Similarities Between The Odyssey And Hamlet

Throughout history there have been several moving works of literature that drive our inspiration and teach us valuable lessons about life. Moby Dick, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are just to name some of the many. While these three pieces of literature are no doubt moving, the two greatest pieces of work everyone ought to read are The Odyssey by Homer and Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Between these two stories we are taken on a journey through two men’s lives that seek action, adventure, and revenge. From these two great works of literature, The Odyssey and Hamlet, we can take away several literal, metaphorical, and moral values that can play a key role in how we live our lives today.
When looking at a piece
of literature the first thing we must do is look at the literal values. To do so we may ask questions such as why do we find the story compelling? Or what do we find interesting about the characters? The literary values displayed in The Odyssey and Hamlet have to do with internal and external battles that the characters of these stories face. In The Odyssey the main character, Odysseus, is on a journey to make his way back home after being separated from his family for twenty years. What makes this story compelling is the trials and tribulations Odysseus is willing to go through to get back to his family. On their initial journey back from the war of Troy, Odysseus and his men encounter a number of obstacles. These obstacles include the Land of the Lotus Eaters, the Cyclops, Circes Island, and much more. Odysseus eventually winds up on the island of Calypso where he is imprisoned by the beautiful goddess. While Odysseus has begun his journey home, unknown to the other characters, Telemachus and Penelope continue to fend off Penelope’s suitors. These actions bring up another interesting fact about the characters of The Odyssey. Despite the fact that Odysseus has been gone for twenty years, the characters Telemachus and Penelope showcase unwavering passion, commitment, and loyalty to him. A prime example of this is Penelope’s plot to hold off the suitors by saying she would marry one of them after finishing the robe for Odysseus. “Everyday she would weave at the great loom, and every night she would unweave by torchlight” (Homer 345). At this point in the story Penelope and Telemachus have no idea that Odysseus is even still alive, yet they are willing to go to great extents to hold out hope for him. We can see then from The Odyssey that the external battles and the behaviors that the characters showcase are what make this story compelling and relatable.
While in Hamlet external battles are obviously a key component to the play, the internal battles are what make it a captivating story. The internal struggle that Hamlet faces is deciding between moralities or seeking justice. Hamlet wants to take revenge for his father’s wrongful death at the hands of his uncle, but also has trepidations about committing such an act. Most of these trepidations Hamlet has, comes from the ever impending question of what will he face after death? Will he go to heaven? Or hell? It is this internal conflict that makes Hamlet think twice about killing his Uncle Claudius. Hamlet eventually comes to a resolution over this issue at the end of the play, after finding the skull of once jester Yorick. After finding this skull Hamlet begs the questions, “Dost tho think Alexander look o’ this fashion i’ th’ earth?”, to which Horatio responds “E’en so” (Shakespeare 739). The dialogue that then takes place between these two characters leads Hamlet to the answers he has been looking for. Hamlet comes to an epiphany at this point in the play where he realizes death is nothing to be afraid of because in the end we all wind up in the same place, even the great Alexander. From this play we gain an understanding that we as readers are not the only ones who face the difficulties of deciding between doing what is morally right and what we believe is right.
Besides the literal values The Odyssey and Hamlet instill, they also pose several metaphorical and allegorical principles.
In The Odyssey the biggest metaphor presented is the idea of hospitality. Within this culture, hospitality is seen as a sacred duty that marks a society as being civilized. Whenever a stranger presents himself to a group of people he is to be anointed with oils, fed the best food, and dressed in the finest clothing. One example we can see of this is when Telemachus visits Menelaus’s kingdom to see if he had any news about his father Odysseus. When Telemachus arrived he and his men are treated with complete
hospitality.
When the maids had bathed them and rubbed them down with oil, and clothed them in tunics and fleecy cloaks, they sat down on chairs besides Menelaus. A maid poured water from a golden pitcher into a silver basin for them to wash their hands and then set up a polished table nearby. Another serving woman, grave and dignified, set out bread and served generous helpings from the other dishes she had; a carver set down cuts of meat by the platter and golden cups; and a herald came by and poured them wine. (Homer 366).
From this example we can see the extravagance hosts were willing to go through simply because it was what was expected at the time. While the sacred duty presented in The Odyssey is hospitality, Hamlet also brings up ideas of what was sacred to the society at the time.
The allegory presented in Hamlet has to do with death and suicide.
During this time suicide was something that was looked upon as quite the taboo. In the play Hamlet gives his famous “to be or not to be” soliloquy that challenges this controversial idea (Shakespeare 697). In this soliloquy Hamlet contemplates “wheter ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against the sea of troubles, and by opposing end them” (Shakespeare 697). What Hamlet is questioning in this statement is whether we should put up with all of the horrible things thrown at us in life for the sake of satisfying what society expects? Or would it be easier to put an end to them once and for all? This kind of statement during the time period was almost unheard of. In fact, people who committed suicide were looked down upon by society. An example we can see of this is when one of Ophelia’s gravediggers asks “Is she really to be buried in Christian burial when she willfully seeks her own salvation?” (Shakespeare 735). The gravedigger is confused as to why this women is receiving proper treatment after taking her own life. This example gives us insight as to what society was like at the time, and also allows us to reflect on our society
today.
The final thing we gain from The Odyssey and Hamlet are the moral values that they teach us. When it comes to these two stories there is a common theme presented, and that is the power of loyalty. Loyalty goes a long way in these stories, and ultimately result in who lives and who dies. In The Odyssey Telemachus, Penelope, and few other close friends are the ones who stay true to Odysseus until the end. Those who have betrayed Odysseus in his absence from Ithaca ultimately end up dead. This can be seen in book XXII where Odysseus reveals himself among the suitors, and immediately begins his slaughter by saying “Now that we’ve separated the men from the boys, I’ll see if I can hit a mark that no man has ever hit. Apollo grant me glory!” (Shakespeare 587). The best example we can find in Hamlet that deals with the powers of loyalty is in the case of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are supposed to be Hamlet’s good friends, yet when the time comes to choose between pleasing the King of Denmark, or helping their best friend; they ultimately side in favor of the king. This disloyalty to Hamlet results in Hamlet forging the letter to the King of England to kill Rosencrantz and Guildenstern upon their arrival. Between these two instance in both The Odyssey and Hamlet we can see what can happen when you don’t stay true to those who really matter.
There is no doubt other great works of literature produced throughout history, but the two works of literature everyone ought to read are The Odyssey and Hamlet. Between these two stories we are taught several important aspects about life that come in literal, metaphorical, and moral ways. The authors of these two stories introduce these values by incorporating clever ulterior meanings into their work. To gain the best understanding of The Odyssey and Hamlet you have to go beyond the face value of these stories. There you will find two moving works of literature that everyone ought to read.