To What Extent Is Hamlet A Tragic Hero
Hamlet is mostly seen as a “tragic hero” which is a person or character with a flaw in personality or judgement that will lead that character to actions that will end in disaster. Hamlet definitely has some flaws that make him fit the basics of a “tragic hero”. One major flaw that actually brings Hamlet to rest is his willingness to over-think. He often thinks about situations too much which causes him to procrastinate, this delay in judgement inevitably helps Claudius to escape and plot Hamlet’s defeat.
The king’s death came as a surprise to Hamlet and the people of the town. Sleeping in his garden a snake bit the king. Hamlet later learned, “ The serpent that did the sting thy father’s life now wears his crown” (Act 1 scene 5), which means …show more content…
It would have been easier if Hamlet did not tell Claudius to the fact that he knows who murdered his father. Hamlet acts without rational thought in a couple of scenes throughout the play. In (Act 1 scene 4) Hamlet threatens Horatio and Marcellus to let him go so he can follow the ghost. He does not have a good thought about it. He simply follows the ghost even with Horatio is trying to talk him out of it. Another example to support Hamlet's irrational acts is when he is in the Queen's chambers in (Act 3 Scene 4) when he stabs Polonius without knowledge of who it is. As soon as he hears someone speak, "What, help!”with little thought, draws his sword and speaks "How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead!" (Act 3 Scene 4) and stabs through that killed Polonius. This action taken without thought, which ultimately seals Hamlet's death. Hamlet is a tragedy because Hamlet could have avoided his own death. Hamlet had many opportunities to kill Claudius, but did not take advantage of them. He also had the option to tell the people that his father died by Claudius, yet he did neither. He did neither because his tragic flaw kept him from achieving his goals, that is until the
The king’s death came as a surprise to Hamlet and the people of the town. Sleeping in his garden a snake bit the king. Hamlet later learned, “ The serpent that did the sting thy father’s life now wears his crown” (Act 1 scene 5), which means …show more content…
It would have been easier if Hamlet did not tell Claudius to the fact that he knows who murdered his father. Hamlet acts without rational thought in a couple of scenes throughout the play. In (Act 1 scene 4) Hamlet threatens Horatio and Marcellus to let him go so he can follow the ghost. He does not have a good thought about it. He simply follows the ghost even with Horatio is trying to talk him out of it. Another example to support Hamlet's irrational acts is when he is in the Queen's chambers in (Act 3 Scene 4) when he stabs Polonius without knowledge of who it is. As soon as he hears someone speak, "What, help!”with little thought, draws his sword and speaks "How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead!" (Act 3 Scene 4) and stabs through that killed Polonius. This action taken without thought, which ultimately seals Hamlet's death. Hamlet is a tragedy because Hamlet could have avoided his own death. Hamlet had many opportunities to kill Claudius, but did not take advantage of them. He also had the option to tell the people that his father died by Claudius, yet he did neither. He did neither because his tragic flaw kept him from achieving his goals, that is until the