A Raisin in the Sun begs the question of whether or not money is worth giving up your dignity and pride for. Lorraine Hansberry creates conflict and drama to surround this central argument of her play. This is accomplished by the carefully created character arch of Walter. He goes through a great struggle in his life only for his dreams to be stolen from him by Willy Harris. Much of the first act is filled with Walter complaining about his mundane life and wishing that he would get the chance to change things for his family. Walter tells the story of a black man living in White America. The audience is already sympathetic toward Walter and the introduction of Lindner representing the oppression of White America seems like an insurmountable hill to climb for him and his family. It is almost understandable when he decided to kneel to White America. Instead, Walter finds the strength to oppose the antagonist and move into the home they bought regardless of the racism and hate they might receive. This decision surprises his family and is a moment of catharsis for Walter. He turns down White America and Lindner’s money and decides to become a trailblazer for the oppressed black community in Chicago. I believe that Walter’s decision to fight against his oppressors makes him worthy of heroism. It takes immense strength and will to make the decisions he did when everyone expected him to lay down and quit. Walter Lee Younger is a true example of the modern Hero outlined by Arthur Miller.

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          William Shakespeare’s plays are written using the classical hero, men born of noble status who are almost perfect and often die in the conflict resolution due to a tragic flaw. Hamlet is a perfect example of this. The central argument of Hamlet is considered by many to be humanities agon as well; the contemplation of death and life. Shakespeare develops the conflict by making Hamlet’s life difficult. His father is killed by his uncle, who becomes his mother’s new husband, and his love Ophelia distances herself from him without reason. All of these tragedies in such a short period of time result in Hamlet constantly pondering about “To be or not to be.”(Shakespeare 3.1.64). Tension and interest are also introduced using Hamlet’s inability to act. Without his stalling to kill Claudius, the story would have lacked interest and suspense. Hamlet spends months debating and driving himself mad about the conflict. This also highlights his tragic flaw which is a staple of the Shakespearean protagonist. The agon is eventually settled as Hamlet dies at the hands of Laertes, but not before he is finally able to avenge his father and murder Claudius. This is his moment of Catharsis. Hamlet’s failure to act throughout most of the play causes the death of many of his loved ones, but in the end, he sacrifices his own life and decides to do the right thing. This sacrifice brings balance to the world and creates peace that was disturbed with the death of his father. His story is a perfect example of the classical hero outlined by Aristotle.

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          After reading both A Raisin in the Sun and Hamlet the striking contrast between

the classical and modern hero is highlighted. In one story, the protagonist is a Danish Prince, beloved by all of his kingdom. The agon is revealed as Hamlet struggles with whether to be or not to be. He asks many questions of life without ever finding the answers he is looking for. On the other hand, Raisin in the Sun speaks about Walter Lee Younger, a workingman from a black family living in Chicago during the 1950s. Both authors develop a conflict to highlight the agon and their respective heroes. The protagonists show similarities in their decision to take action in the immediate face of conflict but hesitate beforehand. Hamlet stalls the killing of his uncle for many months before he finally commits the act. Similarly, Walter originally decides to kneel down to White America and trade his dignity for the money he lost. It is only in the final seconds that they change their mind and decide to take a stand. In contrast, Hamlet and Walter live very different lives as one is a noble Danish prince and the other a black father, husband, and chauffeur. These two livelihoods create characters that fit into the set of expectations set by Aristotle and Miller respectively. Although very different people, Hamlet and Walter both act as heroes of their time.