FratFiles

• Save Paper

Oedipus vs. Hamlet as Tragic Protagonists



Oedipus fits Aristotle's definition of the tragic flaw and protagonist almost flawlessly. Aristotle described the protagonist as "someone regarded as extraordinary rather than typical..."(1117). Oedipus freed Thebes from the Sphinx by solving her riddle-- something nobody else had been able to do. The priest in the first scene of Act I calls Oedipus "...our greatest power" (1121) and describes him as rated first among men.



Hamlet is of noble birth but there is nothing else extraordinary about him. Unlike Oedipus, he had not saved a kingdom; he just happened to be born a prince. In tragedies the protagonists are usually of the nobility to make their falls seem greater. However, Aristotle said "What is finally important is not so much the protagonist's social stature as a greatness of character..." (1117).



Protagonists, as described in our book, must also have a "determination to meet some goal or task to make them......

View the rest of this paper...

Approximate Word Count: 376
Approximate Pages: 2 (250 words per double-spaced page)

Similar Essays

1. Oedipus Vs. Hamlet: A Character Comparison
   

   Oedipus vs. Hamlet: A Character Comparison This paper is the rough draft version. There are grammatical errors and other such errors in it. Oedipus vs. Hamlet: A Character

2. Oedipus Rex Vs Hamlet
   

   oedipus rex vs hamlet Compare and contrast Oedipus and Hamlet. Is Oedipus more a man of action? Or is he more a man driven by whim and sudden, rash decisions? Which character is

3. Hamlet Vs. Oedipus
   

   Hamlet vs. Oedipus Character Analysis of Prince Hamlet in "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare and Oedipus in "Oedipus King" by Sophocles In Aristotle's literary discourse, "Poetics,"

4. Oedipus Vs. Hamlet
   

   oedipus vs. hamlet Oedipus vs. Hamlet as Tragic Protagonists Oedipus fits Aristotle's definition of the tragic flaw and protagonist almost flawlessly. Aristotle described the

5. Oedipus Rex Vs. Hamlet
   

   Oedipus Rex Vs. Hamlet In the play Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, a young prince is in search of the truth behind his father's murder. At first, Hamlet sees the ghost of his deceased