Oedipud Vs. Hamlet

769 Words4 Pages
Sometimes, when people choose to blind themselves to the truth, they do so to maintain a good life. However, that action can sometimes result in ruining lives. Jocasta from ‘Oedipus Rex’, and Gertrude from ‘Hamlet’, turn blind eye in order to have a great life, but they end up being the cause of the tragedy. Both the characters find no need to upset their lifestyle by looking for unhidden truth, which, later on, leads to downfall of themselves and others. Jocasta and Gertrude live beautiful lives; thus, they find no need to unearth any hidden truths, even when they are given the chances to do so. When Jocasta’s son, Oedipus, is born, it is prophesized that her husband, Laius, “should die by the hands of his and her child” (Pg. 45). Despite this and despite the fact that her husband is murdered, Jocasta does not take future actions to pursue the matter. She does not investigate her husband’s death, nor does she try to find out about who her new husband is. Thus, she ends up marrying her own son, Oedipus, and for a while, lives a tremendous living. Her new husband loves a lot and “she is more to him than his good men” (Pg. 45). It is only later on, however, when everyone finds out that the prophesy is true, her life becomes very miserable and it results in tragedy for herself and others. Though, Gertrude has no prophesies to help her, she too turns a blind eye to the truth that her new husband may have had something to do with her old husbands death. To protect her luxuries status as queen, she marries Claudius as soon as possible. “With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage” her husband remarks “In equal scale weighting delight and dole” (II.ii (12-13). The thing she is ignoring is that instead of being sad, Claudius is marrying her. By doing this, Gertrude shows that she is overlooking the reality. Moreover, instead of finding the cause behind her husband’s
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