Both Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus Rex and William Shakespeare’s Hamlet can be viewed as illustrations of the resilience of human beings. Resilience means one’s capability to adapt and recover quickly from stressful events. Both Oedipus and Hamlet have difficulties accepting horrible truths about themselves and their families; however, Hamlet seems to be more resilient, behaving with more patience and countenance instead of making reckless choices.
In the course of the plays, both characters learn difficult truths about their past. Oedipus finds out that he killed his own father and married his mother, as was prophesized to him, and this revelation shocks him. Sophocles writes, “…is there a man more agonized? More wed to pain and frenzy? Not a man on earth…” (Sophocles 56). Hamlet is appalled to learn from the ghost of his father that he was killed by his uncle, the new king of Denmark: “O villain, villain, smiling damned villain!” (Shakespeare 47). The initial reaction of both characters is that of shock and anger, and they could not accept the truth.
Further actions of Oedipus and Hamlet show the difference in their characters. Oedipus enters into a fury, rushes to kill his wife and mother, and blinds himself in despair: “I stabbed out these eyes. Why should I have eyes? Why, when nothing I saw was worth seeing? Nothing” (Sophocles 68). He cannot bear the pain and guilt of his actions and the understanding that the discovery of the truth was not worth the death of his wife and the corruption of his family (Steiner 558). Hamlet, on the other hand, does not fly into a rage but swears revenge, as the ghost asks him: “So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word; It is ‘Adieu, adieu! Remember me.’ I have sworn’t” (Shakespeare 47). After the initial shock, he is filled with determination to avenge his father rather than the desire to destroy everything around him.
Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex describes the character’s journey towards the truth, while Hamlet tells the story of revenge. Oedipus blinds himself after his horrible discovery and pledges to live the rest of his life in exile. He is devastated and cannot live with the consequences of his actions: “If only I had died, this weight of monstrous doom could not have dragged me and my darlings down” (Sophocles 69). Hamlet is more resilient, and throughout the course of the play pursues his goal of avenging his father. He is determined to kill his uncle, “He that hath killed my king, and whored my mother/ Popped in between the election and my hopes/ Thrown out his angle for my proper life” (Shakespeare 208). He loses all fear of death and believes that if his time has come, there is nothing he can do about it. At the end of the play, Hamlet succeeds in killing his uncle but has to give his own life to his purpose. He dies with the feeling that he has fulfilled his purpose, while Oedipus goes into exile devastated and not able to forgive himself.
Both in Oedipus Rex and Hamlet, the characters are faced with horrible truths and try to cope with them. Both have difficulties accepting reality, but Hamlet is more resilient. He reacts calmer, sets a goal, and acts with determination to achieve it, while Oedipus flies into a rage and seeks to destroy himself and his family. Hamlet’s capability to adapt to reality leads him to the fulfillment of his purpose and the acceptance of the inevitability of death, while Oedipus goes into exile feeling guilty and devasted, unable to accept the consequences of his actions.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Yale University Press, 2003.
Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Prestwick House Inc., 2005.
Steiner, John. “The Trauma and Disillusionment of Oedipus.” Psychoanalytic Theory and Technique, vol. 99. no. 3, 2016, pp. 555–568.