The Similarities Between Hamlet And The Great Gatsby

The idea of human nature has changed over time in many aspects, but throughout history and literature, self-interest has stayed as a foremost motivation in human actions, thoughts, and mannerisms. Needs to gain more power, more land, or more substance has caused people of all times and cultures to use forms of acquisition to quell these thirsts. Even at different times in history, this idea of selfish satisfaction proves true.
As evidenced through literature in different time periods, authors show self-motivation through their characters. The Elizabethan drama Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, features a jealous brother Claudius who kills his brother, Hamlet Sr., in the heat of desire to attain the throne and its associated privileges. The Roaring 20s inspired The Great Gatsby shows F. Scott’s Fitzgerald’s take on self-interest as Jay Gatsby throws massive parties. While the guests and narrator think that the millionaire does so to entertain guests, he truly desires to selfishly attract Daisy Buchanan from across
Beginning primarily with Christopher Columbus in the late fifteenth century, the goal of every nation in exploring unknown landmasses has been to acquire more stomping ground for the mother country. A prime example of this greedy land acquisition appears in the British Empire that lasted for several centuries; as legend says, “The sun never set on the British Empire.” Even in the early twentieth century, the imperialistic urges that sparked both World War I and World War II caused issues as nations and leaders fought over their own self-interest for their respective peoples. This recurring theme of self-interest that pushed world leaders to selfishly conquer and take unclaimed land shows that at all points in history, human nature featured needs to make oneself better off at the expense of others or of