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

¹ Education Department, Northeast Normal University, 130024 Jilin, China
² College of Humanities, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430074 Hubei, China
³ ChinaZhengzhou Seventh Senior High School, 450040 Henan, China

^* Corresponding author: kongfz@nenu.edu.cn

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.