Hamlet and Oedipus Rex
Tragedy involves the downfall of an important figure, the protagonist,who usually becomes isolated or detached from his or her environment orsocial standing (Tragic pg). Moreover, the downfall includes others aswell, such as his or her family or a society as a whole (Tragic pg).Unlike comedy, where life goes forward and inevitably has a happy ending,in tragedy, life may go forward, but there is never a happy ending (Tragicpg). Furthermore, tragic literature invariably includes pauses withlamentations of regret and sorrow for how life could have been differenthad there not been betrayal and deceit, whether from earthly forces orhuman forms (Tragic pg). Characters are forced to make heartbreakingchoices, face overwhelming odds and watch fate change their lives forever(Tragic pg). Perhaps the two most read tragedies in literature areSophocles' "Oedipus Rex" from the Greek classics and William Shakespeare's In tragedies, not only are human frailties presented, but humandignity and nobility (Tragic pg). In classic as well as Elizabethandramas, tragedies are not based on ordinary people, but rather noble androyal characters who are forced by circumstance
Both "Oedipus Rex" and "Hamlet" contain the tragedy element of thesupernatural, the other world. They canchange nothing, no matter their intentions or actions. WhileOedipus consults the Oracle for advice to solve a murder, Hamlet is givenclues by his father's ghost to solve his. Although, seeking to prove the murder ofhis father may seem a noble cause, revenge proved the outcome and downfall. In"Hamlet," mystery again is a key element, however, the mystery is revealedin the beginning and the plot is moved along by Hamlet's investigation ashe "sets out to prove the crime before seeking revenge," even though heknows the crime and the identity of the criminal (Ghosh pg). In "Oedipus," Kreon is sent by Oedipus tothe god Apollo's shrine to seek advice concerning the sickness that hadbefallen Thebes. Although, Oedipus may seem archaic compared to Hamlet, he wascertainly a more heroic figure than Hamlet. "Hamlet," on the other hand, is a tragedy filled with greed andrevenge. When Oedipus asked why Laios' death had not been investigated, he was toldthat the Sphinx's riddle had preoccupied everyone (Sophocles 2002). Furthermore,Elizabethan dramatists wrote for a diverse audience, "ranging from QueenElizabeth and King James and their courtiers to the lowest of classes"(Tragic pg). While the classic dramas, such as "Oedipus Rex" were more epic instyle, the Elizabethan era brought about the romantic tragedy, such asShakespeare's "Hamlet" (Tragic pg). "Tragic vision insists upon man's responsibility for his actions. Perhaps one can change the smallthings in life, where one works or lives, but fate has a way of stepping inwhen on least expects it and taking it all away, such as with earthquakes,tornadoes, deaths, etc. However, each wasa product of their times. Their world revolves around solving riddles ofthe Sphinx and consulting oracles for advice.
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