What Does Hamlet Represent In The Great Gatsby

Symbols dictate our every move in our world, and it is the same in the world of fiction. Symbolism in literature has been a widely used tool for centuries, used to signify something much deeper than the simple object described by the author. It is indescribable how important symbols are in a story. In the respective stories, Hamlet and The Great Gatsby, their symbols give meaning to their story; they add depth to quite simple stories of revenge and the fight for the American dream.
One of the most commonly recognized symbols of Shakespeare is the skull Hamlet speaks to in Act V, Scene I. This skull eloquently summarizes the theme of death and the contemplation of untimely demise of the human race Hamlet contemplates throughout the play. …show more content…
The Great Gatsby is another prime example of a piece of literature filled with symbolism and its importance in the plot and theme of the story. One of the biblical symbols in The Great Gatsby is the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleberg, two all-seeing eyes perched on a billboard above the Valley of Ashes. These eyes are said, by George Wilson, to be the eyes of God, “Standing behind him, Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleberg, which had just emerged, pale and enormous, from the dissolving night. ‘God sees everything,’ repeated Wilson.” (Fitzgerald, p.g 152). Furthermore, the eyes of the oculist can symbolize the corruption of the characters in the novel. The eyes watch over as Tom visits his mistress right in front of the unsuspecting husband, as Gatsby lies straight to Nick’s face about his past, and as Daisy travels to commit adultery with Gatsby. The unwavering eyes are crucial to the story because these all-seeing eyes add onto the theme of the impossible American dream; it shows us no matter how hard we try, no matter how we push back against the current, we cannot achieve that dream, we cannot reach our “green