The Tragic Dialogue between Eastern Family Narratives and Western Humanistic Awakening: A Comparative Study of the Tragic Paradigms of Thunderstorm and Hamlet a Cross-Cultural Perspective
Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: This study conducts a comparative analysis of the tragic paradigms in Cao Yu’s Thunderstorm and Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and explores how cultural, social, and religious backgrounds in Eastern and Western dramas shape tragic fate. By examining Thunderstorm’s critique of feudal oppression in China and Hamlet’s reflection on humanism during the Renaissance, this study reveals the different mechanisms behind the tragic structures of the two works: the former is rooted in social pathology, while the latter is influenced by religious ethics and existential dilemmas. This paper employs a multi-level framework—micro, meso, and macro—to analyze the interaction between historical backgrounds and literary works, revealing the common humanistic values and enduring themes of resistance across cultures. The paper argues that despite the different cultural origins of these tragedies, they expose the universal human struggles, offering new perspectives for cross-cultural literary research. Ultimately, this study aims to fill the theoretical gaps in the methodology of tragic fate and inspire a global dialogue on the cultural integration of drama.
Source: SHS Web of Conferences
Authors: Fanzhe Kong, Zixian Zeng, Yichen Zou
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4413177001