Themes
Both Amir and Hamlet are driven by this powerful feeling, they know they’ve done something wrong, and they’re desperate to make it right.
Guilt
These sons both wrestle with guilt—one for not acting on a friend’s behalf, the other for hesitating to avenge his father.
Amir and Hamlet
What is Hamlet indecisive about?
Whether he should avenge his father or not
What type of relationship do Baba and Amir share?
Father and Son
How does Baba’s secret about Hassan affect Amir later in life?
It adds to Amir’s guilt and complicates his understanding of loyalty
When Amir goes back to face Assef and when Hamlet fights Laertes, both are acting out of this deep, often dangerous desire to settle the score.
Revenge
These two characters uphold social expectations—one by remarrying quickly in Denmark, the other by hosting public events in Kabul.
Gertrude and Baba
What secret does Baba keep from Amir?
Hassan is his half-brother
What two parallels do Gertrude and Sanaubar share?
Power and Influence, and complex Motherhoods
What choice does Hamlet make when he has the chance to kill Claudius during the praying scene, and what is the consequence?
He chooses not to kill Caludius, believing that killing him here would send him to heaven; this delay leads to more unnecessary deaths
How does Amir seek redemption for his past actions toward Hassan?
By rescuing Sohrab and finally standing up for someone else.
These two characters experience emotional paralysis, unable to act decisively because of the weight of their conscience.
Hamlet and Amir
Whose death does Amir feel responsible for
His mother
What causes tension between Baba and Amir?
Lack of approval
What are two major consequences of Hamlet’s delay in killing Claudius?
The deaths of Polonius and Ophelia, and eventually the downfall of Hamlet's family.
(Any death to be honest related to hamlet is fair game)
How do both Hamlet and The Kite Runner show that redemption can only come through personal sacrifice and facing past mistakes?
Hamlet sacrifices his life to set things right in Denmark; Amir endures pain and risk to save Sohrab and make peace with his past.
These two characters are caught in roles defined by others—one as a dutiful daughter, the other as a loyal servant—both hiding deeper emotional struggles.
Ophelia and Hassan
What figure betrays both main characters in Hamlet and the Kite Runner?
Father Figure
What do Hamlet and Laertes have in common?
Deceased Fathers
How does Amir’s decision to stay silent affect Hassan’s life and the bond between them?
Hassan suffers trauma quietly, and their friendship is never the same. Amir distances himself from guilt and shame.
What shared theme do the settings in these stories reflect about how both a personal and political corruption can effect a society?
Corruption and Moral decay
These sons feel disconnected from their fathers—one due to emotional distance, the other because of secrecy and hidden truths.
Amir and Hamlet
"Thus conscience does make ___ [of us all]"
Cowards
What is Laertes and Ophelia's relationship with Polonius shaped by?
Control and Duty
Which two major choices made by Hamlet and Amir are avoided or delayed, and why is that significant to the plot?
Hamlet delays killing Claudius, Amir avoids helping Hassan. These delays lead to the damage of not just them but also the people close to them