Death after Death, Pain after Pain

The Greek tragedies and the Shakespearean ones have been, for long, the most famous dramas in time. These could be ones that other writer’s look up to in order to make a good story. Aside from these are both intellectually made, the story of each are guaranteed to touch the hearts’ of the viewers.

The story flow of Oedipus Rex can be foretold after watching just the first scene for it is easily noticed from the hints given on the first part of the play. Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, on the other hand, can’t be, for the events are consequent. You cannot tell what’s going to happen until someone from the play has done something that will affect the story, for example, the death of Polonius made Ophelia mad, and later on she killed herself. It is not perceived that Ophelia will die. Since Oedipus Rex’s sequence of events is laid easily, the pacing of the story is fast; no doubt the whole story happened in just a day, while Shakespearean ones could have happened in weeks or even months. The Greek tragedies are always affected by destinies as for in Oedipus Rex, it is Oedipus’ destiny to kill his father and marry his mother, while the other one, the story happened in persons’ judgment throughout the event. The characters in Oedipus are very few compared to Shakespearean Tragedies that is composed of maybe 20 characters, more or less. It can’t be blame; the story can be completed without a lot of characters. Greek tragedies have been famous for its chorus which narrates or commentates and can even be a part of the play. Shakespearean tragedies have verbose characters, in which they say everything they feel or think as if doing a monologue, like when Juliet is in the terrace missing her Romeo after their first meeting. The presentation of the Oedipus Rex is aided with flashbacks, with the first scene with Oedipus, already a king of Thebes, the history of him are uttered by characters. Shakespeare’s tragedies ended up oddly, the deaths are considered right due to its effect, like when the Capulets and the Montagues had peace after Romeo and Juliet’s relationship and death is discovered or when the whole royal family of Hamlet died wherein Hamlet has accomplished his judgment by killing the sinful Claudius, by the death of a corrupt mother, death of Laertes after triggering Hamlet’s rage because of his scheme with Claudius and the death of Hamlet which is just enough after what he had done to accomplish his plan.

Oedipus Rex, which had happen in one or two settings, for me is easier to film. Since filming is a matter of budget, Oedipus Rex would be convenient to be filmed for it has only a few characters and a few settings. Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, on the other hand, happened in a lot of settings and is consisted of many characters.

Oedipus Rex, Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet passed the standards of classism. First, the three could be true, Oedipus Rex could happen in real life except the existence of the sphinx, Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet could be too because the story is close to real life. As for Hamlet’s ghost, most of the people believe the existence of ghost and some proclaimed that they have seen one. Second, the story of the three is beautiful, their stories aren’t easily made. They are well thought and each scene is reasonable. Lastly, Oedipus Rex, Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet are good. Oedipus Rex punished himself for his sins after knowing so and he exiled himself so that the plague in Thebes would leave. The Montagues and the Capulets had peace after the death of Romeo and Juliet, they realized what they had done with the two lovers and felt guilty. The sinful ones in Hamlet had died, except for Polonius who has been just a servant and Ophelia who has been a good daughter to Polonius. The kingdom seemed to be renewed and cleansed after their death, leaving it at peace. To conclude, it can be comprehended that in the two tragedies, when the heroes die or suffer, something good happens in exchange for their death.

Elaine Aubrey Bardelosa