Hamlet's Tragic Flaw

A detailed Summary of Hamlet's Tragic Flaw


It is better not to put off till tomorrow what you can do today. Many consequences can arise when one procrastinates. An example of this is found in Shakespeare's Hamlet through the depiction of the central character. Although Hamlet is characterized as daring, brave, loyal, and intelligent, he is overwhelmed by his own conscience. The tragic hero is defined as one whose downfall is brought about due to their tragic flaw. Hamlet's inability to act on his father's murder, his mother's marriage, and his uncle assuming of the thrown are all evidence of his tragic flaw of procrastination.

"Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder" demands the ghost in (Act I, Scene 5, line 23). The fact that his own uncle could kill his father leaves Hamlet enraged and confused. Although Hamlet knows something is wrong in Denmark, he begins to question everything that the ghost has told him. In this scenario that calls for quick decisive behavior, Hamlet is too busy thinking. An example of this is seen in Act III, when Hamlet has his knife ove


r the head of Claudius, prepared to murder him, and talks himself out of it. Instead, Hamlet writes a play in which the actors play out the same story the ghost tells Hamlet. His plan is to study Claudius's reaction to the play to determine his guilt. Even after Hamlet decides his uncle is guilty, Hamlet fails to take immediate action. This would have been a prime opportunity to confront Claudius, but Hamlet seems more interested in patting himself on the back than seeking revenge.

Although Hamlet seemed to be superior in all other characteristics, his one flaw cost him his life. Inevitably, it cost the lives of many others as well. If Hamlet could have taken immediate action, many deaths could have been avoided. Although Hamlet succeeds in his quest for revenge, his procrastination proves to be his flaw in every event.

Hamlet's biggest obstacle in avenging his father's murder is Claudius being crowned king. With Claudius being in such a powerful position, Hamlet has to be cautious in his actions. Hamlet not only has to kill his father's murd

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Approximate Word count = 718
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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