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Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 3.15.97: Top | Help
Here are a few ideas that might help to stimulate your thoughts...Both plays open with an unnatural death: the death of Antigone's brother before the beginning of Antigone and the death of King Hamlet before the beginning of Hamlet. Both plays present a protagonist that is troubled about the death and seeks to honor the dead -- Hamlet by avenging his father's murder, Antigone by giving her brother a proper burial. In both plays the execution (sorry, really bad pun) of this honor is blocked by the King: Creon doesn't want Antigone to bury a traitor, and Claudius rather wants to live. ;) Unless I'm mistaken (it's been a while since I've read Antigone) both Antigone and Hamlet contemplate suicide at one point... I'm sure about Hamlet but not as certain that Antigone does. One other important point: both plays acknowledge the existence of the afterlife! Hamlet's Ghost comes back, and Hamlet worries that killing Claudius in prayer will send the King to heaven; Antigone feels that she is doing a service to the gods by burying Polonius and claims to be seeking approval from the divine rather than the human (specifically, rather than Creon) .
Like I said, it's been quite a while since I've read through Antigone, so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details... but hopefully you can get more specific in your paper.
Good luck, and remember to always be vegitant!
Regards,
~R~Posted by Rogue on April 01, 1997 at 09:33:20
In Reply to "I need a comparison of Hamlet vs. Antigone. Please help me!!!!!!!!!" posted by Paula on March 31, 1997 at 16:02:04
Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 3.15.97: Top | Help