Jaclyn Lasuen April 6th, 2011 Hamlet vs.

Brave New World It was fairly simple to make connections between Aldous Huxleys Brave New World and Shakespeares Hamlet. Mainly parallels between characters were apparent, but other things also cropped up which were just as subtly noticeable. Most obviously, John Savage is Huxleys Hamlet. Both men are Dark Princes who seem to be suffering from their fame. They live in their own world of intense emotion: Hamlet has outstanding feelings in his own time, and the fact that John is able to feel in his world is outstanding. Both love theatre and wordplay. They are feared and admired, and both go mad before their ends. In the beginning of Brave New World, we though Bernard would be our Hamlet, but he turned out as our Laertes: always trying to do right by society instead of himself. Another Hamlet image, though, is life at Malpais. It is the spot of feeling left within the world. And from this source of savage intellect comes the most knowing soul in the book. Saying this, then, Civilization is comparable to Claudius. They both steal happiness and beauty from their Hamlet figure. What they say is law: no one defies their word. However, Civilization is also Denmark. They are the container in which to hold the Princes who die in vain to escape their rotten captors. Lenina Crowne is Queen Gertrude. The women are both attempting to do what they are told: what is right in their society. Both love the men who are out-of-bounds to them, and are confused about their actual feelings. Gertrude really loves her own son, but also loves his father and uncle. Lenina loves John, but thinks she likes Henry Foster and even Bernard. These ladies realize what is true too late in their storylines: Gertrude when she has been poisoned and Lenina when John is about to kill himself. However, Lenina is also similar to Ophelia in that they both turn to drugs in difficult times to try and maintain their sanity. A more obscure comparison, Helmholtz is Horatio. These characters dont seem entirely significant, but play a role of support for the Hamlet which both he (Hamlet) and the reader realize is necessary. Both men come across as extremely likeable and easy going. They are rather poetic, and are deep thinkers beneath their approachable persona. They end up being the Hamlets right hand man.

Finally, Mustapha Mond is Polonius. Mond is the enforcer or advisor behind Civilization, while Polonius is Claudius advisor. These men are adamant about their King staying in power. Mond would sacrifice his science and knowledge for the greater good of Civilization and Polonius would sacrifice his daughter and, ultimately, himself for his King. While they both put so much effort into the upkeep of the Kingdom, they had a deeper knowledge of the other side of the spectrum. Finding so many parallels between Hamlet and Brave New World generates a confusing feeling. Perhaps once people began to write for entertainment, certain character types evolved that have never faded away, and never will. And perhaps Aldous Huxley was a fan of Shakespeares, and could have easily known that parallels such as these pointed out exist. But it could be that we are fast approaching a brave new world with all the components of a Shakespearean drama with none of the allotted emotion.