Hamlet And Oedipus Research Paper

Christina Urbina
Professor Messerschmidt
LIT 1000
September 14, 2014 Assessment of Hamlet and Oedipus Oedipus and Hamlet are two characters that are comparable even though they have different authors. In the Elizabethan era, which Hamlet was written in, tragedy was customary in most plays. Yet Oedipus Rex was written 2000 years before Hamlet. The intrigue in these plays, keep the audience and reader engrossed till the very end. Oedipus and Hamlet brought upon their own demise by their egos and their quest for the truth to be exposed. The difference between them is that one begins as a murderer and the other becomes one due to his quest for the truth. Oedipus runs straight into his destiny when running from a prophecy. It is foretold …show more content…
Both characters are undeterred in finding the truth. Hamlet killed and played mad to bring his justice to his father’s murderer. Oedipus is quick to speak instead of think and brings about his own demise. They were both driven by pride and ego. Hamlet never stopped playing mad even when others around him where being hurt. Oedipus created his own demise by his own words and his pride caused him to banish himself to satisfy the words he himself spoke. Both men speak and act rashly. Hamlet acted mad after a few minutes of consideration, instead of taking time to truly access what would be best. Oedipus spoke about finding the murderer of the dead king, when these words would be his future. Both men have tragic outcomes and they both cause the audience to think outside the box. Some might consider that these men are normal within their eras. That the circumstances that these men deal with are not something that would be written about. But it might be the type of details that make these stories interesting. “But Oedipus was an ordinary guy who made what Aristotle called a ‘tragic mistake’.” (Bowman) Oedipus and Hamlet are always talked about as ordinary men who made a hamartia. Hamlet and Oedipus have conflict within themselves as well as others within the …show more content…
I also think that Oedipus is very selfish in his quest to find the murderer of the old King. He thinks he is trying to save his kingdom, yet is quick to anger when it is pointed out that he is the cause of the misery and the murderer. I believe that Hamlet had noble intent and Oedipus at first was noble but ended insane. These men might be able to be compared, but there will always be different interpretations to this story and the debate will go on forever.

Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Literature: Reading, Writing, Reacting, Compact 8th ed. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. Boston: Wadsworth, 2013. 1334-1432. Print.
Bowman, James. “The uses of abuse.” National Review 18 Oct. 1993: 62+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 15 Sept. 2014
Fosso, Kurt1. "Oedipus Crux: Reasonable Doubt In "Oedipus The King.." College Literature 39.3 (2012): 26-60. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 20 Sept. 2014. Sophocles. Oedipus the King. Literature: Reading, Writing, Reacting, Compact 8th ed. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. Boston: Wadsworth, 2013. 1334-1432. Print.
Henderson, Eric. "Oedipus Vs. Hamlet." VCC Lit Online. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, 1 Jan. 2003. Web. 20 Sept. 2014.

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