Bartleby and Hamlet

Paper Summary:

This paper emphasizes specific passages in the story where the lawyer is given the opportunity to create positive action, but instead chooses the passive aggressive route. The author finds that the lawyer is like Hamlet in that his melancholy temperament leads him to over-think the situation instead of taking action.

From the Paper:

"Herman Melville's short story, Bartleby the Scrivener, has many complex themes that are interwoven into the tale of a lawyer and his odd employees. The oddest employee is one by the name of Bartleby. The story is told from the perspective of a lawyer on Wall Street. The Lawyer, who is never named, is a very complex and interesting character, perhaps even more interesting than the character of Bartleby. Though the Lawyer is the voice for the story, he is not a highly reliable narrator. The Lawyer's view of himself, as well as the other characters, is often skewed and contradictory. The story could be said to be a tragedy due to the pathetic death of Bartleby at the end of the story. Though Bartleby does die and the scene is of a tragic nature, the true tragic figure is not Bartleby, but instead is the Lawyer. The Lawyer, much like the tragic hero of Hamlet, suffers from fits of melancholy, which cause him to hesitate instead of taking action where action is necessary. The story is riddled with examples of his inaction, hesitation, and passiveness, due to his melancholy temperament."

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