William shakespeares hamlet is a revenge tragedy primarily made up of characters teeming with emotional and mental instability. It is with no doubt that hamlet is a play consisting of an abundance of unfortunate and grievous. Hamlet s tragic flaw is not that he is motivated by ambition. Pdf religion as hamlets hamartia haqqo baloch academia.
Hamlet speaks of his fathers tragic flaw that ultimately led him to his death, but it. Hamlet, therefore, is a shakespearean tragic hero who has. In shakespeares tragedy hamlet, hamlets father,the king,was killed by hamlets uncle claudius, the brother of hamlets father. Hamlets tragic flaw is not that he is motivated by ambition. Laertes and fortinbras function as hamlets foils in this regard. Essay about hamlets fatal flaw shakespeares hamlet is an interesting play in many ways.
Hamlets tragedy is a particular example of a universal predicament. Does hamlet fit aristotles six elements of a tragic hero. Sep 25, 2015 hamlet s tragic flaw is not that he is motivated by ambition. Tyler kron is the tragedy caused by his action or inaction. Hamlet has all the good traits needed to be a tragic hero. Unlike his father, hamlet lets his intelligence rather than his heroism govern him. I do not fully sympathize with hamlet, in that i see him with few or no flaws but merely trapped by his circumstances. The fact that hamlet s best trait is also his downfall his tragic flaw, in other words makes him a prime candidate for a tragic hero and in fact. Hamlet as the tragic hero hamlet is the best known tragedy in literature today. He goes through depression pondering life and death in to be or no to be and insanity which is frequently argued if it is real or acting. Discuss shakespeares character hamlet as a tragic hero. When hamlet was given the perfect opportunity to kill claudius while he was praying for forgiveness, hamlet decides to not kill claudius because it is unfair towards his father who has to suffer as a ghost when claudius can go straight towards heaven.
The paper will describe the weak emotional state of hamlet as the reason for his indecisiveness among other circumstances. Hamlets fatal flaw was that he had a difficult time performing his strategies. The tragic flaw has been a part of the formula for the tragedy since the golden age of greece. Claudius took this position by killing hamlet s father the ghost speaks true and cemented it by quickly marrying hamlet s mother, which makes you think about her too, doesnt it. Aristotle explains that hamlets punishment must exceed that of his tragic flaw. Hamlet s tragic flaw in the play hamlet 71407 by william shakespeare, a young prince named hamlet is forced to deal with many things. Hamlets hesitation as his tragic flaw in hamlet by shakespeare in the play hamlet, hamlet is described as daring, brave, loyal, and intelligent. Perhaps this supposed tragic hero is an ideal hero one without the tragic flaw. Download citation tragic flaw in shakespeares hamlet in spite of the fact that tragedies had been written in english prior to. Hamlet s tragic flaw is that he cannot act on impulse for things that require quick, decisive behavior, and that he acts on impulse for things that require more contemplation than is given by him. Hamlets tragic flaw is that he over thinks his situations or problems. The fact that hamlets best trait is also his downfall his tragic flaw, in other words makes him a prime candidate for a tragic hero and in fact, makes him one of the most tragic figures in the. A tragic flaw is a character trait that ultimately causes the downfall of the protagonist.
In the opening scenes of the play, the ghost of hamlets dad reveals the truth about his death to his boy. Nov, 2015 a tragic flaw is a literary device that can be defined as a trait in a character that leads to hisher downfall. He stands apart from other shakespeares heroes because of his innocence. Procrastinating on killing claudius by putting on the mousetrap hamlets delay is caused because of a conflict between action and awareness that makes him consider both sides of the issue. Many critics take a deterministic view of hamlet s plot, arguing that the princes inability to act and tendency toward melancholy reflection is a. Hamlets fatal flaw is a specific trait that forces him to postpone killing the king and it is this trait that drives hamlet mad shakespeare 1. Often times did hamlet intend on doing things, yet he did not carry out these strategies. By examining his incapability to commit suicide, his inability to come to terms with killing his mother, putting on a play to delay killing claudius and the inability to kill claudius while hes praying, we see that hamlet chooses not to take action. Shakespeares tragic hero hamlets fatal flaw is his failure to act immediately to kill claudius, his uncle and murderer of his father. Through comparison and contrast, we see hamlets traits, characteristics and flaws. Hamlet is shocked to find his mother already remarried to his uncle claudius, the dead kings.
Hamlet, like all other tragic heroes, has one main tragic flaw that in the end causes pain for the hero and all others around him. I believe that it is a tragedy because of hamlet s tragic flaw. In conclusion, hamlet s tragic flaw is neither external difficulties nor his motivation by ambition. Or is his flaw that he believes he is pretending to be mad. Hamlet s hesitation as his tragic flaw in hamlet by shakespeare 797 words 4 pages. This flaw or weakness in hamlet leads him into a world of chaotic surroundings and madness.
The flaws of the tragic hero hamlet in shakespeare s hamlet with hamlet being generally labeled as the best tragic hero ever created, it is ironic that his tragic flaw has never been as solidly confirmed as those of most of his fellow protagonists. Throughout the play he is only wondering only communicating with himself. Apr 02, 2020 the paper will describe the weak emotional state of hamlet as the reason for his indecisiveness among other circumstances. Hamlets flaw and his mad personality led to the death of several people, including his mother and. Hamlet the young prince, the tragic hero with the tragic flaw, could have saved many lives, including his own, if he would have just acted on impulse instead of thinking so much. It is with no doubt that hamlet is a play consisting of an. He mulls the possibilities endlessly in his mind, delaying his decision, making action nearly impossible. Hamlet doesnt kill claudius at this point when hes praying because he believes that. Hamlet has a tragic flaw in his personality and behavior. A tragic hero is defined as the protagonist and driving force of a tragic drama. His flaw is his inability to act which consequently causes his own death. His tragic flaw is basically his obsession with revenge, which ultimately consumes him and leads to his downfall ie. The contention that hamlet s tragic flaw is external difficulties can be disproven in act iii, iii when hamlet has his knife drawn and is only a swift motion away from claudius death.
I believe that it is a tragedy because of hamlets tragic flaw. His flaw is that he is overly concerned with death and tragedy. A tragic flaw is a literary device that can be defined as a trait in a character that leads to hisher downfall. In hamlet, his tragic flaw is his indecisiveness because of his serious thinking about whether vengeance is good or bad. Hamlets tragic flaw is his inability to consolidate his thoughts and actions. Unlike greek classical tragic heroes, hamlet is well aware of his fatal flaw. They have been employed in tragic works from the ancient greeks where the tragic flaw tended to be hubris toward the gods to the. Sep 25, 2015 hamlets tragic flaw would happen to be indecisiveness because even through all the difficulties and challenges, hamlet is a much undecided person that is not completely sure of the right things to do to protect the ones he or to just because that person is dangerous to the people hamlet cares about. Hamlets tragic flaw is his inability to avenge his fathers death because he hasnt been able to conquer himself in his internal conflict. The fact that hamlets best trait is also his downfall his tragic flaw, in other words makes him a prime candidate for a tragic hero and in fact, makes him one of the most tragic figures in the works of shakespeare in general. This study aims to examine shakespearean the most complex yet iconic character hamlets religiosity as the reason of his tragic flaw and. Identify and explain hamlets tragic flaws and how itthey bring about his downfall.
In hamlet, by william shakespeare, hamlet learns the truth behind his fathers death that he was actually murdered by his brother. This point is best displayed in act ii, ii when hamlet states man delights not meii, ii 359. However, he is always consumed by his own thoughts, this being his tragic flaw. Kathie lee, tom hanks, sean connery, burt reynolds snl duration. Rather, i see him as a semisympathetic character for his humanlike flaws of character, but. Throughout the events of this play, hamlet, the protagonist, finds himself amidst a quandary. Hamlets tragic flaw is his inability to act to avenge his fathers death 1. Hamlet tragic flaw essay example topics, sample papers. Dec 06, 2011 the fact that hamlets best trait is also his downfall his tragic flaw, in other words makes him a prime candidate for a tragic hero and in fact, makes him one of the most tragic figures in the works of shakespeare in general. The character hamlet is particularly intriguing in regards to his fatal flaw. Finally the paper will evaluate how hamlets indecisiveness is his tragic flaw when it causes his death hamlet.
In the opening scenes of the play, the ghost of hamlets. Suggest you decide which you see as the best course to show hamlet s tragic flaw. Revenge and its affects on emotional stability william shakespeares hamlet is a revenge tragedy primarily made up of characters teeming with emotional and mental instability. Hamlets flaw of irresolution essentially destroyed him, as his failure to act in previous situations led to his own death. Dec 15, 2009 read this english essay and over 89,000 other research documents. Hamlet as a complex tragic hero hamlet is the center of action in the play. A tragic flaw is a trait that leads to a characters downfall. Hamlet s tragic flaw is the fact that he thinks before he acts.
In conclusion, the tragic flaw of hamlet, his indecisiveness is clearly seen when we look at character foils. Hamlet has the perfect opportunity to kill king claudius while he. Hamlets tragic flaw is outlined by his inability to act, and make final decisions upon his desired goal. Hamlet is not a tragic hero according to aristotle because the death of a lying trickster who spent his days manipulating people to believe what ever he wished would out. And in this case, the tragic flaw is the inaction to kill. His inability to act is hamlets first fatal flaw and goes hand in hand with his second fatal. Hamlet is a tragic hero because he is a person of high rank who violated a law, and he poses a threat to society and causes. When hamlet finally takes action, it is often rash, careless, and without thought.
The other characters in the play serve as foils to him. When hamlet first encounters his fathers ghost and is told that he was murdered by his brother, claudius, hamlet is enraged. Here, shakespeare exposes hamlets flaws as a heroic character. Mar 19, 2009 what is hamlets tragic flaw, or does he have one. The tragic fate of the hero is often triggered by a tragic flaw in the heros character. Hamlets tragic flaw is the fact that he thinks before he acts. Fortinbras showed us hamlets tragic flaw, his indecisiveness and inability to act. Tragic flaw in shakespeares hamlet by indira reddy ssrn. The tragedy in this play is the result of the main characters unrealistic ideals and his inability to overcome his weakness of indecisiveness. In drama, a characters tragic flaw is the character trait that leads directly to his or her downfall in the work. Cite specific examples from the text to support your response. Hamlet s tragic flaw is his inability to consolidate his thoughts and actions.
Jul 25, 2014 the contention that hamlet s tragic flaw is external difficulties can be disproven in act iii, iii when hamlet has his knife drawn and is only a swift motion away from claudius death. The flaws of the tragic hero hamlet in shakespeares. Hamlet s hesitation as his tragic flaw in hamlet by shakespeare in the play hamlet, hamlet is described as daring, brave, loyal, and intelligent. Many critics take a deterministic view of hamlet s plot, arguing that the princes inability to act and tendency toward melancholy reflection is a tragic flaw that. He makes a tragic flaw, and this causes his fall from greatness. Join now to read essay hamlets tragic flaw shakespeares hamlet is a play written to make the reader or director think for himself and create what he thinks to be hamlets tragic flaw come alive. Hamlet is not like the other tragic heroes of his period. In a sense, hamlets own character traits and his personality are the tragic flaws in hamlet. Hamlet fits several into several of the defining traits of a tragic hero in literature, particularly in terms of how he possesses a tragic flaw. Many brilliant critics have been led astray either by focusing in on one point too intensely or by looking at things too broadly while ignoring the facts that do not back up their thesis. In hamlet, shakespeare uses the tragedies and deaths to make the play a tragedy. The contention that hamlets tragic flaw is external difficulties can be disproven in act iii, iii when hamlet has his knife drawn and is only a swift motion away from claudius death. Indecisiveness is a strange tragic flaw, though, because in most tragedies the flaw helps explain why the protagonist pursues the wrong thingsthe flaw is more typically an urge or desire rather than a passive trait. This can be seen at the beginning of the play right after hamlet gains knowledge of his fathers murder.
Read this english essay and over 89,000 other research documents. Claudius killed hamlets father because he wanted to be the king. When he has a chance to kill claudius, and take vengeance for his fathers murder, he hesitates, reckoning that if he kills the man while he is at prayer, claudius would have asked for pardon from the lord and been forgiven of his sins, therefore allowing him to. Essay describes hamlet s tragic flaw as his inability to consolidate his thoughts and actions in the play hamlet by william shakespeare. Secondly, hamlet fits the traditional definition of a tragic hero because he has a tragic flaw. Get free homework help on william shakespeares hamlet. Hamlets tragic flaw in the play hamlet 71407 by william shakespeare, a young prince named hamlet is forced to deal with many things. Hamlet was not a bad guy, but more of a tragic hero. A tragic hero has the potential for greatness but is doomed to fail. Hamlets delay for taking the revenge is a widely discussed object that still seems to be replicable. Nov 27, 2012 identify and explain hamlets tragic flaws and how itthey bring about his downfall. Hamlets father killed fortinbrass father, and hamlet killed laertes father, meaning that hamlet occupies the same role for laertes as claudius does for hamlet. Man, in this case, refers to the power structure imposed by society.
This is a play so dominated by one character that hamlet without the prince is impossible to imagine. Any argument could be well supported or demolished on quotes and actions from the text and ones interpretation of these. Victor cahn claims that all tragic heroes try to justify their actions in the name of honor x. A tragic flaw is a weakness or limitation of character, resulting in the fall of the tragic hero. In hamlet, by william shakespeare, hamlet learns the truth behind his fathers death. In conclusion, hamlets tragic flaw is neither external difficulties nor his motivation by ambition. Hamlets tragic flaw is his indecisiveness and irrationality. William shakespeares hamlet follows the young prince hamlet home to denmark to attend his fathers funeral.
Hamlets tragic flaw would happen to be indecisiveness because even through all the difficulties and challenges, hamlet is a much undecided person that is not completely sure of the right things to do to protect the ones he or to just because that. Many critics and scholars argue that hamlets tragic flaw is his tendency toward inactionhis inability to act. The development of hamlets feelings towards revenge plays a key role in the creation of this tragic flaw. In conclusion hamlet fits the traditional definition of a tragic hero because he is a man of high estate. More specifically, what makes hamlet even more of a tragic hero is that his actions and tragic flaw is not his. But hamlets tragic flaw cannot be separated from the political background of. Shakespeares hamlet as a tragic hero article myriad. Hamlet s flaw and his mad personality led to the death of several people, including his mother and the king of denmark. It is the similarities and differences between hamlet and the other minor characters that further our understanding of him. Hamlets tragic flaw is that he cannot act on impulse for things that require quick, decisive behavior, and that he acts on impulse for things that require more contemplation than is given by him. Finally the paper will evaluate how hamlet s indecisiveness is his tragic flaw when it causes his death hamlet.
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