Heatcliffe Vs. Hamlet Essay, Research Paper

Most religions in the world believe that there is some higher power that exists in this world and in the afterlife to do justice where it needs to be done. If someone were to commit a crime in this life, the higher power would deal the person accordingly in their lifetime. If not, justice would take place in their afterlife. The play Hamlet by Shakespeare and the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, were written when religious values and ethics were thoroughly practiced. Both Hamlet and Wuthering Heights exhibit the supernatural form of justice taking place talked about in the religious practices. Characters that are guilty of immoral actions are punished accordingly in their life and beyond the grave. Instances in both books, like Claudius and Polonius’ evil intentions in Hamlet, and Edgar and Catherine’s rejection of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights show that justice takes place in this lifetime. Other instances like King Hamlet’s ghost appearance in Hamlet, and Heathcliff and Catherine’s passionate love for each other in Wuthering Heights shows that a higher form of justice still prevails, even beyond the grave. Although the two novels portray higher form of justice taking place, Hamlet is a better representation of it then Wuthering Heights.

Evidence is given in both books about justice taking place in this lifetime without the use of any special courts or authorities, but it is better represented in Hamlet. Claudius and Polonius are shown as the two individuals against Hamlet with their evil intentions. Polonius who gets in Hamlet’s way and nags him from achieving justice for his father dies on accident. However Polonius’ “accidental” death comes around time after he has several evil intentions to eavesdrop between Hamlet’s and Ophelia’s conversation and continously proceeds put plans in place to slow Hamlet from achieving his objective. Whereas in Wuthering Heights Catherine and Edgar stand against Heathcliff at several moments. Edgar insults Heathcliff at the Christmas dinner, to which Heathcliff instinctly throws a plate of hot food at his face. However Heathcliff is punished for this incident by the older Earnshaw. Although Heathcliff is not shown as church going, he obtains courage from a higher source and retracts his revenge on both boys later in his life. Similarly with Catherine who laughed at Heathcliff for being dirty and rejected him for marriage told Nelly that he wasn’t good enough. This forces, Heathcliff to run away, but when he returns, Heathcliff was more desirable. Some could say that his “luck changed” and that a higher power helped him achieve his goal of taking revenge on Catherine and the two boys. However in Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff’s revenge is not as much justice as it is revenge. Claudius is the evil uncle, in Hamlet who is now King of Denmark after usurping King Hamlet’s throne, by murdering his brother. However Claudius is not threatened by law, or the courts, since he is now King and above all authorities but God. So it seems that no one else is there to do justice to the dead King Hamlet but the Almighty himself. So the play portrays King Hamlet’s unrested soul walking around the castle at night, in the beginning of the novel. This supernatural phenomenon convinces Hamlet that he should take revenge for his dead father, and let him rest in peace. Since Claudius is guilty of his actions, as confessed at the altar he gets the standad penalty during the time for murdering someone, death. Prince Hamlet however takes longer to deliver the verdict for personal beliefs, but inevitably does so by the end of the play. The two books show that some higher power exists in their world that helps them achieve justice, but Hamlet’s representation of such phenomenon is better displayed.

Although one may not get the deserved justice during this lifetime, whether it be praise or punishment, both books suggest that proper consideration is given to each soul after life. In Wuthering Heights Catherine’s ghost is seen by Lockwood a tennant of Heathcliff’s Thrushcross Grange. This shows that in the book’s world, these supernatural powers exist. Nearing the end of the novel when Heathcliff has died, Nelly is recounting the ways that she walked back to Thrushcross Grange. She meets a young boy who’s crying and says he cannot go further because he just saw Heathcliff and Catherine’s ghosts runnning through the moors. The reader’s mind automatically thinks that they’re finally free and justice has prevailed. Both Catherine and Heathcliff who loved each other enough to be seperated and tied down in their lifetime, but free and together in their afterlife. Justice could only have been achieved in this situation if some higher power had influenced it. Similarly, King Hamlet’s unrested soul walking around at night in full armour shows that supernatural powers also exist in the play Hamlet. King Hamlet’s soul is uneasy because he is in shame in his afterlife for a murdering crother and a disloyal wife. He was killed unrightfully, and therefore demands justice done on his behalf. Further proof that a higher power is aiding in the justice of the wronful death of King Hamlet. Both the murdering brother, Claudius and his disloyal wife, Gertrude die of stab wounds and poison, respectively. Therefore justice prevails as shown here even beyond the grave.

As one may think, that if no human beings know of the crime, then justice cannot take place in this lifetime, but as shown in King Hamlet’s case it can even occur from beyond the grave, by some higher power. Claudius, Polonius, Edgar and Catherine all get dealt with justly in their lifetimes with or without the aid of the higher power. If not as in King Hamlet’s case who had no chance to have justice achieved it with the a higher power through his son from beyond the grave, and showed that no one can ultimately escape their fate. Although both book have examples of justice being achieved in this lifetime and in the afterlife, Hamlet shows it much more effectively.