Characters of Odyssey and Hamlet Essay Example

and he is acting so that he can active his object. Similarly, Odysseus used deception to disguise himself. When he arrives at the town, he pretends to be a beggar. He came in as a mendicant to disguise his physical to achieve his objectives (Homer, 434).

Both works portray revenge as necessary in achieving justice. Hamlet from onset is convinced that he is the only one who can revenge for his father’s death. It is by killing his uncle just like he killed his father that he will be able to do justice for his father’s death. Odysseus sees revenge as the only avenue for seeking justice for his crew member’s death. However, it appears that both writers had different messages they wanted to portray to the society. In Hamlet, it is evident that revenge has destructive effects on people. Hamlet desire for vengeance ended in a tragedy. In odyssey, Homer is portraying as necessary part of life.

In literature, characters may portray certain behavior towards others and a different kind of behavior towards oneself. Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Homer’s Odyssey several characters have used this tactics to achieve their objectives. Hamlet, and Athena and Odysseus used this tactic.

Hamlet used his antic disposition to fool people Shakespeare, 171). He feigned to be mad to confuse the kings, the henchmen and the community members. Polonius was convinced that he was mad and was the first one to declare him so and believed that Ophelia was the cause of his madness since she repelled his love. His feigned madness was meant to help him revenge his father’s death. His madness appears mostly when his father’s murder is mentioned. He also

plays with the corpse of a courtier he has murdered. On the contrary, Hamlet is not mad. He admits to Horatio that if he sees any strange behavior in him, he will be feigning madness. He also admits to his mother that he is alright. Through this tactics, he gets the freedom to carry out his vengeance.

In Odyssey, Athena portrays herself in many forms. She is a maven of makeovers. She appears to people in disguise. At the beginning of the play, she appears to Telemachus, Odysseus son as Mentes, his father’s old from Ithaca who has come to visit. She manages to appear as Telemachus mentor and advises and helps to protect him from the many suitors. She helped him to call a meeting between the leaders and confronted the suitors marking his first step towards maturity. However, she also managed to engage in a discussion with him in attempt to discover the problems going on at the palace. She also appears to Penelope at work and in her dreams and also as a young servant boy when Odyssey arrives at Ithaca (Homer, 548).

Odysseus also uses this tactic to be able to return to Ithaca without anyone realizing. With the help of Athena, Odysseus alters his appearance and disguises himself as a beggar visiting the family farm (Homer, 456). However, Eurycleia recognizes him when bathing him because of the scar in his leg but vows not to say anything. Odysseus disguised himself so that he can be able to protect his family. The suitors were a threat to the throne and the prince and thus his disguise helped him to slay them and save

his son and his wife.

Tememachus and Hamlet are born of kings and will soon be heirs to their father’s throne. However, there circumstances and outcomes are different. This essay wishes to present the differences and similarities between these two characters including their leadership skills and potential.

When Odyssey unfolds, Telemachus is just an infant devoted to maintaining their estate and his mother but does not know how to protect her from the many suitors. His mother is committed to grooming him and teaching him the responsibilities of a prince. Although he is not fluent, he has an active mind, a stout heart and assertive. Hamlet determined, impulsive and vengeful. However, they both have several attributes in common.

They are both discontented with the state of affairs in their society. Telemachus is determined to protect his father’s estate and his mother from the suitors although he does not know how. Hamlet is also determined to take revenge against his uncle for marrying his mother and killing his father. Both Telemachus and Hamlet relied on other people to help them with the affairs of the palace. Athena played a huge role in helping Telemachus confront the suitors while the ghost played an important role in revealing to Hamlet his father’s murder and cautioning him against committing murder. Telemachus and Hamlet valued love and marriage. Telemachus was very young when his father left but he valued his father’s love and when he came of age he was determined to bring his father back. He also strived to ensure that he protects his parents’ marriage. Hamlet love for his father is demonstrated in his desire to take revenge on whoever killed

his father. He is also agitated by the idea of his mother remarrying barely months after his father death.

However, the two had several differences. Telemachus has mercy while Hamlet is vengeful (Homer, 401). Telemachus spares Medon when he says he is innocent and he should not be hurt. Hamlet on the other, vengeance has entirely consumed him and does not have mercy not for his mother or Ophelia. Hamlet is indecisive while Telemachus is focused and knows exactly what he wants. His indecisiveness affects his ability to make good and clear decisions causing him serious problems in the future (Shakespeare, 129). He always got guidance from the ghost. They were young but they had several leadership qualities and skills.

People may come from different cultural backgrounds, but still have some commonalities among them. Jocasta in Oedipus the King, Gertrude in Hamlet and Penelope in Odyssey have several commonalities and differences. This essay explores the differences and similarities between these characters including their outcomes successes and failures.

Gertrude and Penelope are faced with a similar problem. Gertrude’s husband has just passed on and she is remarrying Claudius. However, her son is opposed to her marriage. He sees it as betraying his father. He is disgusted with the idea and does not understand why she can do that barely few months after his father’s death. Similarly, Penelope is facing a similar problem. She is set to remarry but his son is opposed to her marriage. Gertrude and Jocasta are consumed with guilt due to their actions. In Hamlet after Hamlet talk to his mother, she pleaded with him to stop flooding her faults to her ears because she could

not bear the guilt.

Jocasta is also filed with guilt for marrying his son after his father’s death. When Oedipus tells her she got married to her son without knowing, she pleads with him to stop because the guilt she was feeling was unbearable. All of these characters were similar not only because they were mothers but by the way they protected and loved their sons. Jocasta married his son despite the fact that she knew about the prophecy. Penelope was a loving mother and taught his son how to be a prince while Gertrude demonstrated his love when she asked Hamlet not to let her to lose her prayers (Shakespeare, 287). However, her decision to remarry separated her from his son who was now determined to take revenge.

However, Jocasta and Gertrude actions are different from those of Penelope. These two soon after the death of their husbands remarried as opposed to Penelope who even after her husband left, she kept making empty promises to her suitors. She honored and stayed loyal her husband and was a good mother to Telemachus. Gertrude and Penelope view and think different. Penelope has the ability to thinking critically an attribute that Gertrude lacks. She managed to play along with her suitors for almost four years and seems not to go for safe choices contrary to Gertrude who seems to use her instincts to solve issues.

Work Cited

• Homer. (1996). The odyssey. (R. Fagles, Trans.) New York: Penguin Group ISBN 978-0-14-026886-7
• Shakespeare, W.  (1987). Hamlet.  (Roma Gill, Ed.).  New York: Oxford.  ISBN 978-0-19-832870-4
• Sophocles.  (1978). Oedipus the king.  (S. Berg and D. Clay, Trans.).  New York: Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-505493-4