ipl-logo

Theme Of Arrogance In Hamlet And Oedipus The King

578 Words3 Pages

When heros that are tied to destiny feature in literature, they often show signs of arrogance. In Oedipus the King, Sophocles shows how Oedipus’s quest for avoiding his destiny drives him to fulfill without being fully aware of it. When running away he finds himself married to his mother and becoming the king of thebes. In contrast, in Shakespeare’s Hamlet the main character is visited by the former king and informs him of the new kings doings. As a result the main character is convinced and must seek vengeance for the former king. While there is a fairly large time gap between these two pieces of literature, both explore how the arrogance of one can lead to a tragic outcome and how both Hamlet and Oedipus are tragic heroes. However, whereas …show more content…

The definition of a tragic hero according to csus.edu is ‘‘A tragic hero is a person of noble birth with heroic or potentially heroic qualities. This person is fated by the Gods or by some supernatural force to doom and destruction or at least to great suffering. But the hero struggles mightily against this fate and this cosmic conflict wins our admiration.’’ When Hamlet is faced with the quest to seek his father 's vengeance he does not act on impulse. Hamlet decides the make a play reacting the death of his father that was described to him by his father 's ghost this can be seen as Hamlet seeking the truth before making his decision which leads to his outcome. Oedipus was told his prophecy. With this being Oedipus prophecy he chooses sacrificing his happiness in order to keep his parents safe from danger.

In both stories Hamlet and Oedipus were both fated by gods or supernatural beings, there lives can be seen as predetermined. Oedipus was meant to be a prophecy in which he was doomed to kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus had his fate decided which lead to him being defined by arrogance that which made him believe he was able to prevent destiny from taking its course. Hamlet 's fate was determined by a supernatural being, the ghost of his father. The ghost elaborated on the his death and how he was poisoned by his uncle and how he asks of

Show More
Related

  • How Are Oedipus And Hamlet Alike

    1126 Words  | 5 Pages

    Hamlet and Oedipus share some common background, as in they both come from well-off families. Oedipus was born with the blood of gods and also raised by King Polybus and Queen Merope in Corinth. Hamlet was the prince of Denmark, soon to be king. They also have somewhat similar motivation when it comes to the the decision and need to kill the current king from each story. Hamlet’s motivation is the fact that he was questioning about his father’s death as well as his mom’s strange reaction since she had already moved on to a new marriage with Hamlet’s uncle.

    Read More

  • Hamlet And Julie Tragic Hero

    1771 Words  | 8 Pages

    This paper will argue that both title characters from Hamlet and Miss Julie are tragic heroes in an absurd world. Both characters find themselves fighting an immortal battle; Hamlet is struggling for identity and meaning, Julie for independence and freedom. Hamlet 's struggle takes place after the betrayal of his father which throws him into a depressive and self-destructive cycle of indecision and contemplation. Julie 's struggle takes place slowly throughout her entire life, accelerating with her failed engagement and her relations with the servant Jean. This essay will explore the elements of a tragic hero and to what extent they apply to Hamlet and Julie.

    Read More

  • Arrogance In Hamlet

    390 Words  | 2 Pages

    Arrogance is a nine-letter word that instills terrible traits in a person's personality. William Shakespeare's famed play "Hamlet" depicts the character of Hamlet as a complex individual with a key flaw: arrogance. By delving into the concept of "hamartia" as a tragic flaw, discussing the defining characteristics of a tragic hero, and examining a specific incident showcasing Hamlet's arrogance, we can gain profound insights into the impact of this flawed character on the tragic trajectory of the play. Firstly, The Greek term hamartia, which means "tragic flaw," refers to a character's inbuilt feature or characteristic that leads to their ultimate downfall.

    Read More

  • What Are The Similarities Between Amir And Hamlet

    765 Words  | 4 Pages

    Evaluation about the tragic hero status of Amir and Hamlet Since ancient Greece, literary works have frequently featured tragic heroes. They are typically defined by their tragic flaws, which lead to their downfall. Amir from Khaled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner" and Hamlet from William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" are two characters who suit these criteria. Although both characters meet the criteria for tragic heroes, they differ in their tragic flaws and the degree of agency they have over their fates. This essay will assess the tragic hero status of Amir and Hamlet, examining their noble qualities, tragic flaws, turning points, and outcomes.

    Read More

  • The Lion King And Hamlet Comparison Essay

    839 Words  | 4 Pages

    In more ways than one the world of Disney has somewhat interacted in the world of Shakespeare. Hamlet and The Lion King ,all though years apart in the making, have been drafted to be almost similar with little to no differences. They are similar in the ways of the plot and the moral background, but different as far as the ending transition of Hamlet and Simba are combined. The plot of Hamlet and The Lion King alike are about an Uncle to the King, or a heir next in line to the throne trying to gain power. Thus including some of the main characters being the King, the Queen, the King and Queen’s son, the son’s first love, his first loves’ father, two of the son’s instigating friends, and of course the son’s one and only true friend.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Hamlet's Indecisiveness

    628 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamlet no longer wanted to live in this life despair and pain. Another illustration of his indecisiveness is during the play when he had a clear chance to avenge his father by killing Claudius but choose not to do so, because he thought that Claudius was repenting for his

    Read More

  • Comparing Othello And Oedipus The King

    2332 Words  | 10 Pages

    The definition of a tragedy is a narrative poem or story that describes the downfall of a good man. Both Othello and King Oedipus Rex Fall into this class of literature, even though they were written by two totally different authors and in two utterly different time periods. These two works share several comparisons to every different, while having an honest quantity of variations similarly. Pride is characterized as one of the seven deadliest sins. Most pleased individuals will never see themselves as to be genuinely glad until they encounter the results of their pride.

    Read More

  • Hamlet's Flaws

    1874 Words  | 8 Pages

    Tragedies have a significant effect on audiences due to its relevant complexes that occur every day through different situations. Throughout the course of a tragedy audience build a relationship with the tragic hero whose exceptional nature excites them and forces them to question his situation and flaws. In the Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet, Hamlet’s catastrophic environment ignites his tragic flaws and ultimately leads to his demise. Hamlet succeeds in overcoming his hamartia through his death which allows him to maintain his legacy and avenge his father’s death. The famed poet T.S Elliot suggests in his essay “Hamlet and his problems”, that Hamlet faces disastrous conditions that exemplify the main complex within the play.

    Read More

  • Indecisiveness In Shakespeare's Hamlet

    461 Words  | 2 Pages

    A tragic hero is a character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction. A tragic hero always has a tragic flaw which is the problem that causes a character's downfall or death. Hamlet's tragic flaw is indecisiveness. Hamlet is one of the most typical examples of a tragic

    Read More

  • Sight Vs. Blindness In Sophocles Oedipus The King

    1063 Words  | 5 Pages

    Truly, Oedipus sets out to change his destiny. His self determination proves he has pride in himself and confidence that he can somehow change the future. When Oedipus killed his father he allowed his pride and arrogance to control him. He was thinking with his pride and did not use self control. This hubris that is instilled in Oedipus is a serious flaw of his.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Strengths And Weaknesses

    1844 Words  | 8 Pages

    Hamlet is William Shakespeare 's renowned tale of mystery, intrigue, and murder, centered on a young misguided prince who can only trust himself. Some may say that the actions of Prince Hamlet throughout the play are weak and fearful, displaying a tendency to procrastinate and showing an apathetic nature towards his family and peers. Others spin a tale of a noble young scholar, driven mad by the cold-blooded murder of his father by his uncle. In truth, I believe Hamlet is neither of these things. Hamlet is a sort of amalgamation of the two, a bundle of contradictions thrown together into one conflicting but very human mess of a character.

    Read More

  • Similarities And Differences Between Oedipus Rex And Hamlet

    803 Words  | 4 Pages

    Studying plays as Oedipus Rex and Hamlet is a vital part of studying literature since they are timeless works that teach many lessons. Moreover, they still have some concepts to be unmasked by critics of literature. According to Aristotle tragedy is ''a form of drama based on human misery that arouses in its audience feelings of pity and fear'' and each tragedy must have a tragic hero. Tragedy began in the ancient Greek theatre where tragedies were performed in late March to early April at an annual religious festival in honour of Dionysus. () One of the most famous tragedies in that period is Oedipus Rex which was written by Sophocles.

    Read More

  • Oedipus The King Research Paper

    1224 Words  | 5 Pages

    The destiny that Oedipus was attempting to avoid, was the destiny that he was also fulfilling. Fate is defined as a destined outcome; nothing can alter that no matter what is tried. Anyway, it was too late for Oedipus to do anything about it, for the many factors that contributed to his death were irreversible and dormant until the very ironically tragic end. Oedipus tried to master fate and it ultimately mastered him.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Fate Vs Free Will

    692 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since the earliest of times, there has always been debate over the concepts of fate and free will. The most frequent dispute is whether or not man truly has free will, or if fate is the ultimate determinant of how one's life will turn out. One play that depicts this concept is Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. In this tragedy, Oedipus receives a prophecy that he would bed his mother and murder his father. After learning of this prophecy, Oedipus attempts to undo fate and utilize his free will to escape what would be his destiny.

    Read More

  • Essay On Hamlet As A Tragic Hero

    943 Words  | 4 Pages

    A tragic hero is a multifaceted, admirable character with a tragic flaw that turns his life from glory into suffering. Hamlet is an example. ‘Born’ personality, shifting mentality, and inevitable fate leads to its tragedy which eventually triggers audience’s pity. Unlike other tragedies where tragic heros discover the truths by their own actions at the end of the story, realizing that the reversal was brought by their own actions. Hamlet begins differently by knowing the truth from things happening to him.

    Read More

More about Theme Of Arrogance In Hamlet And Oedipus The King

Open Document