Abstract

The paper aims at exploring the affinity and difference between the characters of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in Hamlet and Goncharov’s Oblomov in Oblomov. Ivan Goncharov is a Russian novelist and William Shakespeare is a British playwright. Though the two different pieces of literature have probably no connection, both the writings are named after the male protagonists and both are character studies of susceptibility and inaction. There are reciprocal illuminations of the arts in their writings although they were born in different centuries and nations. On one hand, Hamlet represents intelligentsia and suffers from susceptibility to make definite decisions. On the other hand, Oblomov represents a kind of iconic indolent man who is so lazy and idle that in the first 50 pages of the novel the only movement that he makes is from his chair to his bed. Oblomov is also incapable of taking decisions and actions for what to do like Hamlet. The paper is of interest in many respects as this literary survey proves that both characters suffer from the inability to make rapid decisions and actions. A qualitative research method with an inductive approach and the secondary sources are parted in the development of various aspects of the paper for the virile comprehension and exact interpretation of the comparatist standpoint. The study intends to install a qualitative methodology escorted textual analysis from evaluative and analytical angles to clarify the comparanda of the fictional characters. Goncharov could have been famous for his literary works if his literary works had been introduced like Shakespeare across the globe. Hence, the focal point of the research is to exhibit some significant similarities and differences such as in style, structure, mood or idea between the two masterpieces of world literature.

Keywords

Affinity, Inaction, Interliterariness, Susceptibility, Tradition and Universality