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Comparing Corruption In Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby And Hamlet

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In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” and William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, the protagonists are ultimately destroyed by the corrupt and deceitful worlds in which they live. Despite their own flaws and actions, Jay Gatsby and Prince Hamlet are more sinned against than sinning, victims of the moral decay and treachery that surrounds them. Gatsby, the wealthy protagonist of The Great Gatsby, is driven by his idealistic pursuit of the American Dream and his love for Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby’s wealth and status are the result of his relentless efforts to escape his humble origins and to reinvent himself as a better man. However, the society he is inspired to join is characterized by greed, and a lack of genuine human connection. Gatsby’s parties, …show more content…

Jay Gatsby and Prince Hamlet are tragic figures whose downfalls are caused by the corrupt and deceitful environments in which they live. Both characters are more sinned against than sinning, being victims of the moral decay and treachery that surround them. Gatsby’s destruction in the pursuit of the American Dream and Hamlet’s demise in the court of Denmark highlight the theme of corruption and its devastating impact on the two individuals. Gatsby’s dream is not just about wealth but about pure love and an idealistic version of the American Dream, which is ultimately achievable in a corrupt world. His belief in the possibility of repeating the past and achieving his dream leads to his destruction. As Nick reflects on Gatsby’s dream and the green light, “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us” (Fitzgerald 171). This quote captures the elusive nature of Gatsby’s dreams and the relentless pursuit that led to his downfall. Similarly, Hamlet’s quest for truth and justice in a world filled with lies and corruption shows the tragic nature of his

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Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby served as a warning, illustrating the decay and moral corruption that seeps into American society. One example of this is the character Jay Gatsby who embodies the Reckless Chase for wealth and status. As Nick Carraway notes Gatsby's Mansion is “ a copy of some fancy building in Normandy, with a tower on one side, brand new under a thin layer of green ivy” (Fitzgerald,5). Gatsby’s extravagant display of wealth is nothing but an illusion hiding his moral emptiness and the shallowness of his existence. This corruption extends beyond Gatsby himself to the privileged class that attends his parties, engaging in superficial interactions and pursuing selfish desires, unconcerned with the suffering around them.

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