A Comparison of Hamlet and Mcmurphy in One Flew over the...

A Comparison of Hamlet and McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest It is suggested that in modern literature, the true element of tragedy is not captured because the protagonist is often of the same social status as the audience, and therefor, his downfall is not tragic. This opinion, I find, takes little consideration of the times in which we live. Indeed, most modern plays and literature are not about monarchs and the main character is often equal to the common person; this, however, does not mean the plot is any less miserable nor the outcome any less wretched. The first work I have chosen proves this fact. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, a first novel by Ken Kesey published in 1962, is a contemporary tragedy describing†¦show more content†¦He was the logger again, the swaggering gambler, the big redheaded brawling Irishman, the cowboy out of the TV set walking to me a dare. The common theme in each plot is a rise against tyranny in defense of ones honor to defeat the evil repressor. Despite their different methods, it was the eventuality of revenge that drove Hamlet and McMurphy onward to the brutal end of it all. Although McMurphy disguises it with ignorance and Hamlet flaunts it in his wit, another striking resemblance is the aptitude of these two characters. A consequential parallel between them is also their use of this intellect to set and trap the other characters. McMurphy does this with interest in personal gain, as he often maneuvers the other patients into betting against him when unbeknownst to them, the odds are in McMurphys favor: He let the odds stack up, and sucked them in deeper and deeper till he had five to one on a sure thing from every man of them, some of them betting up to twenty dollars. Hamlet as well manipulates for personal gain, though his is not monetary. He plots to fulfill he need for absolute certainty; his, is a plot for information. Certainly, the best example of this, is the influence Hamlet uses on the play staged by the traveling theater company. His insistence the players perform The Murder of Gonzago, a show that eerily shadows the method used by Claudius himself