Hamlet vs Pride and Prejudice

7/31/2019 Hamlet vs Pride and Prejudice

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Eamon Barkhordarian5/4/2012

BlackburnEnglish Masters

Hamlet vs Pride and Prejudice

Time and time again in literature and beyond, love has stood as the unstoppable

force that conquers all obstacles. It is what brings enemies together, ceases the harshest of

wars, and ends all suffering. This feeling always seems to find its way into even the most

violent of action movies and the most shocking of horror films. The theme of love has been

so prevalent in the history of literature that many readers are convinced it is the most

powerful emotional feeling that demonstrates the strongest of bonds. One of the greatest

love stories of all time,Pride and Prejudiceby Jane Austen, does its best to try and

validate this point through the affectionate relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth.

Except what most dont understand is that there is in fact a connection that is even more

powerful than that of true love. In the bookHamletby William Shakespeare, the friendship

between Hamlet and Horatio is matchless in terms of attachment. Together,Hamletby

William Shakespeare andPride and Prejudice by Jane Austen demonstrate that true

friendship is much more powerful than true love.

One of the most important ideas vital to any relationship is the presence of trust.

ThroughoutHamlet, there is a consistent premise of love and friendship, whether it be with

his mother Gertrude or girlfriend Ophelia. But the strongest of bonds is with his best friend

Horatio. And trust is indeed a key practice maintained between them. The first sign

indicating Horatios trust in Hamlet is at the beginning of the play when he comes into

contact with the ghost of Hamlets father. In the dead vast and middle of the night/been

thus encounterd. A figure like your father/Armed at point exactly, cap-a-pie/The

apparition comes. I knew your father;/These hands are not more like (12-13). Although

the average person would have kept such a ridiculous encounter to themselves, Horatio


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tries to come in contact with the ghost after identifying who the spirit could potentially be.

Even after understanding that such an encounter seems extremely unbelievable, Horatio

decides to tell Hamlet the truth anyway. Horatio presents an insightful explanation of the

encounter and follows up on any inquiries by Hamlet with integrity. This is important

because it shows that Horatio is willing to put his reputation second to his friendship by

informing his friend of the importance of what he saw a few nights ago. This scene reveals

the trust bond between the two. On the other side to the story, Darcy and Elizabeth actually

do not begin on the right foot inPride and Prejudice. Trust became the first issue between

them as Mr. Wickham soon came into the picture. In one scene, Mr. Wickham creates a

false story to dehumanize Darcy and to play with Elizabeths feelings. He explains how

Darcy found a loophole in the system to keep the money for himself. Exactly as I was of

an age to hold it, and that it was given to another man; and no less certain is it, that I cannot

accuse myself of having really done anything to deserve to lose it (60). This is important

because Elizabeth finds herself unable to choose which person to believe. And although the

two become married by the end of the book, it is a harsh and long path to get to that point.

Trust is indeed a prominent issue for those two.

Another important trait in a relationship that goes hand in hand with trust is respect.

In one scene, Hamlets ship is overrun by pirates and he is held as a prisoner. Hamlet could

have sent his letters to his mother or even the King for assistance, yet he sends them to be

received by Horatio because he has utmost respect for his best friend. Let the King have

the letters I have sent, and repair thou to me with as much speed as thou wouldest fly

death (94). Hamlet respects Horatio as a best friend and trusts that he will follow Hamlets

request with prompt speed and precision. In this case you can see that respect is placed


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before love. InPride and Prejudice, Darcy initially doesnt have much respect for

Elizabeth because he does value her inferior social class. Darcys narrow-mindedness about

wealth blinds him from Elizabeths true beauty. She is tolerable, but not handsome

enough to tempt me; and I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies

who are slighted by other men (7). The lack of respect in this relationship only brought

more problems over time. Darcy's initial pride regarding social class confuses Elizabeths

judgment and pushes her to believe Wickhams story over Darcys even though Wickham

is in fact a liar.

The idea of both trust and respect is a huge component to any lasting relationship.

Hamletdemonstrates this and provides strong examples between Hamlet and Horatio. Not

only does Horatio respect Hamlet enough to put his own reputation in jeopardy, but Hamlet

trusts Horatio enough to get his task regarding the sailors done on time. This mutual

relationship is one that Darcy and Elizabeth simply cannot compete with. After all, the two

initially didnt have either trust or respect for each other. A final quote to end the

relationship with a sweet ending book is when Hamlet has a final appeal for Horatio. If

thou didst ever hold me in thy heart/ Absent thee from felicity awhile/ And in this harsh

world draw thy breath in pain/ To tell my story (120). This is significant because it shows

that Hamlet continues to trust Horatio, asking him to tell everyone out there what happened

that fateful day of Hamlets death.

All in all, true friendship is undoubtedly a more powerful bond than true love.

Shakespeare does an excellent job demonstrating that point further using his characters

Hamlet and Horatio as examples. Jane Austen, on the other hand, shows that even the

strongest of love has its faults and drawbacks. Now I only pray that as literature evolves


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over time, this idea will be all the more prevalent and soon triumph love in the hearts of

readers everywhere.

Hamlet vs Pride and Prejudice

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