Blog #2: Character

            The protagonists of a piece of text are often the most well-rounded and multi-faceted characters in their context. Therefore, comparing characters such as Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice to Hamlet from Shakespeare’s Hamlet can prove rather interesting, especially because one is fiction and the other drama, and would not typically be compared. The major difference between the characters, and this could be due to their genre, is that I feel that Hamlet is more internal. This could be partly because of Shakespeare’s use of soliloquy, which is supposed to reflect Hamlet’s internal thought: “O. that this too too solid flesh would melt” (1.2.129). Hamlet considers suicide and schemes mainly internally through his soliloquies. In contrast, Elizabeth mainly talks about her feelings with her sister Jane or with Mr. Darcy. As protagonist of the stories, each of the characters has the ability to feel multiple emotions. Hamlet feels suicidal, vengeful, sorrows and many other feelings. Elizabeth is able to feel confused, witty, and bitter, along with other feelings. She is a foil with her sister Jane who only feels limited amount of feeling. The protagonist of a story is made evident through their changing emotions that dominate the story.