Jean-Paul Sartre and William Shakespeare, at a distance of centuries and mentalities, both examine through drama the meaning of existence and the weight that man's actions carry on his soul. In Sartre's No Exit and Shakespeare's Hamlet, their characters struggle with the mere concept of death and its attendant mysteries while also struggling to accept the choices and decisions made during life. Spirituality and the search for the meaning of life bring the protagonists of both works into conflict. Sartre and Shakespeare chose symbolic representation of spiritual ideals through props, notably the bronze ornament resting on the mantelpiece of Dead End Hell and the skull of Yorick, Prince Hamlet's former court jester. Although both catalysts for philosophical introspection, and used by the authors in similar ways, the ornament and the skull are contrasting representations of the uncertainty in death that looms over both works. The bronze ornament perched on the mantel represents an immediate threat to Joseph Garcin's concept and conception. acceptance of his death. He understands his destiny, but the ornament already symbolizes the meaning that Garcin cannot find in his life or his death. The ornament subtly highlights Sartre's existentialist themes in the play, but only Garcin interacts with the prop. “I assure you that I am quite aware of my position,” he tells the waiter. “A man is drowning, suffocating, sinking a few inches, until his eyes are just above the water. And what does he see? An atrocity of bronze…” (Sartre 4) The fact that the ornament, among the other props resting in the room, appears to have no purpose or meaning confuses Garcin. What should he do with his ornament? His first instinct, while alone in the room, is to touch him and hug him, as he must hug...... middle of paper ... tell me what his actions have done to him. Another example of existence preceding essence, Hell for him on Earth was an intricate vision of torture with no intrinsic meaning to him. Hell for Garcin now is the struggle to accept his fate. However, at the end of the play, he is ready to move on, just like Hamlet. Sartre and Shakespeare managed to represent man's attempts to search for the meaning of life in death. Garcin and Hamlet are so different on the surface, but they are grappling with the same inner conflict and the question of their personal ability to accept fate. To look inside themselves, they must look outside and find the ornament and the skull as keys to the map of life. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Literature "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark": an introduction to reading and writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th edition. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print