Preview

Hamlet as an Aristotelian Tragedy

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
615 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Hamlet as an Aristotelian Tragedy
According to the Aristotelian view of tragedy, a tragic hero must fall through his or her own error. This is typically called the "tragic flaw", and can be applied to any characteristic that causes the downfall the hero. Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark can be seen as an Aristotelian tragedy and Hamlet as it's tragic hero. Hamlet's flaw, which in accordance with Aristotle's principles of tragedy causes his demise, is his inability to act. This defect of Hamlet's character is displayed throughout the play.
<br>
<br>In the opening scenes of the play, the Ghost of old Hamlet reveals the truth about his death to his son, and tells Hamlet to avenge the murder. Hamlet's first response is one that sounds of speedy action, saying "Haste me to know't that I with winds as swift… May sweep to my revenge." (p. 34 lines 29-31) Unfortunately, Hamlet's inability to act on his father's extortion has him reluctant to kill King Claudius by the end of that very scene, when he says, "This time is out of joint, O cursed spite, that I was ever born to set it right." (p. 41 lines 190-191)
<br>
<br>As the play goes on, Hamlet still has yet to act on his murderous task. In act II, scene 2, Hamlet decides that, before he can avenge his father's death, he must make sure that the Ghost was telling the truth. This simply gives Hamlet more excuse to procrastinate-he gets to put off killing Claudius until after the "play within a play", Mousetrap, is preformed. Not surprisingly, Hamlets inability to act gets the best of him even after he has obtained his proof that Claudius is guilty, and he can only contemplate the act.
<br>
<br>Further evidence of Hamlet's tragic flaw can be found in act III, scene 3. At this point, Hamlet is sure of Claudius' guilt, and has even declared that "Now could I drink hot blood and do such bitter business as the day Would quake to look on." (p. 99 lines 406-408) He comes to find King Claudius alone, and recognizes it as an opportunity to act, but almost

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Consequently, Hamlets’ tragic flaw leads to his downfall. His lack of action causes him not to kill Claudius when he has the chance, giving him the advantage. It can be seen that Claudius has the advantage to kill Hamlet when he states, “By letters conjuring to that effect/The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England” (4.3.65-6). Since Hamlet reveals that he knows that Claudius killed the former king, Claudius is deceiving Hamlet into going to England, where he will be executed. Hamlet reveals his knowledge of the murder when he puts on the play, re-enacting the former King’s murder. Now Claudius knows that he must kill Hamlet in order to avoid getting caught and stay on the throne. Claudius tells Hamlet that he is sending him to England for…

    • 179 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet seems to be the one who lets things dwell in his mind before taking any action or making an attempt at trying to get on with his life. After the death of his father he becomes depressed and gradually becomes enraged with his mother's immediate marriage to his uncle Claudius. He was lead to believe his father died of natural cause but he became aware of the murderer when his father's ghost appeared to him. When Hamlet learns the truth of his father's murder, he cries, but promises action, though he delivers none. He says "Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love, may sweep to my revenge." (Act 1, Sc. 5, 29-31). At the end of the scene he says "The time is out of joint: O cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it right!" (Act 1, Sc. 5, 188-189). This shows that he is no longer in such a rush to avenge his father's death by killing his uncle Claudius.…

    • 1027 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Another reason why Hamlet delays taking action against Claudius is because Hamlet wants to get him to admit that he is guilty of killing his father. Hamlet could possible be seen as being greedy here. Hamlets not only want to kill his Uncle Claudius but he wants to damn his soul and wants him to admit his guilt so that Hamlet can become King. To achieve his goal Hamlet writes a play that is called "Mouse Trap". In the play, a man kills his own brother and marries his sister -in-law. During Hamlets play the "mouse Trap" Claudius acts guilty by standing and making a commotion and stopping the play. But yet this is still not enough for Hamlet he has to have him admit his guilt. This is another reason why Hamlet delays on killing his Uncle.…

    • 839 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The contrast between action and inaction is emphasized between Claudius and Hamlet due to the conflict between these two characters. To begin, Claudius sends Hamlet to an almost certain death immediately after he suspects Hamlet’s knowledge of his father’s murder. Quickly, he confides in Rosencratz and Guildenstern that, “[Claudius likes Hamlet] not, nor stands it safe with [everyone] / [t]o let his madness range” (III.iii.1-2), and demands, “therefore prepare you. I your commission will forthwith dispatch / [a]nd he to England shall along with you” (III.iii.3-4). It seems Claudius proceeds impulsively, however his calculated and rapid actions are the key to the development of the theme of action. Claudius smoothly uses “[Hamlet’s] madness” as the source of his nephew’s departure, though it is his own safety that concerns Claudius. Next, Hamlet cannot find the strength to kill his father’s murderer throughout most of the play.…

    • 1801 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet was brought up as a prince, a noble born, embedded with sweetness. Showered with love and provided with whatever necessary for a prince… He was out studying and not being involved in politics of Denmark or even being involved with the series of war King Hamlet has being fighting. He embodies a full course of human emotion, ranging from grief, love, anger, rage, and passion to fear and insanity. Ultimately, Hamlet has no interest in becoming the king rather his concern is to avenge his father’s death which he could not fulfill because his character does not show someone who is capable of murder, apart from this, there were various factors that contributed to Hamlet’s delay in seeking revenge against Claudius.…

    • 872 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In Shakespeare’s famous Hamlet, Hamlet is driven by a singular goal; to exact revenge on his uncle for his father’s murder, and by achieving this goal, to set his broken world right again. His revenge is slow, meticulous, and well thought through. If his revenge is not done at the right moment, Hamlet will not be able to achieve his goal: Not only wants to make Claudius pay for his father’s murder, but he wants to punish him in the worst way he knows: eternal damnation. He wants Claudius to suffer in the worst way he knows, and in the same way his father was forced to suffer. Hamlet’s extravagant plan on vengeance is an attempt to right the wrong that Claudius has set on him.…

    • 1259 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet As A Tragic Hero

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the play Hamlet, written by Shakespeare, the main character Hamlet is often described as a hero. There are 6 criterion for a Shakespeare play to be considered a tragedy; the hero is a man of outstanding quality, the hero has a tragic flaw, the hero’s downfall is a result of his own choice, the audience has a “sad sense of wasted human potential”, the hero has an increase in awareness and a gain in self knowledge, and the audience experiences a cycle of good and bad emotions towards mankind. Hamlet is a great example of a tragic hero, one of his greatest attributes is also his biggest downfall.…

    • 380 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    However, Hamlet incapable of doing it and proceed to what according to Ghost told him to (Javed 332). This is an identity crisis for Hamlet, as he does not know whether he is acting upon his free will or upon the Ghost words. Killing Claudius is what the Ghost wanted. However, Hamlet is confused whether he want to Claudius or not, hence the delay in his actions. ”Hamlet is too delicate or too subtle for the purpose. A less self-questioning hero would have been a better instrument” (Javed…

    • 1409 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    To be a tragic hero or not to be a tragic hero, that is the question. This phrase is a clash between two very important figures of literature. William Shakespeare an English composer who wrote many well-known plays with Hamlet being the most popular and Aristotle who was a Greek philosopher and well known for his academics who created the expression tragic hero. Combining the work of these two individuals we come to question is Shakespeare’s character Hamlet worthy of Aristotle’s term tragic hero.…

    • 1258 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, can be seen as one about duty, in particular Hamlet's struggle with his duty to his father and the possible consequences involved. Hamlet's duty is revealed when he speaks with the ghost of his father who commands Hamlet to "revenge his foul and most unnatural murder." The appearance of the supernatural and the suggestion of a "most unnatural murder" also presents the idea of corruption as it portrays the idea of death against the natural order. Hamlet clearly struggles with this command from his father's ghost, as avenging his father's death would mean that Hamlet himself would have to murder not just another person, but his uncle CLaudius, the new king of Denmark. Therefore, Hamlet struggles to take immediate action but instead he tells the ghost, "with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love may sweep to my revenge." This simile suggests that Hamlet is eager to seek revenge quickly, however his response is paradoxical as "meditation" and "thoughts of love" suggest that he may have to think about the task ahead of him first. This highlights Hamlet's struggle with his duty as while he wants to avenge his father's death, he is also unsure and so cannot…

    • 1139 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet's Tragic Flaws

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A tragic flaw is the failing of a tragic hero, a character who suffers a downfall through the tragic flaw in mistaken choices or in personality. Hamlet’s tragic flaw, his incapacity to act to take revenge for his father’s death. Which leads to him and many others including; his queen gertrude, Polonius, Laertes and Ophelia, to their deaths. When the Ghost, his dead father, appears to him and charges him with the effortful task of taking revenge for his most foul murder, Hamlet is motivated to accept the challenge even though he fears to.…

    • 462 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    proclaims that Claudius killed him in lust for power. Hamlet is asked, "If thou didst ever thy dear father love - oh God - Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder." (27) Here begins Hamlet's quest to avenge his father by laying ruin to King Claudius. To be certain of the King's guilt, Hamlet puts on a play bearing a resemblance to how the ghost described the murder. When King Claudius views it, he feels a sudden pang of conscience and abruptly leaves. This flinch provides a first glance by the reader, and…

    • 629 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet Cites

    • 813 Words
    • 4 Pages

    I think there is a misplaced speech in Hamlet which has resulted in much unnecessary confusion. You'll remember that in Act I Hamlet meets his father's ghost, who tells his son that he was murdered by Claudius. Hamlet is full of resolve to do the right thing, but he makes no attempt to kill Claudius until Act III, Scene IV. (That attempt is frustrated when he mistakenly believes Claudius is praying.)…

    • 813 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet is in a situation where his sanity is turning into insanity. He is like one of those people who tell so many lies that they start believing their own lies. Hamlet's acting is so vivid to him that, unconsciously, his state of mind has become irrational. He is turning against everyone in order to follow the orders of revenge from his father's ghost. In order to do so, he is finding any possible way to bring out the guilt in everyone due to his father's murder. In Act III, scene ii, Hamlet has written parts for players to put on a show for Claudius in order for him to bring out the guilt within Claudius. The play doesn't affect Claudius until it is revealed that Lucianus, the kings nephew, is the one that kills the king. Claudius then cries out due to the fear of Hamlet killing him. Also, in this scene, Hamlet admired Horatio's level-headedness and calmness because those are some qualities that Hamlet lacks. Hamlet tries to break his mother down in Act III, scene iv, Hamlet comes to speak to his mother because she believes that he has offended Claudius. In return, Hamlet tries to break her down by putting her sins in front of her because she married the king's brother so soon after his death. When she cries for help, innocent Polonius enters and Hamlet says "How now! A rat?" and kills Polonius because he thought that it was Claudius. Hamlet's insanity is like a blind rage. He is so focused on revenge that he doesn't realize what he is doing. Hamlet is taking sick…

    • 870 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of the major themes in Hamlet is the reason behind his delay for revenge. Throughout the play, the prince of Denmark is presented with many opportunities to kill his father's murderer Claudius but there was always something holding him back. There are different theories of why Hamlet may find it difficult to execute the ghost’s request. It could be said that Hamlet fears the consequence of killing a king, which at that time was considered a mortal sin, or he simply didn't want to hurt his mother Gertrude by killing her new lover, or as some may think, he is too sensitive a soul to be able to commit an act of violence. By carefully reviewing the play, the readers may find yet another, more believable explanation such as that Hamlet is simply over thinking the situation and his indecision is causing him to miss all these opportunities for revenge. In Act III Scene I he himself gives voice to this theory by saying: “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all.” His intelligence may truly be the cause of his inability to act and defend his family’s honor. The first clue of this is Hamlet’s doubt of the true intensions of the ghost. In order to assure himself that the ghost’s story is true, the prince plots a…

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics