"Hamlet" and "Oedipus Rex"

Paper Summary:

This paper first explains what exactly defines tragic literature and then compares and contrasts Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex" with William Shakespeare's "Hamlet," two of the most read tragedies in literature. The paper looks at the different styles of the tragedies, the different audiences for whom the plays were written, and character development in the plays, as well as their use of the elements of mystery and the supernatural.

From the Paper:

"Mystery is another element of tragedy. In "Oedipus Rex, Oedipus" very identity is a mystery, which serves to move the plot (Ghosh pg). Although his own identity is a mystery, Oedipus serves as an investigator to solve the reason for the plague that has fallen upon his city. In "Hamlet," mystery again is a key element, however, the mystery is revealed in the beginning and the plot is moved along by Hamlet's investigation as he "sets out to prove the crime before seeking revenge," even though he knows the crime and the identity of the criminal (Ghosh pg). Oedipus and Hamlet both strive to solve their perspective mysteries."

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