Comparison between Tragic characters Hamlet and Faustus

Name : C Amrutha.

Roll No: 1.

Paper: The Renaissance Age.

Semester : 1.

Department : English.

M.K. Bhavnagar University,Bhavnagar.

Heroes of the play are from

Denmark GermanyHamlet Dr Faustus

Denmark

The Tragic Heroes are hungry for

Revenge KnowledgeHamlet Dr Faustus

Similarities between

Hamlet Dr Faustus

Scholars

Spirit of Asking Questions

Believed in Christian Ideas

To Be or not to be

• In the play Hamlet, we see the tragic hero constantly debating with himself about the upcoming revenge that he has to take, as he gave a word to the ghost of his father Late King Hamlet.

• The inner conflict is always seen in the character because, if he goes to take the revenge as he promised to his father the, he is going to break the other promise of keeping his mother happy.

• When it comes to the play of Dr Faustus, we see the scholar questioning about the existence of devils and Hell although he signs a pact which says that his soul will be taken away into heaven after twenty four years.

• We see that the tragic hero also has a internal conflict which provokes him every time when Mephistophilis denies to answer his questions whose answer is GOD. But, the very next moment, he gets carried away with the worldly pleasures shown to him.

Had I as many souls as there be stars, I'd give them all for Mephistopheles.

Hamartia: the Error of Judgement

• One of the characteristics of a tragic character is , THE ERROR OF JUDGEMENT. The error made by the character leads to the pity and fear in the audience which progresses with Catharsis.

• Both the tragic heroes of Shakespeare and Marlowe have made an error in their judgement.

• Hamlet after knowing the murderer of his father, should not have thought philosophically and killed his uncle Claudious on the night when he was confessing his crimes to God.

• But, he just lead this opportunity go as he did not want the criminal to go to Heaven with all the misdeeds that he did.

• Dr Faustus thinks for several times before signing the pact which says that he has to give his soul in return of Knowledge after twenty four years.

• Even after thinking, he makes an error in his judgement and signs the pact and hands it over to Mephistophilis.

Homo fuge!

Death

Presented by,Chennur Amrutha Valli Reddy