Hamlet as Tragic Hero Essay

According to Aristotle’s definition, a true “tragic hero” must have several characteristics which include nobleness, meaning he/she must be of a royal family, a hamartia, a tragic flaw, and a reversal of fortune brought on by the hero’s tragic flaw. And finally the discovery of recognition that the reversal was caused by the characters' own actions. Although arguments can be made against Hamlet being a tragic hero, as stated in Aristotle’s definition he is in fact a true tragic hero.

Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark who is a university student that enjoys contemplation of difficult questions and tasks. Upon Hamlet’s arrival home from university he ascertains that his father the King of Denmark has passed and his death was incorporated with foul play. Hamlet is a character that tends to act out of pure intellect and persistent logic he also tends to suppress his natural instincts and over uses his intellect. Hamlet is seen as a symbol of revenge, being enigmatic there is slack there to understand that there is more to Hamlet than what is being said. Hamlet’s behavior is certainly explainable with thorough analysis of the text. Hamlets reactionary response is what creates and sets the mood for the play also his love for

    Hamlet, the hero of Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, stands head and shoulders above all the other characters in the play – he is that noble in thought and action. This essay will portray the true and complete Hamlet.

Hamlet is the prince of denmark and is commonly referred to as lord. Hamlet's downfall as a tragic hero happens over a long period of time. When he is confronted by the ghost of his father he is told of his father's murder. He is enraged and plans to seek revenge for his father death. As Hamlet cooks up his plan of revenge he decides to act crazy so no one listens or pays any attention to him.

Shakespeare's play, Hamlet illustrates the tragedy of a young prince's pursuit to obtain revenge for a corrupt act, the murder of his father.   As the exposition unfolds, we find Prince Hamlet struggling with internal conflict over who and what was behind his father's death.  His struggle continues as he awaits the mystic appearance of a ghost who is reported to resemble his father.  Suddenly it appears, proclaiming, "Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing / To what I shall unfold" (1.5.5-6).  The ghost continues to speak providing an important clue: "The serpent that did sting thy father's life / Now wears his crown" (1.5.38-39).  In short, this passage reveals evidence leading to the identity of whom

Hamlet, written by Shakespeare, is a well known tragedy. It is coined a tragedy because the entire story line is dramatic and almost every character dies by being poisoned, stabbed, or suicide. Prince Hamlet finds out tragic news of his father’s death in the beginning of Hamlet. This depressing news causes Prince Hamlet to spiral downhill into a rather crazy person. The play then turns into a cycle of tragic, somewhat ironic deaths. Hamlet is ultimately the creator of the problem which ends in the death of the characters. Hamlet is a tragic hero because he is a very noble man, he has a tragic flaw, and his fall is partially his own fault.

In the play Hamlet, William Shakespeare writes about a character who is pitied and shown no compassion for throughout the entire play, hardly giving him reason to be a tragic hero. Hamlet was written as the kind of person who never does anything good to be seen as a hero. He always stops himself before he commits the crime and comes up with an excuse before he goes on. He’s been through alot with the death of his father and the quick marriage of his uncle and mother. There is never a moment where Hamlet is truly seen as being heroic, just either crazy or depressed.

When you hear the word hero now a day you would think of superheroes like superman or batman. Though they are heros they are much different from heros 400 years ago. Even before that heroes were defined by four basic characteristics. Shakespeare used these characteristics to create his own heros for his plays. Even though Shakespeare used though characteristics as a model for his heros he did not stick to them rigidly. Not every character in his plays fit the model perfectly but had their similarity.

“A tragic flaw is an error or defect in the tragic hero that leads to his downfall.” (http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/literature/bedlit/glossary_t.htm) 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.

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 is a clear representation of Shakespeare's tragic hero, as he possesses all the necessary characteristics of such a hero. Hamlet is seen as a tragic hero as he has doomed others because of a serious error in judgment, also Hamlet is responsible for his own fate and Hamlet has been endowed with a tragic flaw. These character traits and

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. A tragic hero must have free will and also have the characteristics of being brave and noble. In addition, the audience must feel some sympathy for the tragic hero.

William Shakespeare is seen to many as one of the great writers in history. More specifically, the characters in his plays are reviewed and criticized and have been so for nearly four centuries. The character that many have revered Shakespeare for is perhaps the greatest such character ever in literature, Hamlet from Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The commentary and response to this legend of literature is of wide array and opinion, though most, such as Pennington, believe him to be a truly magnificent character: "Hamlet is perhaps the cleverest hero ever written, the subject of the first European tragedy, a form of genius. A type Shakespeare despaired of writing thereafter, having perceived that the heroes of

commonly known as a tragic hero in the play. He knows he possesses the flaw of

Hamlet is a Shakespearian tragedy written and published in approximately 1603; this play depicts the protagonist Hamlet as a gritty anti-hero with human flaws and qualities such as arrogance, apathy and paranoia. He is driven to fuel his revenge against King Claudius without regard to the others consideration because of his selfishness. Hamlet is frustrated with his mothers haste marriage and believes he is responsible to avenge his father’s death mercilessly.

Hamlet (Protagonist): Prince of Denmark. Sarcastic, intelligent, stricken with grief at the death of his father, Hamlet Senior. Son of Hamlet Sr and Gertrude. Disgusted by his mother’s marriage to his uncle, Claudius. He is profoundly reflective, but at times acts rashly (likely the result of the rage and grief that consumes him thanks to the circumstances). Has a desire to bring justice to those that have done him wrong.