Hamlet And The Glass Menagerie Essay

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Within William Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams’ plays Hamlet and The Glass Menagerie there are many characters, respectively, who contribute to the greater ideas of each play. Both texts reflect in their own ways that appearances can be deceiving, as seen through the eyes of the tales’ two main tragic heroes. Each hero represents the dramatic qualities of the works as a whole by functioning not only as catalyst for the downfall of others, but also for their own internal suffering. Suffering, which occurs solely because these characters feel they have to hide their true intentions and desires from others to begin with. Due to each of their given circumstances, Hamlet and Tom have obligations which keep them from acting upon their desires …show more content…
Many years prior in the story of the play, his father left their family, walking out on Tom, his sister Laura, and their mother, Amanda. Since then, Amanda has fretted about and relied on Tom to be the family breadwinner, and to take care of herself and Laura. Laura too has her own hindrances in The Glass Menagerie, those being her limp and social anxiety, which keep her from expressing herself truly except for when the gentleman caller, Jim, arrives. However briefly it may be, Laura does make a transformation while she is with Jim, and because of her transformation, she cannot be considered a tragic hero. The real tragic hero, Tom, is considered more of a modern one. Since he never achieves his dream of becoming a poet, or having the ability to truly leave his family’s house. In the end, although he does so physically, Tom is forced to live with his guilt and obligation. He and Hamlet are both imprisoned by their minds and mothers, who keep them from ever truly being happy. Both of their punishments and conclusions exceed the crimes thrust upon them. However, Tom is able to use his position of employment at the shoe factory to at least keep his family from solely griping with him. Hamlet simply sulks about the castle all
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