Hamlet and King Lear

¶ … William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, the title character is a young, brooding man in his early twenties who is faced with the murder of his father by his Uncle, who becomes his stepfather. Despite being well aware of the terrible actions of his mother and his stepfather, Hamlet takes quite a lot of time deciding what measures need to be taken. On the contrary, King Lear (of Shakespeare's play titled King Lear) begins the play in the exact opposite mindset. His reign as king is drawing near, and his vision regarding the circumstances of those around him is quite clear. However, King Lear almost immediately begins his downfall into madness, while Hamlet's journey to clarity begins.

Both men are extremely powerful, though Hamlet never reaches his height of power. King Lear is an older gentleman, with three daughters who are of the marrying age. When the play begins, King Lear is contemplating remaining King, but handing over the responsibilities that have become burdens to him in his older age. He poses a question of love to his three daughters, inquiring not which one loves him the most, but "which of you shall we say doth love us most?" (I.i.49). King Lear's youngest daughter Cordelia is said to be his favorite, yet he disowns her for not fawning over him in the same insincere manner that her other sisters do. By turning over his political power to these two evil women, he is basically destroying his entire reign in one fail swoop.

Hamlet himself is quite young, and is becoming of age in a manner of speaking. At the beginning of the play, chaos surrounds Hamlet, whose father has just been murdered. The spirit of his dead father appears to him, pleading with him to avenge his death and pointing out who is responsible -- Hamlet's uncle turned stepfather. Hamlet also grows angry at his mother's role in the plot, though his father's ghost asks him to spare her. Despite his father's pleadings, Hamlet remains steadfast, hoping to gain evidence against his uncle. Hamlet is philosophical and introverted and a thinker who tends to take more time than might be deemed necessary before taking action. Much of the play consists of Hamlet spying on people, trying to figure things out and plotting. Only at the very end does Hamlet suddenly spring to action. Ironically, his actions seem rash despite his contemplation.

King Lear's character development hinges on his realization of his error in turning away from Cordelia's loyalty. It is only after he becomes contemplative upon his situation that he develops into a humble, caring person. His changes occur as the world around him becomes more brutal and chaotic, the exact opposite of the order he is used to during his reign. In the midst of all this chaos, it tragically takes the death of his faithful daughter to truly change King Lear, which allows him to face the chaos at the end of the play with a new sense of purpose lacking before. Hamlet, however, develops in a similar way through opposite means. While Hamlet's world remains frenzied throughout the play, his thought process holds him back from developing emotionally. It is only after he finally gets his revenge that he is in peace. Of course, he is also resting in peace after getting his revenge.