Hamlet and Antigone Comparative Essay Example

A story’s tragic hero is a defining feature of a work of literature, often symbolizing the consequences of a fatal flaw of the power of fate. This specific literary device was a trademark of classic Greek dramas such as Sophocles’ Antigone and Shakespeare’s Hamlet. While the title characters and protagonists of these two plays are alike in many ways, they also differ vastly in other regards. Though the two characters, both with strong wills and headstrong natures, share experiences of loss and grief, Hamlet and Antigone each face tragic challenges created by their unique and separate fatal flaws. 

According to Aristotle in his work, Poetics, a protagonist must possess specific traits to be considered a tragic hero: Firstly, a character must be, for the most part, virtuous and noble; Perhaps the character is driven by their strong morals or by their desire to uphold the honor of Greek culture and tradition. Additionally, a tragic hero must have some kind of fatal flaw, or hamartia, that will contribute to their downfall later in the story. Often times in ancient Greek literature, this flaw is hubris, jealousy, or disloyalty. The presence of this shortcoming in a characters’ description allows the audience to relate to the character. In fact, a good tragic hero should evoke catharsis, therefore “provocative of the emotions of tragic fear and pity, as they are described by Aristotle” from the audience (Schauroth, 353). Finally, to be a tragic hero, a character must experience a “reversal of fortunes” or a fall from grace, often leaving the character to deal with death and destruction at the conclusion of the work, hence the term “tragic” hero. 

Both Hamlet and Antigone fulfill these requirements and can therefore be considered the tragic heroes of their respective stories. For example, Antigone’s is motivated by tradition to bury her brother, Polyneices, against the orders of King Creon, establishing her noble intentions: “She is not upholding divine law, as such, against the laws of man.” (Adams, 49). Furthermore, Antigone’s fatal flaw of stubborn will pushes her to participate in acts of civil disobedience against the leaders of Thebes, evoking a threat of punishment from King Creon and ultimately leading to Antigone’s suicide. Hamlet also establishes his nobility throughout Hamlet, often putting his own needs aside in order to secure the kingdom of Denmark and ensure that justice is served. In addition, Hamlet also meets his downfall, death at the hands of Laertes’ poisoned sword, due to his fatal flaw of indecision. 

One of the biggest differences between Hamlet and Antigone as tragic heroes is their unique hamartia: defects in a character that eventually lead to their downfall. In Antigone, Antigone’s tragic flaw, as well as her greatest strength, is her stubborn nature. Antigone is able to overcome any fear or uncertainty in her belief by her resolve to always do the right thing, no matter what. Unfortunately, it is her unwavering confidence in her decision to provide her brother with a proper Greek burial, despite an official decree, that sparks condemnation from King Creon and ultimately leading to Antigone’s collapse. However, some argue that Antigone’s stubbornness was not the true cause of her death, but rather, the hubris of the story’s antagonist, King Creon, is to blame instead. Despite his catharsis, Creon chooses not to show Antigone mercy because of his excessive pride, rendering him incapable of effectively dealing with conflicts, and resulting in not only his own downfall, but that of Antigone as well. In fact, some argue that Antigone is not a tragic heroine at all due to the fact that her motives are entirely too pure; “She may fail to win our full sympathy because to us she seems too good to be the reflection of ourselves.” (Schauroth, 362). Nevertheless, because Antigone’s death occurs at her own hands, one thing is certain: “Antigone met her death through defiance of an edict forbidding the burial of Polyneices' body.” (Adams, 47). 

In contrast, Hamlet’s hamartia happens to be his extreme indecision. Hamlet swears vengeance after learning that his father was slain by Claudius, yet, he takes an inordinate amount of time in doing so, hesitating to take definitive action against his father's assassin. Ruled his by intellect and deliberate in his actions, Hamlet procrastinates taking his vengeance, waiting and waiting for the perfect window of opportunity; “Before he kills the King, he must have evidence and certainty, for evil spirits sometimes assume the shape of departed familiars in order to bring men to madness.” (McCloskey, 446). Another big part of Hamlet’s uncertainty was his internal struggle with morals and responsibilities. Hamlet feels a loyalty to his country and to the preservation of justice and therefore does not want to act rashly or without sound cause. It is this uninhibited idealism, fatalism, and analysis that halts Hamlet’s plan for revenge. In the end unfortunately, Hamlet’s delay leads not only to his own death, but that of those around him: Gertrude, Ophelia, Laertes, and Claudius. 

With their differences set aside, Hamlet and Antigone are similar in many ways as tragic heroes. One of the most obvious similarities between the two protagonists is their shared struggle with loss and grief. While Antigone struggles with the death of her brother, Polyneices, Hamlet mourns the loss of his father, King Hamlet. Additionally, both characters set goals as means to cope with their grief, each setting out on a path of vengeance and justice: Antigone sets her mind to ensuring that Polyneices receives a proper Greek burial while Hamlet resolves to avenge the death of his father by killing his murderer, Claudius. Both heroes feel that completing these tasks will lessen their grief and will go to any lengths necessary to do so, no matter the consequences. S.M. Adams explains the sincerity of Antigone’s sentiment: “If it means her death, there are worse fates than that.” (Adams, 49).

Another similarity between Hamlet and Antigone is that they both suffer from “tunneled vision”, often leaving them to act without thinking of the consequences. On many occasions throughout their respective stories, the two characters demonstrate apathy towards those around them, prioritizing their goals and desires over the wellbeing of their loved ones. For example, Hamlet’s cruelty towards Ophelia contributes to her spiral into madness after the death of her father at the hands of Hamlet himself. In the words of D.J. Snider, “The order of the world is thus turned upside down; he knows that he is born to set it right - that this is the highest duty, to which every inferior duty must yield.” (Snider, 85-86). Similarly, Antigone disregards the opinions of her sister, Ismene, concerning the issue of Polyneices’ burial, deciding instead to act of her own accord despite the consequences her actions might have on others. 

In conclusion, the two tragic Greek heroes of Antigone and Hamlet are alike in many ways while also demonstrating several important differences. Though both characters suffer great loss and reversals of fortunes, their downfalls come about as a result of different hamartia: Antigone’s being stubborn will and Hamlet’s being indecision. However, despite their differing routes to demise, the two protagonists meet their bitter end all the same, painting them as the tragic heroes of their stories and allowing the audience to learn valuable lessons from their mistakes.