Hamlet and Sydney Carton - Koski

Characters in literature are often challenged with multiple astounding tasks; thus in reality, authors are challenged to create characters who can further the storyline, who can form bonds with the audience, and who can engage in a plot that draws an emotional response. Just as every person is unique, every character is unique, and a vivid character will help create a distinctive plot. Playwright, William Shakespeare, and novelist, Charles Dickens, develop characters with noteworthy complexity that enhance the overall feel of their most famous pieces, Hamlet and A Tale of Two Cities. Despite the fact that the pieces were written more than 200 years apart, similarities can be drawn between the protagonists, Hamlet and Sydney Carton. 

First, both men undergo serious transitions. Hamlet, a philosophical college student at the time of his father’s death is driven mad by several “injustices” during this time period. Hamlet is overcome with grief, which is intensified by the fact that no one around him seemed to be grieving as much as he. He is outraged with both his mother’s decision to remarry his uncle a month after his father’s passing and by her lack of grief all together. His mother, Queen Gertrude even states “Thou know'st tis common, all that lives must die/Passing through nature to eternity” (I.ii.71-2). Hamlet further sees her actions as cruelty when he reminisces of how remarkably King Hamlet treated her. Hamlet states, “So excellent a king, that was to this/Hyperion to a satyr, so loving to my mother,/That he might not beteem the winds of heaven/Visit her face too roughly; heaven and earth,/Must I remember?…” (I.ii.141-45). However, Hamlet is not the only character affected by the decisions of Gertrude and Claudius—Ophelia, Hamlet’s former beloved, suffers the consequences of Hamlet’s tainted thoughts toward women. Ophelia perishes under Hamlet’s cruel words and actions. Thus, another transition is evident in Hamlet, he is fueled by anger and thoughts of his mother’s betrayal, ultimately destroying his former love by using her as an outlet for his hostility. Then, when Hamlet returns from exile, the audience witnesses yet another transformation. Hamlet seems calm and collected. He believes fate controls our outcomes: “There's a divinity that shapes our ends,/Rough-hew them how we will” (V.ii.10-11). 
As for Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities, the audience witnesses a man with little purpose in life. During a conversation with his co-worker, Stryver, this idea becomes even more evident. Stryver claims, “(Y)our way is, and always was, a lame way. You summon no energy and purpose” (3). He seems to be only a lazy alcoholic, however, readers can sense from the beginning Carton feels something he cannot articulate. He makes the claim he cares for nothing and no one. Then, he reveals his true feelings of interest in Lucie Manette with his bitter comments. But, readers see Carton’s largest transition when he finally confesses his love for Lucie to her face. There is even evident foreshadowing when he makes the statement, “Think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you!” (4). Carton admits that his feelings for Lucie have influenced him to see a brighter future and a purpose for himself. Carton pictures “…lying in the wilderness before him, a mirage of honourable ambition, self-denial, and perseverance. In the fair city of this vision, there were airy galleries from which the loves and graces looked upon him, gardens in which the fruits of life hung ripening, waters of Hope that sparkled in his sight” (4). 

Secondly, both characters encompass an element of complexity that enhances the plot. Hamlet can be described as both compassionate and thoughtful. Shakespeare wanted to employ a character with the ability to think. A man prone to thinking is incapable of acting. For example, Hamlet is given the perfect opportunity to assassinate Claudius, however, he prolongs acting by justifying that Claudius would be sent to Heaven for praying during his death. Despite the fact that Hamlet is reflective and cynical, he can also be impulsive and rash. When he acts, it is without premeditation. Such as when he kills Polonius through the curtain without checking first to see who it was. When Hamlet speaks, the audience gets the feeling that there is something important he knows but he is not sharing. Lastly, he is discontent with the state of his family and the affairs in Denmark, but he is not concerned with the threat of invasion or the internal fallacies of the country. Although Carton’s complexity presents itself differently, its also there. From the beginning, readers can sense there is more to Carton than just a drunk who doesn’t care for anyone or anything. These suspicions are proven accurate when Carton makes the ultimate sacrifice for the woman he loves despite the fact that she’s married to Darnay. Carton’s death also makes him complex because he is willing to sacrifice his life to find meaning. While he’s headed toward the guillotine, he envisions a peaceful and successful Paris with a bright future. This vision influences readers to believe he died a martyr whose death enables the happiness of Lucie and ensures his own immortality. 

Lastly, less prominent comparisons can be made. Both men are willing to accept death at one point or another. During Hamlet’s period of melancholia, he states that “...To die; to sleep,/No more, and by a sleep to say we end/The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks/That flesh is heir to; 'tis a consummation/Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;” (III.i.60-4). Carton never took much interest in his life, but by the end of the novel he accepts death because it gives him purpose. Also, both men are willing to make sacrifices for those they love. Hamlet realizes the potential dangers of murdering Claudius but chooses to carry through with it anyway to avenge his father. Carton clearly makes the ultimate sacrifice to keep Lucie, his love, both alive and happy. Each character is also realistic and relatable due to their flaws. Hamlet is indecisive, hasty, hateful, brutal, and obsessed and Carton is a hard drinker, idle, and unpromising. However, their flaws give them the potential to make great impact and form connections with the audience. 


In summary, despite the different styles and time periods, Shakespeare and Dickens both possess the ability to create complex characters which enhance their prominent pieces of literature. Accordingly, their pieces remain entertaining and eminent in modern society.