Hamlet Vs. Harry Potter
William Shakespeare can be argued as being one of the best writers of all time. Part of Shakespeare’s magic includes his ability to still have such a massive influence on authors and the content they create even today. Many books, films, and other forms of media are based off popular themes taken from the works of Shakespeare. Although Shakespeare has remained relevant through many years, other authors have become common household names and written pieces of writing that have taken over the world. An author that has written amazing books read and enjoyed by millions is J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling is the author of the widely-loved book series Harry Potter. The seven Harry Potter novels have each been adapted to their
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Immediately after seeing Hamlet mourning the death of his father alone, the reader or watcher of the play feels sorry for him. When Hamlet sees his father again after months, but this time in the form of a ghost, it puts the audience in an empathetic mood. After hearing Old Hamlet’s ghost description of his murder, and how his murder was his brother Claudius, the audience is shocked and upset. The audience feels for the late King Hamlet who had his life, crown, queen, and opportunity to repent his sins taken away from him. Old Hamlet’s description of the ultimate betrayal he experienced from his blood, is a source of ethos for the audience. In Harry Potter a similar interaction occurs. Throughout the entirety of the movie, Harry yearns to be like the others around him, who have family to love and provide for them. This makes the audience feel sorrow and empathy for the young boy and the hardships he is experiencing. Harry also has a supernatural experience with his parents. Harry discovers a room with a mirror called The Mirror of Erised. This magical artifact shows will show whoever is looking at it, what they desire the most in life. When Harry looks into the mirror, the mirror shows his mom and dad. The one thing Harry wants more than anything, is the return of his parents. Through this revelation, the audience feels his pain and understands the importance of family, especially to young Harry. Tragedies involving family members offer a great way to create an emotional connection with the audience. Both William Shakespeare and J.K. Rowling use this opportunity to their advantage in setting the audience with their desired