Comparison: To what extent have you found it possible, in your consideration of literary works, to separate the individual from his or her public role? In you answer you should refer to any two or three works you have studied.
Based on the actions of Oedipus in Oedipus The King and those of Werle in The Wild Duck, it seems that it is very difficult for characters to separate the individual from his or her public role. This is shown through Oedipus because part of what drives his search for the truth is his image in his kingdom. He spoke very strongly about how important it was to find out who killed Laius. Even though he was told that it would bring him personal harm, he continued on searching in order to look powerful in the eyes of his people, this was his downfall. In The Wild Duck, Werle chooses to help Hjalmar, or at least makes it seem like he is helping him, but does so in a way that nobody finds out about it. This is because he doesn't want others to see him in a certain way. This is an attempt to separate his actions from his public role, but his public role certainly influences the way that he deals with personal events. It is clear that he cannot be separated from his public role when his son, Gregers, says "it just might occur that we never are alone." This shows that there will always be someone watching, so they must always act in a way that will satisfy their public role.
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