Literary Critique of Antigone and Hamlet Essay Example

father, his tendency to procrastinate and be easily distracted due to his youthful nature is his tragic flaw. A careful analysis of Shakespeare's writing reveals Hamlet's frequent inability to take decisive action.

Hamlet's consistent failure to take action is evident in his inability to commit suicide, his reluctance to confront the guilt of killing his mother, his decision to stage a play to postpone the murder of Claudius, and his hesitation to kill Claudius while he is praying. Throughout the play, Hamlet repeatedly chooses inaction. One of the reasons for this is his internal struggle with the desire to end his own life. However, suicide is considered sinful and goes against Christian principles. The following quote reflects Hamlet's feeling of emptiness and despair, yet he cannot bring himself to sin by taking his own life.

Hamlet voices his fatigue and discontentment with the world, claiming that even the idea of suicide does not appeal to him. This apprehension about the unknown prevents him from acting. In a different soliloquy, he contemplates whether or not to end his life but ultimately rejects the notion due to his fear of what awaits after death. If he opts against committing suicide, he acknowledges that he must take action and seek retribution for his father. Nonetheless, his hesitation once again results in inertia.

Both Hamlet and Antigone are consumed by their emotions, causing them to become immobilized in different ways. Hamlet is overwhelmed with sorrow after the death of his father, dedicating most of his time to his emotional downfall. He speaks like a deranged lunatic, devises absurd plans and monologues, and contemplates revenge and suicide. This grief-induced paralysis prevents him from

taking action, even though he considers killing his mother or sparing her. On the other hand, Antigone also feels a strong desire to rectify the injustices done to her brother Polyneices. However, unlike Hamlet who is immobilized by fear of vengeance, Antigone's desire for justice propels her into a reckless spiral of hasty actions.

While her brothers killed one another, Eteocles alone received a proper burial to ensure his entrance into the afterlife. The king, Creon, refused to grant Polyneices a burial and the associated rights, thus depriving him of an afterlife. Antigone acted out of a sense of righteous fury and, in her impatience, defied the king's orders by burying her brother and conducting the necessary rites to facilitate his journey to the afterlife alongside their family. However, her downfall ultimately stemmed from her stubbornness, leading to both her own death and that of her lover. In the following quote, one can hear hints of her unwavering determination and youthful impetuosity: "Antigone:…Be as you choose to be; but for myself I myself will bury him. It will be good to die, so doing."

I will gladly remain by his side, loving him as he loved me; I will be a criminal, but one driven by religious beliefs. The duration of my duty to please the departed is longer than my duty to please the living. For in the realm of the dead, I will find eternal happiness. If you wish, you can bring shame upon what the gods have revered. Ismene: I will bring dishonor upon them, but defying the laws and regulations imposed by society is not within my capabilities. Antigone: Let that serve as

your justification.

But I will go to heap the earth on the grave of my loved brother. (Antigone 79-94) Both Hamlet and Antigone conclude tragically, with the main characters meeting a tragic demise, amidst the senseless deaths of those around them. In the end, Hamlet commits regicide, but he himself is also murdered. Similarly, as he seeks revenge, Ophelia, his beloved, her father, her brother, and even Hamlet's mother, the queen, meet their untimely deaths. In Antigone’s case, she too is ultimately killed; however, tragedy befalls not only her execution but also leads to the suicide of her lover, his mother, and the destruction of the king.

Both stories go to show how pride is a fatal flaw of the kings, which keeps them from seeing the flaws in their own

Works Cited

1. “William Shakespeare Hamlet.” Mays, Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to Literature, 13th ed. W. W. Norton & Company, 2020.
2. “Sophocles Antigone.” Mays, Kelly J. The Norton Introduction to Literature. 13th ed. W. W.

Norton & Company, 2020