VCCS Litonline Introduction to Literature
English 112 (English Composition II)

The Hamlet Site

Study and Essay Questions

Objective for this Page: To analyze the similarities and differences between Hamlet and Oedipus.

4. Compare and contrast the personalities and situations of Hamlet and Oedipus. Which one over-reaches himself more (takes on an opponent he can't handle)? Which one is more incestuous? Which one is more effective in handling the problem he has to confront?

Gather evidence from the text of Oedipus the King and/or a movie version* , and the text or a movie version of Hamlet ** to defend your answer to any of these.

* I recommend the version with Christopher Plummer as Oedipus and Lilli Palmer as Jocasta, which has aired on the Arts & Entertainment cable channel [A&E] a few times.

** I recommend Franco Zeffirelli’s direction of Mel Gibson as Hamlet.

4.1 How does each protagonist's religious faith play a part in their actions and decisions? For example, what credibility do Oedipus and Hamlet place in their respective sources--Oedipus's oracle of Apollo and Hamlet's ghost? Which is the more reliable source and why?

4.2 What are the reasons that each of these two protagonists must find and destroy a king-killer? How are their missions similar and different, and how do the differences account for differences in their effectiveness?

4.3 Who has more at stake, Oedipus or Hamlet, in succeeding in his mission? Explain.

4.4 Who is Oedipus's primary opponent? Who is Hamlet's primary opponent? How do these opponents differ, and how do these differences impact on the protagonists' effectiveness?

4.5 Which protagonist, Oedipus or Hamlet, emerges in the end as more "victorious"? Explain.

4.6 What’s the significance of the scene in the graveyard where Hamlet examined the skull of Yorick, former court jester and play pal?

  The URL for this page is: http://vccslitonline.cc.va.us/TheHamletSite/studygd4.htm