... social status of the protagonist in Oedipus and Hamlet allows a higher level of reader identification than that experienced in Miss Julie which is made evident by examining stage two and three of catharsis. The classic tragedy, Oedipus tells the story of the King of Thebes, Oedipus who foolishly ... presented almost perfectly in Oedipus, is not as effective in Hamlet, as it does not follow all of Aristotle's criteria, although it still possess some reader identification. Hamlet is a story about a prince (Hamlet JR.) who is told by a Ghost (Hamlet Sr.) that his uncle (Claudius) had killed...

• Word Count: 3952
• Approx Pages: 16
• Grade Level: High School

... dozen critics from Quinn to Coleridge. Some critics come up with sane interpretations of Hamlet while others use wild and crazy themes. Some conclude that the problem with Hamlet, and a classic thesis used by many students, is insanity versus sanity. The theories progress from there. The theories range from manic-depressant to homosexual. Some are even very creative; such as the ... a tragedy . . . of excessive thought." (Mack. 43) Hamlet's role was to make a transcendental move from scholarly prince to man of action. Hopefully this report will help open another, or even stress a classi...

• Word Count: 2932
• Approx Pages: 12
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School