Ivan Turgenev

As Ivan Turgenev states in his thesis, I believe there are two types of men, as Shakespeare states in Hamlet, “To be or not to be”. Turgenev then expands this theory and states that men can either the as Hamlet or as Don Quixote, and later compares them both. He states that Don Quixote acts for others, he lives in a fantasy in which he serves others, and indeed he does. Don Quixote is constantly rescuing people, looking for adventures, castles and maidens in trouble, even though he could die in the act. Unlike him there’s Hamlet, a man too selfish and intellectual to act immediately. Hamlet plans every single step for the kings murder, and does not act until the end of the play. According to Turgenev the main character suffers from scepticism, he acts secure, does not risk his life, cares a lot for how he appears, or seems, to people, and feels no pity at all for himself or others; this may indicate a case of narcissism. However, in my opinion Turgenev is right; you can only find these two types of people, either brave and with principles or egoist and scepticism, reason why Ivan Turgenev later states that in this world there are more Hamlets than Don Quixotes.