Comparing Hamlet Prince Of Denmark And One Flew Over The Cuckoo's

Where are our heroes? Starting in early childhood we are exposed to the virtues of what it means to be a “hero.” Traditionally, a hero is someone who is described as flawless, has strong morals, is well-rounded, well liked, and possesses a great a amount of courage and honor (“Anti-hero”). Individuals who embody the qualities of kindness, resilience, understanding, and nobility set the stage of heroism. Often as children, our parents are our first heroes. We read books which teach us only kindness and watch television shows where no harm comes to the characters. As we grow, we begin to recognize that humans, including ourselves and our parents, as well as, perceived heroes have weakness, vulnerability, and imperfections. Over time, we begin to accept that life is not a fairy tale. With this transition we learn that all is not good and evil nor black and white. We come to the

We see this in William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark and Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. In Shakespeare’s tale, Prince Hamlet, is subjectively an anti-hero. As the protagonist of the story, Hamlet holds many unheroic qualities. The central conflict in the play is between Hamlet’s need to avenge his father’s death, and his internal conflict within himself. We are first introduced to young Prince Hamlet in a devastated condition after the death of his father, the King. Hamlet is consumed by grief and participates in actions promoted by depression, that are intertwined with rage and fury; “he is cynical, dark, and brooding as evidenced by his constant struggle with morality” (“Hamlet”). Throughout the play, you feel sympathetic towards Hamlet. Hamlet is battling with his father’s brother who is also his new step-father and King of Denmark, while simultaneously fighting internally with himself. In Act III Scene I, Hamlet ponders in