The Wild Duck. Journal 3: Comparison.

Some of the ideas in the wild duck and oedipus are the same. For instance, the fact that there is an external factor that causes them to do wrong and end up in tragedy. For example; Gregers in the wild duck, and apollo in oedipius. I believe that this shows how the people in the stories, try as they might, cannot control what is happening to them. This is shown in Oedipus when he tries to go as far away from Corinth as possible in order to not slay his father and sleep with his mother but he ends up doing just that. And this is also shown in the wild duck when Hjalmar believes that he is doing the right thing by leaving the family and that everyone will be much better off without him. This of cours, is not the case because Hedvig ends up killing herself.

I believe that both of these plays try and prove the fatal flaw in human nature, and that is striving for the impossible. Because humans strive for the impossible they are only destined for failure and their life will end in tragedy.