IndexIntroductionExamples of guilt in Hamlet and in the Fifth ActivityConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionGuilt, like a disease of the mind, has the power to consume one's sanity, govern one's emotions and demolish one's own life. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare and in the novel Fifth Business by Robertson Davies, guilt dominates the lives of several characters, negatively influencing their destiny. This unfortunate fact can be seen through how guilt arises from a flaw in the character's personality, imposes a burden on a loved one's life, and leads to an inevitable death. In both Hamlet and Fifth Affairs, guilt emerges from a flaw in the character's personality, leading to the tragic ending. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayExamples of Guilt in Hamlet and Fifth AffairIn Hamlet, the two main characters who display emotions of guilt are Claudius and Hamlet. The incident that started the conflicts between several characters is the murder of King Hamlet, committed by his brother Claudius. Claudio's fatal flaw is his selfish nature which distorts his state of mind and forces him to put power above all else. This causes Claudius's guilt, which quickly begins to possess him as “His strongest guilt defeats [his] strong intentions” (3.3.40, Shakespeare) to maintain his position. Additionally, Hamlet suspects Claudius of being the murderer, drawing more attention to Claudius' sins. Thus, Claudius' ambition to maintain his position as king develops from his altruistic values ​​which determine his disastrous fate. Furthermore, Hamlet's guilt is caused by his hamartia; his inability to avenge his father. Instead of taking action, Hamlet blames himself for delaying his father's instructions to punish Claudius. Therefore, Hamlet's tendency to think too much prevents him from acting and pushes him to self-condemnation, to endanger his life. Hamlet's thoughts are immensely distorted by his guilt, changing his perspective on life and leading to his downfall. In Fifth Business, Boy Staunton, much like King Claudius, is a domineering man. He is successful, rich, intelligent and extremely arrogant; however, his imperfections are his blinding ambition and selfishness. The boy's strong desire for success ultimately leads to his unconscious guilt and his death. Guilt is an illusion for Boy. Consciously, guilt has no meaning for him because he harbors ambitions about Leola's well-being. Unconsciously, Boy is lost in the shadow of his guilt: "he had not the clarity of mind that would have relieved him of guilt when he deceived Leola, as he did, with variety and regularity among the free-spirited girls he met" (107, Davis). Unlike that of Hamlet and Claudius, Boy's guilt is in fact unconscious. By lying to Leola, he hides his guilt and focuses on advancing his power. This approach shows Boy's self-centeredness as the fatal flaw that leads to his downfall. In both literary works, guilt is caused by the inextricable flaws present in the minds of these characters, flaws that lead down a road of desperation and torment. All in all, the characters' hamartia contributes to their sense of guilt that affects not only them but also those closest to them. Furthermore, the negative impacts of guilt in both Hamlet and Fifth Affairs are evident through actions driven by remorse. In different ways, the main characters endanger the lives of their loved ones and eventually their lives end. In Hamlet, Hamlet is greatly influenced by hisguilt. His happiness is exhausted and his clouded thoughts provoke ruthless intentions. Because of his overwhelming shame, Hamlet addresses Ophelia with words like daggers when he tells her, “Go to the convent, farewell. Or, if you need to marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them” (3.1.138-40,Shakespeare). In turn, this attitude has an immediate effect on Ophelia, as her mind descends into a vortex of madness. As a result, Hamlet, who cannot cope with his guilt, indirectly kills the woman he truly loved, Ophelia. In contrast, King Claudius uses a different approach in dealing with his guilty conscience. He expects that his power of manipulation will secure his position and alleviate his guilt. When Hamlet discovers that Claudius is the murderer during the play "The Murder of Gonzago", it becomes apparent to Claudius that Hamlet is convicting him of murder. Since Hamlet is the living person of Claudius' impeding guilt, Claudius acts urgently to send Hamlet to England. Claudius plots a plan to eliminate Hamlet and in the process exploits other characters such as Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Laertes, and his queen to maintain his throne. However, this plan backfires for King Claudius as he poisons his wife, Gertrude. Although he cares for Gertrude, his guilt-driven ambition to kill Hamlet and his dignity are more important to him. Like Hamlet, Claudius allows guilt to control him in unwanted ways. In both situations, Hamlet and Claudius lose their loved one due to their overwhelming sense of guilt. Furthermore, the burden on Boy's unconscious leads his partner Leola to mental deterioration. The boy aspires to perfection and superiority over others, "he wanted to make her the perfect wife for a young emerging entrepreneur in the sugar industry" forcing Leola to meet certain criteria that she cannot reach (126, Davies). Furthermore, Boy's repressed guilt is projected through his attitude towards women. Despite being married, Boy has multiple affairs with other women. When Leola finds out, she is immediately drained of her sanity. Similar to Ophelia's, Leola's health disintegrates and her life diminishes. Surprisingly, Boy does not attend Leola's funeral and quickly remarries, revealing that he does not consciously feel guilty. However, his unconscious guilt continues to grow until it destroys him. Although all characters suffer the effects of their immoral actions differently, they all lose their lovers and lose themselves as they descend towards their tragic ending. Finally, those characters who are unable to deal with their guilt face their ultimate demise. Despite Claudius' attempts to abolish his sins by praying for forgiveness, his guilt is still evident through his evil plans. Guilt turns Claudius into a vicious villain because he indulges in murderous actions instead of holding onto his guilt and atoning for his altruistic actions. First, King Claudius creates a formula for his own destruction when he arranges the fencing duel between Hamlet and Laertes. He manipulates Laertes to wound Hamlet with the tip of his deadly sword and also prepares a fatal drink. However, his fate takes a turn for the worse when Laertes is fatally poisoned by his own sword. Laertes admits: “Bad practice has turned against me. Behold, here I lie, never to rise again. Your mother is poisoned. I can't anymore. The king. The king is to blame” (5.2.319-22, Shakespeare). This motivates Hamlet to kill the king using Claudius' poisonous sword and poisonous drink which leads to his death. At this point, Hamlet also meets.