No matter who you are or how you try to prevent them, tragedies can happen. Whether or not you try to avoid one, a tragedy will happen anyway. In Sophocles's Oedipus Rex, Oedipus tries to avoid a tragedy by running away from it, but it does not work; in William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet also tries to circumvent a tragedy, but he does this by not acting on the task assigned to him by the ghost of his father. Hamlet and Oedipus Rex are both similar, in that they are both examples of a classic tragedy. Although, they have a major difference, Hamlet is a tragedy of inaction and Oedipus Rex is a tragedy of action.
Oedipus Rex and Hamlet conform to the same classic tragic formula. Being the son's of the king, Hamlet and Oedipus are themselves members of the royal family and in fact, next in line to the throne. Oedipus is the adopted son of the former King Polybus. He is of high standing in both the political and the social chain of command of the times, because he is both a king and world famous. Hamlet is the son of a king, and a prince. To protect himself from Hamlet, Claudius must get rid of Hamlet, but in doing so must not upset the people of the kingdom. He has Hamlet sent to England, "I have a quick determination Thus set it down: He shall with speed to England-(214). The classic tragic formula needs a hero who is in a position of high status and also has the same hero fall from that position. .
Hamlet and Oedipus Rex are tragedies; Hamlet is a tragedy of inaction, where the tragedy is caused by Hamlet's reluctance to kill Claudius. Hamlet's fatal flaw is his hesitation to act and avenge his father's death. His downfall is somewhat his own fault. He has the chance to carry out his revenge, but hesitates causing his own destruction and the deaths of others. Hamlet has a perfect opportunity to slay the king when he is kneeling, praying and defenseless, "Now might I do it pat, now he is praying"(224).