Compare and contrast the presentation of guilt in Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, Hosseini’s ‘The Kite Runner’ and William’s ‘The Glass Menagerie’. To what extent is guilt presented as inescapable?

The theme of guilt is central to all three texts; Hamlet is fuelled by the protagonist's guilt at being unable to act and the weight of his knowledge, The Kite Runner follows Amir's search for redemption and The Glass Menagerie relives a haunting memory of Tom, the protagonist. The theme of haunting is a repeated motif in all three texts either literally in the case of Hamlet or metaphorically through Amir's desire for redemption and Tom being haunted by the memory of his sister who is seen as a physical presence on the stage.
This inescapable guilt is also presented through structure. The Kite Runner is cyclical, starting in 2001, then going back to 1975 and then forward to 2002. This forces the reader to relive these memories and indicates how the guilt forces a cycle of regression to the past. Shakespeare uses soliloquies to reveal Hamlet's inner-thoughts and mental state. Hamlet's self-deprecating language reveals the guilt he feels towards his inability to act. William's similarly draws on the idea of reliving through the play itself demonstrating a need to relive the moment but an inability to escape his guilt.