tragedy in america comparing oedipus, hamlet & willy

College Reading

Answer the following questions about Oedipus:

1. Social position:

2. Personal Qualities:

3. Weaknesses:

4. Goal:

5. Fate:

Answer the following questions about Hamlet:

1. Social position:

2. Personal Qualities:

3. Weaknesses:

4. Goal:

5. Fate:

Answer the following questions about Willy Loman:

1. Social position:

2. Personal Qualities:

3. Weaknesses:

4. Goal:

5. Fate:

Answers for Oedipus

1. Social position: King of Thebes

2. Qualities: clever, responsible, decision-maker; basically good; well-respected

3. Weaknesses: too quick to judge others; egotistical; ambitious; proud

4. Goal: to find the killer of Laius and do the right thing for the citizens of Thebes

5. Fate: blindness/banished – he lost his throne & wife/mother because of his own actions

Answers for Hamlet

1. Social position: Prince of Denmark

2. Qualities: lover, clever, loyal to family, basically good, well-respected

3. Weaknesses: quick to use others for his own purposes; egotistical; proud

4. Goal: to avenge his father’s murder

5. Fate: murder is avenged, but he dies through the cunning of Claudius, his nemesis.

Answer the following questions about Willy Loman:

1. Social position: lower/middle class2. Qualities: devoted to sons, dishonest,

disloyal to his wife, immoral3. Weaknesses: dishonest, thought he could

make big money w/o work; he does not understand how his choices affect others

4. Goal: to make Biff successful regardless of the sacrifice

5. Fate: death; devotion to money affects his decision making; he thinks Biff will benefit from insurance benefits which is not true