Oedipus and Hamlet

A detailed Summary of Oedipus and Hamlet

Oedipus and Hamlet are two very well known characters in literature. They both stand out in a reader's mind through their actions, conflicts, strengths, and weaknesses. A reader becomes involved more in the action through these two characters. They allow us, the reader, to gain a greater sense of the stories plot. In many ways these characters hold similar traits to one another but the one that stands out most in my mind is their relationships with their fathers. Their father's prior conflicts and decisions influenced these characters to the point of their own demise.

In Hamlet Prince of Denmark young Hamlet is left facing the outcomes of the conflict his father had with his brother. Old Hamlet is dead, killed by his own brother for the thrown of Denmark. Young Hamlet is in deep morning over the loss of his father and now he has to handle the remarriage of his mother to his own uncle, the man who in cold blood killed his father. Hamlet, with the death of his father, is acting strangely but his whole outlook changes for the worst when his father's ghost visits him. He finds out the true causes of his death and he is influenced by his father to seek revenge. Hamlet's father tells his son to kill his uncle, Claudius becaus

In Oedipus the King, Oedipus never had a relationship with his biological father, but from the time of his birth he was destined to always have a connection to him. It was phophetetcized by the oracle of Delphi that the son of Laius and Jocasta, king and queen of Thebes, would kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus was born and out of fear his father ordered his death. He was taken to be killed but instead the shepherd hired to leave Oedipus bounded by his feet on top of a mountain gave him to a king and queen in Corinith, who were unable to have children. Here is where the conflict begins; Oedipus is raised never knowing the truth of his birth or of his oracle. He believes that Polybus and Merope are his parents. Years pass and Oedipus is living happily in Corinith until he goes to the Oracle of Delphi and receives a prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother. He is dismayed by this, and flees Corinith because he loves Ploybus and Merope so much and does not want to do any harm to them. He flees to Thebes, his birthplace, never knowing that the actions he is about to commit are exactly what the oracle phrophetcized. He walks into his own demise because he never knew the truth. The oracle becomes reality when he kills Lauis upon entering Thebes and he later marries Jocasta, his mother, never knowing all along that the actio

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Approximate Word count = 918
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English