of his predecessor, King Lai, but he does not show emotional fortitude when he learns the real facts about his life. However, Oedipus later comes to terms with his fate and takes responsibility for the choices he made in his life. On the contrary, Hamlet displays remarkable intellectual resilience throughout the plot, but he does not exhibit much capacity to respond to the unfavorable emotional situations he encounters in the play. In my opinion, the character of Oedipus is more resilient, which is due to the peculiarities of his nature. Thus, he is more active and influential than Hamlet, who is often immersed in his thoughts.

Reference

Kenaan, V. L. (2019) The ancient unconscious: Psychoanalysis and classical texts. Oxford University Press.

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IvyPanda. 2022. ""Oedipus King" by Sophocles and "Hamlet" by Shakespeare." June 28, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/oedipus-king-by-sophocles-and-hamlet-by-shakespeare/.

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