This paper examines how both Gloria Naylor's "Mama Day" and William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" exemplify the qualities of classic
tragedy. It looks at how "Mama Day" is a mimicry of Shakespeare's use of elements to completely delineate tragedy that is, however, marked with contradiction. It analyzes how the characters and plot in each work follow the general rules of tragedy in divergent ways and how George and Hamlet are proved to be the tragic heroes. It shows how their dissimilar paths through life guide them both to parallel endings and how deliberation versus action and knowledge versus acceptance are the two questions that lead each tragic hero to his death.