As we know, there are different types of tragedies; Aristotle spoke about a certain type which involves what was once called Peripeteia, Hamartia and Anagnorisis. He said a tragedy is characterized by a tragic hero or heroine who experiences a change or reversal in fortune (peripeteia) which is caused by a personal flaw or mistake (hamartia).
To what extent is hamlet a tragic hero in the classical sense. Hamlet can be seen as a aristotelian tragedy and hamlet as its tragic hero. Hamlet's flaw, which in accordance with Aristotle's principles of tragedy causes demise, is his inability to act. This defect of hamlet's character is displayed throughout the play. Hamlet as a Complex Tragic Hero Hamlet is the center of action in the play. This is a play so dominated by one character that Hamlet without the 'Prince is impossible to imagine. The play deals with his suffering and tragic death. The other characters in the play serve as foils to him.
The downfall of the hero in a tragedy should not be, however, caused by an external force such as a higher power, whether in the form of gods, fate or even society; it should be the result of an action—or lack of action—carried out by the hero.Finally, the hero must achieve a kind of revelation or recognition (anagnorisis) about destiny or the will of the gods, what Aristotle called “a change from ignorance to awareness of a bond of love or hate. ” These are all characteristics that make an ideal Greek tragedy.
However, our purpose is to analyze William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, a Renaissance tragedy; therefore, the question at hand is, could Hamlet, prince of Denmark, possibly be called and defined as a tragic hero?Our first instinct is to say no, but once we start questioning ourselves and really exploring the character and all that he goes through throughout the play, our answers may change. In ‘Hamlet’ the three defining moments in Greek tragedy mentioned above, if truly present, are intertwined and closely linked together. We will write a custom essay sample onHamlet as a Tragic Heroor any similar topic only for youWe will attempt to translate those key aspects present in Aristotle’s description into a completely different type of tragedy such as?Hamlet’ and see how they would portray themselves in Shakespeare’s words.Afterwards, we will analyze this English writer’s work in terms of the imagery found in the play at hand. We must begin at the core of the play: the apparition of the ghost. Before the ghost of the former king of Denmark, Hamlet senior, makes his appearance, all we know is that Hamlet’s father has passed away, that his uncle has taken the throne and has married his late brother’s wife. Once we hear the ghost’s statement the plot of the play is set in motion; Hamlet goes from ignorance to knowledge—that is, if we choose to believe that there actually is a ghost and that the ghost speaks the truth.The spirit tells the prince of Denmark that he was murdered and by none other than his own brother; we could take this as the prince’s moment of recognition, when, in a way, his whole destiny changes.
He now has a new purpose in life, to avenge his father’s death. The bond of love and affection he felt for his uncle is now completely distorted and turned into pure hatred, anger and a thirst for revenge. The next step in our analysis is our ‘tragic hero’s’ change in fortune. As we know, Hamlet’s plan was to get back at his uncle, and in Act III, Scene III he has the perfect opportunity when he walks in on Claudius praying, My fault is past.But O, what form of prayer Can serve my turn? ‘Forgive me my foul murder? ’ That cannot be, since I am still possess’d Of those effects for which I did the murder— My crown, mine own ambition and my queen. May one be pardon’d and retain the offence?
Hamlet, however, hesitates and decides not to kill Claudius while in prayer because he would go to heaven, thus his desire for vengeance would not be satisfied. To take him in the purging of his soul, When he is fit and season’d for passage? Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent.What Hamlet was not aware of was that Claudius was not asking for forgiveness because, as he says, the reasons for which he committed the murder, his ambition and his desire for the crown and the queen, still possess him, therefore he does not regret what he did.
My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thoughts never to heaven go. From this point forward everything just goes downhill. Hamlet missed his one shot all because of his lack of action.
Here is where we introduce the final piece of our analysis.Hamlet’s tragic flaw could be his indecisiveness on how to proceed and carry out his plans or maybe his procrastination; whatever it is, he made a conscious mistake which made him completely responsible for later events, his death, Laertes’, his mother’s and Ophelia’s. The prince ultimately brought about his own downfall. ‘Hamlet’, as a tragedy, certainly differs from the Greek mold, but it is safe to say that not entirely. I believe Shakespeare’s character could be considered as a sort of tragic hero if we choose to associate events the way we have throughout this paper. Of course, there is no way to determine whether or ot Hamlet truly is a tragic hero such as Aristotle meant to depict them, it is all subjective.
In my opinion, the idea is not too overreaching or farfetched; I actually think it is a valid way of analyzing this most interesting character. Our other purpose was to analyze the imagery, and most specifically the nature imagery, found in the play. In ‘Hamlet’, Shakespeare seems to rely on nature (plants, weather, animals, etc. ) a lot to express what the characters are feeling. When it comes to analyzing specifically how he thought of the state and the people of Denmark, one word is key: weeds.The weed is defined as “A plant considered undesirable, unattractive, or troublesome, especially one growing where it is not wanted, as in a garden. ” During the time of late King Hamlet’s rule, Denmark was considered, as prince Hamlet calls it in Act I Scene II, “an unweeded garden”; however, once Claudius murders his brother the king and takes the crown, his sin, greed and corruption bring decay to the kingdom.
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” states Marcellus in Act I, Scene IV. The weed is the symbol of death and poison in Denmark. Claudius poisoned Hamlet’s father and is now poisoning everybody else with his deceit.Later on in Act III, Scene IV, while talking to his mother Hamlet says, Whiles rank corruption, mining all within, Infects unseen. Confess yourself to heaven, Repent what’s past, avoid what is to come, And do not spread the compost on the weeds, To make them ranker. He is telling her to open her eyes and realize how her new king is infecting their country; he then asks her not to keep helping him in doing so—not to spread the compost on the weeds anymore. We can say, without a doubt, that throughout the whole play Shakespeare refers to the state of Denmark and its people as if they were a garden.Understanding the nature imagery in ‘Hamlet’ is essential to understanding the true meaning behind the play.
Denmark used to be a beautiful, healthy garden until its gardener was poisoned; when there was suddenly a new gardener the earth and the plants started dying and nobody did anything to fix it. The subtle way in which Shakespeare is able to use metaphor and simile over and over again in his works without it getting tedious or discouraging is probably one of the reasons why he is considered the greatest writer in the English language.
Hamlet as the Tragic HeroHamlet is the best known tragedy in literature today. Here, Shakespeare exposes Hamlet’s flaws as a heroic character. The tragedy in this play is the result of the main character’s unrealistic ideals and his inability to overcome his weakness of indecisiveness.
This fatal attribute led to the death of several people which included his mother and the King of Denmark. William Shakespere 's tragedy of Hamlet is a story of revenge and distress involving Hamlet Jr, the prince of Denmark. The plot of the play focuses on Hamlet 's quest to avenge his father 's death. Hamlet learns that his father did not die accidentally, as the public believed, and that his Uncle Claudius is the one who murdered his father. Claudius then hastily married Hamlet 's mother and became king. Hamlet is an archetypical example of a tragic hero. He starts out as a noble and virtuous character and then confronts challenges that expose his tragic flaws which lead to his downfall.
tags: Hamlet, KILL, Characters in Hamlet, Tragic heroResearch Papers 1310 words (3.7 pages). “A tragic flaw is an error or defect in the tragic hero that leads to his downfall.” (In the history of literature, if the question of who was the most indecisive character was brought up, Hamlet would be a prime candidate.
Hamlet had numerous chances to reap revenge for his father’s death but was only able to follow through after the accidental murder of his mother. Hamlet’s inability to make a decision ultimately leads to his demise, and for that is his tragic flaw. tags: Hamlet, ShakespeareResearch Papers 885 words (2.5 pages).
Hamlet, the titled character of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, William Shakespeare’s most prominent play, is arguably the most complex, relatable, and deep character created by Shakespeare. His actions and thoughts throughout the play show the audience how fully developed and unpredictable he is with his mixed personalities. What Hamlet goes through in the play defines the adventures encountered by a tragic hero.
In this timeless tragedy, despite Hamlet’s great nobility and knowledge, he has a tragic flaw that ultimately leads to his ironic death. tags: Hamlet, ShakespeareResearch Papers 1364 words (3.9 pages). Hero’s are defined by the actions they take, but they either live to see there fall or die heroically. One of shakespheres most memorable tragic hero’s Hamlet is the definition of a tragic hero. In the book, Hamlet, Shakespeare’s character hamlet is determined on killing his uncle the king. This goal proves to be challenging to him due to his morals. He often struggles with this throughout the book.
This proves to be his downfall for not deciding to kill the king until the very end. A tragic hero has to have a fatal flaw that, combined with fate, brings tragedy. tags: classic, shakespeareResearch Papers 1015 words (2.9 pages). The tragedy of Hamlet, Shakespeare’s most popular and greatest tragedy, presents his genius as a playwright and includes many numbers of themes and literary techniques. In all tragedies, the main character, called a tragic hero, suffers and usually dies at the end. Prince Hamlet is a model example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. Every tragedy must have a tragic hero.
A tragic hero must own many good traits, but has a flaw that ultimately leads to his downfall. If not for this tragic flaw, the hero would be able to survive at the end of the play. tags: Shakespearean LiteratureResearch Papers 685 words (2 pages). 'To be, or not to be: that is the question' (Shakespeare 1750). 'Human beings have no part in the craft of prophecy' (Sophocles 1582).
Both quotes are part of famous plays. Although the plays appear to be completely different they do have some similarities such as containing a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a character that makes a mistake and eventually leads to their defeat. A tragic hero usually contains at least 5 characteristics such as a flaw (hamartia), reversal of fortune (peripetia), character 's actions leads to a reversal, excessive pride, and the character 's fate is greater than what they truly deserved.
tags: Tragedy, Tragic hero, Mother, AngerResearch Papers 1275 words (3.6 pages). Hamlet as the Tragic Hero Hamlet is the best known tragedy in literature today. Here, Shakespeare exposes Hamlet’s flaws as a heroic character. The tragedy in this play is the result of the main character’s unrealistic ideals and his inability to overcome his weakness of indecisiveness.
This fatal attribute led to the death of several people which included his mother and the King of Denmark. Although he is described as being a brave and intelligent person, his tendency to procrastinate prevented him from acting on his father’s murder, his mother’s marriage, and his uncle’s ascension to the throne. tags: Shakespeare HamletFree Essays 828 words (2.4 pages). Hamlet as a Tragic Hero William Shakespeare, the greatest playwright of the English language, wrote a total of 37 plays in his lifetime, all of which can be categorized under tragedy, comedy, or history. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Shakespeare's most popular and greatest tragedy, displays his genius as a playwright, as literary critics and academic commentators have found an unusual number of themes and literary techniques present in Hamlet. Hamlet concerns the murder of the king of Denmark and the murdered king's son's quest for revenge. tags: Shakespeare Hamlet EssaysFree Essays 1037 words (3 pages).
An Examination of Hamlet as a Tragic Hero Webster’s dictionary defines tragedy as, “a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force (such as destiny) and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that excites pity or terror.” A tragic hero, therefore, is the character who experiences such a conflict and suffers catastrophically as a result of his choices and related actions. The character of Hamlet, therefore, is a clear representation of Shakespeare’s tragic hero. tags: Shakespeare HamletFree Essays 1445 words (4.1 pages). Hamlet: Shakespeare Tragic Hero In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, the main character is a classic example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. Hamlet is considered to be a tragic hero because he has a tragic flaw that in the end, is the cause of his downfall. The play is an example of a Shakespearean tragic play because it has all of the characteristics of the tragic play.
As defined by Aristotle, a tragic play has a beginning, middle, and end; unity of time and place; a tragic hero; and the concept of catharsis. tags: Shakespeare Hamlet EssaysFree Essays 528 words (1.5 pages). ” Hamlet could have killed Claudius on many occasions but never acted upon them.Hamlet was also upset over his mother’s decision to remarry Claudius. He expected her mourn the loss of his father forever. He looked upon this union as an “incestuous sheets” (Act I, Scene II, Line 157).
He insults his mother; calling her names saying to her, “a beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourn’d longer (Act I, Scene II, Line 150). But she understands his bitterness because she knows that Claudius is a murderer. At this point, he has lost respect for all women.His disdain for women has also affected his relationship with Ophelia.
He neglects her and he insults her. She does not live up to his expectations of love. He thinks love has to be fair, undying, truthful, and can never be tarnished. But when she returns all his gifts and lies to him in order to cover Polonius’s deception, he is completely devastated by her lack of honesty and loyalty He tells her, “Ha, ha! Are you honest?
Are you fair? That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should admit no discourse to your beauty. I loved you not.Get thee to a nunnery.” Afterwards, he kills her father.
Ophelia is so distraught over his actions, she commits suicide.Because Claudius was to be crowned king, Hamlet found murder a very difficult job. Not only was he to avenge the murder of his father but he was to also kill the king. But again Hamlet procrastinates. This gives the king time to set into motion a plot to kill Hamlet. In a planned duel, Hamlet is supposed to be poisoned.
What is supposed to be a single solitary death turns into a tragic turn of events for many.A goblet of poison wine meant for Hamlet is drank by his mother killing her. So distraught, Hamlet kills Claudius in an hasty, impulsive act, thus overcoming his own ‘tragic flaw.” With the death of his father avenged, Hamlet dies.
Hamlet decided to stay with his difficulties in life rather than commit suicide and “fly to others” that he knew nothing about. If Hamlet could have controlled his fascination with revenge and death, his death and countless others could have been spared. As Horatio is left standing over him as he dies, Hamlet utters, “O, I die, Horatio!”.