Hamlet vs. Everyman

FINALLY! Blogger decided to agree with my computer!

In class, we were asked to compare Hamlet to Everyman. However, when I was reading Hamlet, all I kept thinking about was how very different the two plays are. To me, the prevalence of death and the focus on a single character are the only consistencies between the two works.

Like I said, I found that both works seemed to be focused on one person’s point of view. In Everyman, the plot revolves around Everyman and his search for a companion. In Hamlet, the story concentrates on the Prince Hamlet and his efforts to avenge his father. If both of these stories were written as novels, they would be told from first person point of view.

Another similarity between the plays is the awareness of death and the mortality of the main character. In Everyman, Death the character comes to Everyman to tell him that he has sinned and will die. This appearance serves as a reminder to the audience that Everyman is indeed human and will pass on. From this respect, Death parallels to the ghost of King Hamlet in Shakespeare’s play. King Hamlet, after being murdered by his brother (now King Claudius), appears as a ghost to his son and asks him to seek revenge for his death. In both instances, these deceased characters (who are both supernatural) speak to the main characters about deaths and dying.

Therefore, Everyman and Hamlet can be considered similar plays for two reasons – they both focus on telling a story from one particular character’s point of view, and they both use supernatural beings to remind the main characters of their own mortality.