A Tragic Flaw Leads to a Tragic Downfal

A detailed Summary of A Tragic Flaw Leads to a Tragic Downfal

A Tragic Flaw Leads to a Tragic Downfall

William Shakespeare's Hamlet concerns the murder of the king of Denmark and the murdered king's son's quest for revenge. Its main character, Hamlet, possesses a fatal flaw that obstructs his desire for revenge and ultimately brings about his death. This tragic flaw makes him a tragic hero, a character who is destroyed because of a major weakness. If Hamlet did not possess this flaw his death at the end could have possibly been avoided. Hamlet's fatal flaw mainly consists of the fact that he is uncertain on how or when to act. Throughout the play there are a plethora of examples of Hamlet's flaw. Four of these specific instances are when Hamlet sees a play and notices the passion an actor has, after Hamlet's third soliloquy, in Hamlet's fourth soliloquy, and in Hamlet's indecisive pursuit in seeking revenge for his father's death.

First, Hamlet's flaw is shown when he sees a play and the zest one particular actor has. A group of actors have arrived and Hamlet arranges a personal viewing of "The Murder of Gonzago" with a small portion of his own lines inserted. Hamlet then observes one scene of the play in which one of the actors puts on

All in all, Hamlet's fatal flaw is obvious in his actions after viewing the emotion of the actors, after his third soliloquy, in his fourth soliloquy, and in his indecisive pursuit of revenge for his father's death. Hamlet was able to avenge his father's death, but at the cost of his own. The tragedy of Hamlet successfully shows how the inability to act can easily lead to a downfall.

Next, Hamlet's fatal flaw is portrayed in his fourth soliloquy. Fortinbras, the Prince of Norway, and his army pass by Hamlet and his escorts. Hamlet sees the action Fortinbras is taking in fighting and then examines Fortinbras's efforts and bravery in an attempt to seek revenge against Claudius for his own father's death. Hamlet remarks how everything around him attempts to "spur my dull revenge", yet he takes no action. He notices how he thinks "too precisely on an event" and that he has "cause, and will, and strength, and means" to get revenge and how the evidence pointing to Claudius as his father's killer is very much so evident. Hamlet finally decides "my thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!" He finally decides he must take action against Claudius in some form or fashion.

Last, Hamlet's indecisive pursuit in avenging his father's death is shown as evidence of his tragic flaw. Hamlet encounters numerous opportunities to kill Claudius, yet he always comes up with some excuse for not taking any action. After first hearing of the crime from his father's ghost, Hamlet immediately sets out t

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Approximate Word count = 1009
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English