The Death of A King

Hamlet and the Lion King have very similar story lines. In fact, it is rumoured that the Lion King was actually inspired by Hamlet. There are a few differences between the two, however, there are quite more similarities. The main characters, Simba and Hamlet are both considered princes. Hamlet is the son of the dead King Hamlet, while Simba is the son of Mufasa, the king of the lions. In Hamlet, Claudius becomes jealous of his brothers place in the throne, so he decides to murder his brother to take his place and become king. While in the Lion King, Scar is jealous of his brother and also decides to murder him to become king as well. As shown, the two story lines resemble each other efficiently.

Regarding the love interests, Simba has been friends with Nala since they were cubs, but as they got older they began to develop feelings and they became romantically involved. The love interest Hamlet has with Ophelia is complicated because we are unsure if Hamlet ever truly loved Ophelia. Despite that, we know it is Hamlet’s only official love interest as she was the only girl in his life. So that is another major correlation between the two.

In Hamlet, we know that Hamlet’s father appears to him as a ghost and explains to him exactly what happened. Old Hamlet encourages Hamlet to murder his uncle and attain revenge for what he has done. In the Lion King, Mufasa appears to Simba in the stars and informs him to take the place in the throne and become King instead of Scar.

At the end of the book, both endings connect with one another. Hamlet fights Laertes and the result of this is many deaths. But most importantly, Hamlet finally attains revenge by stabbing Claudius with a sword and forcing him to drink poisoned wine. This ending correlates with the Lion King because Simba also fights Scar, and the result is Scar getting killed by the hyenas.

In conclusion, both protagonists learn multiple lessons. Simba learns to take over the throne his father left, and Hamlet learns to get over his indecision. We see his indecision side through the “to be or not to be” soliloquy in which he is debating on whether to take his own life or not.

The Understanding of Parents Way of Life

Throughout Death of a Salesman, the theme of family surrounds the book and is prominent through a variety of instances. The relationship between the father Willy and his sons Biff and Happy can be determined as confusing and on and off. Willy Loman,  who is objected as any father would, strongly believes in the American Dream. The American Dream is an idea that the United States is a country that offers an opportunity to achieve prosperity, happiness, equality, success, peace, and freedom to those who are willing to work hard for it. Moreover, one must acquire wealth and material comforts in order to be happy. Willy Loman is the father figure in the book, and as a matter of fact, he has an inclination for his son Biff to be a successful businessman. In the course of that era, businessmen manifested high class and the idea of achieving success. Meanwhile, Biff merely desired to pursue a career in which he actually found pleasure in, and that is a farmer which is appraised as being low-class. Nevertheless, a farmer does not obtain enough money as a businessman, and hence Willy was agitated in Biff’s choices. All Willy plead with is the proposition for his son to be triumphant and live the American Dream.

“Spare the rod and spoil the child – that is true. But,beside the rod, keep an apple to give him when he has done well.” – Martin Luther

This text ties in with my personal life in a variety of ways. First of all, my parents love me very much and the only thing they humbly pray and hope for is the success and happiness for me to indulge in for the rest of my life, just as Willy aspires for his sons. My parents have never failed to place my best interests first, furthermore, I am tremendously thankful for them. Despite that, the similar issue Biff experienced with Willy can also apply with the issue I have with my parents’ way of life. I cannot blame them for the certain ethics and morals they partake in because they are just acting in accordance with the Egyptian way of life and how they were raised by the church and their parents. The Coptic Orthodox Church that my parents and I were raised in has educated variegation of morals that we cannot change and that we are imposed to believe is equitable. In this case, just as Willy does not suppose Biff being a farmer will entitle his success, my parents anticipate that being anything other than a doctor or engineer will not be successful. The church I was raised in acknowledges us all to presume that in order for one to be successful and wealthy, one must be a doctor, engineer, or any of those high-class careers as you could say. Doctors and engineers get paid a ton of money, and just like in Death of a Salesman, the only way to be successful is being wealthy through a high-class job, and that is being a salesman, not a farmer. Therefore I related my personal life to the family struggles within the book. In conclusion, I think Wily’s logic and my parents are related despite them being incorrect. In my opinion, as long as you choose to pursue a career you are passionate about, you will most likely be successful and live an enjoyable life.

#WixBlog

Is Death Just a Way of Life?

Death is a topic that is rarely talked about; however, it is the only thing humans are certain of occurring. As depressing and melancholy death is evoked, it is the reality of life and will ultimately impact us and our loved ones.Throughout the three pieces of literature we have studied, the theme of death has been portrayed on a multiple of occasions. On account of this, the never-ending cycle of death repeatedly surrounds Hamlet and is evident throughout several themes involved. The play embarks on Hamlet experiencing death first hand, by the loss of his father, Old Hamlet. Due to Old Hamlet’s death, Hamlet comes to the decision to kill King Claudius and attain revenge for his father. Moreover, throughout the play, there are a variety of instances of death through suicide, murder, revenge, accidental deaths, etc. In Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy, Hamlet is contemplating whether to commit suicide or not.

Hamlet states, “that this too solid flesh would melt, / Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew! / Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d / His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God!” (1.2.129-132).

This is where Hamlet ponders whether suicide is worth it or not. Death is brought up again when he discovers Yorick’s skull in the graveyard scene. It is here Hamlet learns of the finality and inevitability of death while reminiscing of past times with the beloved jester. Hamlet seemingly stares death right in the eyes while holding the skull in his hand, and comes to terms with the commonness of fatality. He recognizes that all people, even the greatest individuals, someday have to pass away.

---

In Death of a Salesman, the theme of death is also evident towards the end of the book. Throughout the book, we become well informed of Willy’s continuous philosophy and what he wants in life. We come to the conclusion that all Willy cares about is popularity, success, and wealth. Willy lost his father when he was younger so that explains why Willy acts the way he does. Despite that, we realize that the main issue is how selfish Willy really is. Because he wasn’t able to reach the “American Dream” he wanted, Willy takes his own life. This is due to the selfishness Willy portrays, since he doesn’t get what he wants he thought taking his own life would solve all his issues. Meanwhile, I feel sympathy for Willy’s sons because they lost their father just like Willy lost his. The death in Death of a Salesman and in Hamlet relate because both Hamlet and Biff lost their father. Moreover, the death of Willy and his father a long time ago highlight how death is portrayed in the novel. The ending of the novel isn’t a very happy ending just like Hamlet in which the main characters both die, Hamlet and Willy.

---

In Station Eleven, death is one of the main themes we come into terms with when reading the book. In the beginning of the book, we experience the sudden death of Arthur Leander who dies from a heart attack.The characters throughout the novel were significantly affected by this death, and each character such as Kirsten, Clark, Miranda, etc was impacted in a distinct way. Right after this saddening incident, a major tragedy occurs in which 99% of the population dies. Due to the global pandemic flu, death is explored through personal relationships but more specifically on a global scale. The result of the death of Arthur and the billions of deaths from the flu impacted the characters harshly and each character had to get through it in their own way. Lastly, death is shown at the part of the book when Kirsten and her friends walk past decaying bodies. There is death from the flu, but most importantly death still exists all around the people that surround them and the dangers of the new world they live in.