Understanding Existentialism Essay - 864 Words

Do we matter? Do we seek personal happiness in life? These are questions from existentialism. The dictionary defines existentialism as an individual’s experience filled with isolation in a hostile universe where a human being attempts to find true self and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. Hamlet is an existentialist character who believes that he is forced to avenge his father’s death and the hatred builds in his heart because of the many betrayals which direct him towards a senseless life and constant thoughts about suicide; this ultimately leads to his demise and he is left with naught. The narrator from â€Å"Things that Fly† has obviously gone through some sort of abandonment which has affected him†¦show more content†¦Moreover, Ophelia his ex-lover is set up by her father, Polonius and King Claudius to discover Hamlet’s reason for insanity;a she meets with him and Hamlet immediately discovers that sh e betrays him by lying about her father’s location. All the obstacles express his disappointment in life and they make him believe that life is really senseless and there is no way out while his attempts to finish Claudius remain a failure. Protagonist of â€Å"Things that Fly† has also gone through an calamitous event, where some significant person has abandoned him which ends up resulting in him â€Å"thinking of all the bad things [he] had done to other people in the world† and this also worries his parents that â€Å"[he] might go to pieces at any moment.† This exemplifies the extent of his melancholic behaviour he feels takes responsibility for all the mistakes he makes in life and realizes that he has no purpose in life. Like Hamlet is betrayed by the ones closest to him, narrator is also Both characters are able to not able to act freely and responsibly while being isolated in the world that they cannot control. Hamlet: He wants to be free from the worldly sorrows; he sees no point in human life and questions his existence. He wishes to commit suicide but his religious views stop him from ending his life; however in this life he has been forced to avenge for his father’s death. [not able to control the people betraying him and Hamlet has theShow MoreRelatedExistentialism : Existentialism And Existentialism994 Words   |  4 Pageshis choices† (Sartre, n.d.). When discussing existentialism, the man responsible for this quote is always attached to the conversation. As the man who is often remembered for bringing the most amount of international attention to the theory of existentialism, Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre deserves to have his theories and ideals discussed and respected whenever possible. Firstly, what exactly is existentialism? The textbook defines existentialism as â€Å"a philosophical movement or tendency, emphasizingRead MoreSartre s Idea Of The Self983 Words   |  4 Pagesor God. Sartre’s idea of Existentialism introduces a new way of thinking in terms of how we become a self. This paper will argue for Sartre’s idea of Existentialism by addressing the way in which it provides a concept of the self that has not been predetermined. Jean-Paul Sartre was considered one of the foremost thinkers in the world of existentialism. He firmly represented the idea of atheistic existentialism, and further described the broader term of existentialism as â€Å"existence precedes essence†Read MoreExistentialist Theory: Its Features, Advantages and Disadvantages784 Words   |  3 PagesExistentialist Theory, Its Features, Advantages and Disadvantages For introduction purposes, Existentialism is the philosophical theory that holds that in order to grasp human existence, then further set of categories governed by the norm of authenticity are necessary (Steven Crowell, 2010). Existentialism is a philosophy which stresses on human existence as opposed to the movements that submerge mans existence. Normally, if emphasis of distinction is placed upon mans existence then the questionRead MoreExistentialism And The Existentialist Ideas Behind Existentialism1186 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Existentialism is a theory of philosophy that stepped away from ideas that there is any single unifying reality or reason to existence and that we should approach philosophy from a perspective of what we can perceive to be true, not what we think is true without being able to perceive it. In that mind set, it tries to examine what a person’s perception of reality can be, their place is in that reality, how they approach their own existence given that information, and how, based on thoseRead More The Rise and Fall of Existentialism1287 Words   |  6 PagesThe Rise and Fall of Existentialism   Ã‚  Ã‚   Existential literature often focuses on the personal journey towards existential awareness. Common themes in existential works, such as alienation and confrontation with death, often lead the anti-hero towards a climactic choice that defines whether they have reached true understanding. The themes within existential literature are reflected from the world at large, and the works themselves are a metaphor for a grander shift in Western philosophy. Read MoreExistentialism And The Beliefs Of The Movement1454 Words   |  6 PagesPalahniuk that is a good summary of existentialism and the beliefs of the movement. Existentialism was a turning point for society and literature that advocated the expansion of the minds of authors and their readers so we could improve our thinking to be more enlightened and free. The movement sparked much alternative thinking to allow our society to grow into what it is today and without it people would most likely be more close minded and less free. Existentialism was a very influential movement withRead More Hopeless and Absurd - Existentialism and Buddhism Essay1536 Words   |  7 PagesHopeless and Absurd - Existentialism and Buddhism Perhaps the most telling symptom of existentialist philosophers is their ever-divergent theories on the fundamental characteristics of human life and their steadfast refusal to assign an explicit meaning or reason to our existence at all. Contrary to criticism which therefore labels the movement cynically nihilistic, existentialism justifies life with reasoning similar to that of Zen Buddhism. Specifically, the notions of hopelessness and absurdityRead MoreNo Exit By Jean Paul Sartre1342 Words   |  6 Pagesand true natures, exposing each other in a raw truth. In many of his works, Sartre attempts to get important messages across that coincide with his philosophies. A piece that is easy to use to compare with the play is the essay The Humanism in Existentialism, as everything written in it are his own thoughts and commentary on life, how it should be lived, humanity, and how humans relate to each other and the world around them. That being said, he purposely writes No Exit in a way that blatantly disregardsRead More Finding an Existential Ethic Essay1570 Words   |  7 Pagesargues in her book Existentialist Ethics, It seems that to be attracted by Existentialism is to be attracted by a mood. When it comes to serious thought, one may find . . . that it is necessary to cast off the mood and start again (57). The focus of the existentialist is on the individual, existing being. By nature, the subject of existentialism appears incommunicable. It demands that each individual come to an understanding of the inwardness of self independently. This inwardness is not a state whichRead MoreSartre s Views On The Moral Choices895 Words   |  4 PagesJean-Paul Sartre is a French philosopher who makes his claims based on a combination of two philosophical traditions – existentialism and phenomenology. Sartre himself is an atheistic existentialist. He summarizes his claims regarding existentialism with three words – anguish, abandonment, and despair (25). I n this paper, I will talk about Sartre’s definition of existentialism, its relation to essence, Sartre’s views on the moral choices and how they relate to art. Sartre makes the claim that all