A Comparative Analysis of Hamlet and Fifth Business Essay (Essay Sample)

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A Comparative Analysis of Hamlet and Fifth Business
Introduction
Hamlet by William Shakespeare and Fifth Business by Robertson Davies are two distinct books written at different times, in different places. Still, they share some common themes. Literature is timeless, and what one author depicts at one time may become relevant at a different time. The same is evident when conducting a comparative analysis of the works of two artists. Davies writes most of his work in prose, while Shakespeare preferred plays and sonnets. Readers of literature celebrated both artists during their time, and their content remains a subject of analysis in the contemporary world. The most prominent themes presented by the authors of Hamlet and Fifth Business are spirituality, the role of women in the society, revenge, and the timelessness of literature and art.
Spirituality
Both the Hamlet and Fifth Business are works of literature that reveal that not all is physical in this world. There are dimensions or domains of reality that humans cannot access with their physical senses. Nonetheless, this domain of reality influences human activity. In Hamlet, the author introduces the reader to the ghost of the King, who manifests in the physical sense to haunt those responsible for his death. In Hamlet, the author represents ghosts as benevolent spirits that uphold the virtues of morality and responsibility. Shakespeare stresses this point mainly in Act III when Hamlet gets a rare opportunity to kill Claudius and hesitates because his conscience reports that Claudius was repenting. Therefore, if he murdered Claudius, Claudius would go to heaven. Shakespeare writes, "…now he is praying…and, so he goes to heaven" (Hamlet 3.3.75). The play also mentions heaven and hell several times, implying a belief in the supernatural and the afterlife. The idea of supernatural events, as presented in Hamlet, corresponds with the Christian doctrines that dictate that followers abide by strict codes of morality. Violation of these codes brought about eternal suffering, also known as hell, while adherence to the laws earned individual eternal happiness equivalent to heaven.