How Is Hamlet A Tragic Hero

The prince of Denmark can be described as a tragic hero using Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, has several chances to kill King Claudius but keeps second guessing himself, causing to procrastinate killing the king. Eventually, Hamlet devises a plan to get revenge on his uncle, but kept waiting for the right time and caused many other people to die because he waits so long. Hamlet has many personality traits that make him a tragic hero, but one in particular brings about his downfall. Procrastination or his inaction to follow through with his plan, is the personality trait that makes Hamlet a tragic hero and ultimately leads to many people dying including himself. There are a couple of times Hamlet could have killed King Claudius but Hamlet does not kill him. Although Hamlet has an impeccable chance to kill Claudius while he was praying after the play, he talks himself out of killing him. Hamlet said, "Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; And now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven; And so am I revenged. That would be scann’d:” (3.3.77-9). Hamlet prolongs killing King Claudius because he does not like the idea of Claudius going to heaven.
Hamlet devises a plan to kill Claudius but decides not to follow through with his plan because he does not want his father’s killer to go to heaven. Hamlet is very doubtful and this causes him to procrastinate killing King Claudius. He also suffers more than he deserves which makes him fit into Aristotle’s interpretation of a tragic hero. Also, Hamlet knows that he is not acting on his plan and being a procrastinator which is another trait of a tragic hero according to Aristotle. Hamlet fits Aristotle’s description of a tragic hero because Hamlet’s tragic flaw is procrastination which eventually causes his own