Authors frequently employ universal themes in literature in order to explore the basic human emotions and responses to certain situations. This technique allows readers of different backgrounds to conveniently relate to the characters in a literary piece, as well as provides a basis for the development of cross themes between works beyond barriers of time and place. An example of this is Fools of Fortune, by William Trevor, and an earlier work by William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark. In both dramas, the author characterizes typical human responses to the loss of a family member, whether through rejection, absence, or death. Hamlet and Ophelia both experience the loss of a father and exemplify similar reactions, which parallel the responses of Evie, Marianne, and Imelda in Fools of Fortune. These three women experience the tragic death of a loved one and...