Life tragedies can lead an individual to different kinds of choices. Some individuals may perceive these tragedies as warnings, while some may think of them as second chances. The difference between these two individuals is how they emerge from a tragedy. Authors, playwrights, and novelists have attempted to display this notion in different literary works, documenting how different characters cope with tragedies. Tragedies in “Hamlet” and “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” lead characters to rely on the change as a coping mechanism.
“Hamlet” narrates the story of an individual dealing with a loss which leads him into a roundabout of emotions. For instance, he becomes lazy due to the grief of losing his father. Such a tragedy is enough to lead an individual to misery as they try to make sense of life without their loved ones. In the play, Hamlet is depicted to have given up all hope in life and would not let anyone comfort him.
“O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,
Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,
Or that the Everlasting had not fixed
His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! O God, God,
How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!” (Shakespeare, 1599).
This passage illustrates Hamlet’s state of desperation, which is attributed to his previous loss. His coping mechanism is evident in his continued mourning months after the death, which he is keen to admit that he has on him is enough to pass the show (Shakespeare, 1599). This means that he is aware of how he looks but would not stop him from mourning. According to him, his grief is much deeper than what people might think of him. This illustrates how different people may react to a tragedy and not consider what others might think. It also shows that a tragedy might be very personal for some people than others. For instance, Hamlet’s mother has remarried, showing that the death was not that impactful for her to stop enjoying life.
“A Good Man Is Hard to Find” also presents the narrative of an individual trying to cope with a tragedy. However, this tragedy is different from Hamlet’s since the character is faced with the tragedy of existence. The author says that “The gods show us how there is a need for a whole world of torment in order for the individual to produce the redemptive vision” (O’Connor, 1953). This statement evokes a Christian belief, a form of reprieve from many individuals dealing with a tragedy. Sometimes people do not have any other way to deal with their tragedies but to rely on a divine being. Therefore, it is right to note that this narrative has a spiritual meaning to life and its troubles. Tragedies are part of life, and one never knows when they will hit. The author presents a way to cope with a tragedy by evoking Christian ideals. Sometimes the only approach is seeking divine assistance and making sense of life. The characters in the narrative are going through different challenges that are not easy to configure from a simple mindset but evoke the narrative’s true meaning.
Tragedies deal tough blows to people’s lives, leading them through different vicissitudes. Some tragedies are too difficult to deal with that individuals often give up completely. However, some people can come out of them unscathed and ready to live. “Hamlet” and “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” present two different types of people based on their coping mechanisms. While Hamlet fails to emerge from the tragedy, O’Connor’s narrative characters rely on God for spiritual guidance. This shows that different individuals have varying ways of coping with a tragedy based on how they perceive the tragedy itself.