Hamlet A Tragic Hero Essays - 697 Words

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. In Hamlet, the play concerns†¦show more content†¦Hamlet has many noble and brave characteristics, this is one of the reasons he is a tragic hero. Hamlet’s promise to avenge his father’s death makes him noble because loyalty is part of chivalry, one o f the main aspects of being noble. Also, Hamlet is very brave. When he found out that he was going to be executed, he had to make a choice to save himself or kill Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to avenge his father, because the risk he took could cause him to be actually executed. When the pirates attacked the ship, he escaped to carry out his promise that he made to his father’s ghost. Hamlet also has free will and is very intelligent. A tragic hero must have free will or his fate would be decided for him, and his death could be avoided. He feigns madness to meet more information about Claudius and not give away his ulterior motive. I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw (Shakespeare 2.2 402). This quote signifies that he is only mad at certain times, the rest of the time he know what he is doing. Also he uses free will when he saw Claudius praying. He could have slain him then and there, but if he did that Claudius could have a chance of going to Heaven; Hamlet did not want to send his nemesis somewhere where he could be care-free and guilt free.Show MoreRelatedHamlet As A Tragic Hero850 Words   |  4 Pagesas a hero if they revenge? Well In the novel Hamlet the author, William Shakespeare creates tragic events where his main character Hamlet has to overcome to achieve his goal of killing his evil uncle Claudius. â€Å"In life one has to do bad thing in order to be a hero,the hero also has to make sacrifices in order to be successful† (John Barrowman). In Shakespeare Hamlet, should hamlet be considered a tragic hero judging by him following the hero steps. Shakespeare proves that Hamlet was a tragic heroRead MoreHamlet, A Tragic Hero1003 Words   |  5 Pagesmemorable 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. This is one of the key characteristics of a tragic hero. He hadRead MoreHamlet As A Tragic Hero1071 Words   |  5 Pages Hamlet as a Tragic Hero The Webster dictionary defines tragedy as, â€Å"a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that excites pity or terror.† (Webster Dictionary) So a tragic hero is a character who goes through a conflict and suffers catastrophically as a direct result of his choices. You will see throughout this story that the character Hamlet is a clear example of Shakespeare’s tragic hero. ShakespeareRead MoreHamlet : A Tragic Hero995 Words   |  4 PagesHamlet: A Tragic Hero William Shakespeare is known through the ages as a brilliant playwright. He has written several comedies and tragedies that people have loved through decades. Shakespeare’s plays have been interpreted in many different ways and have been debated on which interpretation is correct. Some of these included even the basis of the character’s persona. In the Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet, the main protagonist, Prince Hamlet, is fated by the ghost of his late father that, becauseRead MoreHamlet as a Tragic Hero2505 Words   |  11 Pagesterror. 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 Shakespeares 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 fat e and Hamlet has been endowed with a tragic flaw. TheseRead MoreHamlet As A Tragic Hero1305 Words   |  6 Pages Sympathy is a feeling of sorrow, pity, or understanding of someone else’s misfortune. Hamlet, in this case, is the tragic hero due to many different sources that cause the reader to have an immense amount of sympathy for him. A series of events such as murder, failed relationships, and all the madness, created the feeling of sympathy from the audience. These specific sources cause the reader to see the development of the overall themes of deceit, justice, and revenge. Deceit is one of the mainRead MoreHamlet; Tragic Hero3618 Words   |  15 Pages Hamlet; The Tragic Hero            Ã‚  Ã‚      In many plays there is always one person that is the tragic hero. They always possess some type of tragic flaw that in turn leads to their tragic deaths. In the Shakespearean play Hamlet the main character Hamlet is considered to be a tragic hero. By carefully analyzing the Shakespearean play Hamlet one can debate whether the main character Hamlet is a tragic hero. Although it is debatable whether or not Hamlet is a tragic hero, one wouldRead MoreIs Hamlet A Tragic Hero Essay961 Words   |  4 PagesTo be, or not to be: a hero. That is the question often asked of William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet: whether Hamlet II, Prince of Denmark, can be considered a hero. Throughout the play Hamlet proves himself to be a hero, although different from the usual sense of one. Hamlet is a tragic hero, â€Å"a great or virtuous character . . . who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat . . . who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw tha t, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedyRead MoreHamlet As The Tragic Hero Of The Play Hamlet 1314 Words   |  6 PagesIn order to better understand Hamlet one must first asses, and define man. According to webster dictionary a man is a male often having the qualities associated with bravery,script or toughness(site webster dictionary www.define a man.com here). We know the male figure is known to exhibit distinctive male traits such as strength, dignity, courage and be a provider and supporter. As seen in Hamlet one must understand the male figure to better understand Hamlet and why the male behave in such waysRead More Hamlet: A Tragic Hero Essays873 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"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