Hamlet

A detailed Summary of Hamlet


Aristotle's Poetics is considered the guide to a well written tragedy; his methods have been used for centuries. In this guide, he sets out the six elements that compose a great tragedy. In Aristotle's opinion, plot is the most important aspect of the tragedy. All other parts such as character, diction, and thought stem from the plot. Aristotle defines a tragedy as an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament. The ornaments are separate parts of the play in the form of action, not of narrative, and in the form of pity and fear effecting sympathy from the audience. Shakespeare's Hamlet follows this definition for the most part.

The play centers around Hamlet's quest to avenge his father's death; this is a serious action. It is also complete in the sense that all the loose ends are tied together in a sensible, believable manner. Hamlet is able to avenge his father


The characters are supposed to be "perfect people", but people whom the audience can relate to. Hamlet is a wealthy prince, however he deals with the same problems as the common man. He is confused, paranoid, and angered about the circumstances surrounding his father's death. He is also unsure of himself and how he should handle the situation. The audience can relate to this uncertain feeling and they are able to empathize with Hamlet. Aristotle believes that in order for a tragedy to be effective, it must convey pity and fear. He defines pity as a feeling that is aroused by "unmerited misfortune." The fear of impending evil is also prevalent in the play. As the plot progresses, it becomes clear that the king is plotting to kill Hamlet and Hamlet is planning to kill the king. Hamlet's plot is what Aristotle considers complex.

There are some aspects of Aristotle's Poetics that Shakespeare does not follow. For instance, Aristotle states that in a great tr

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Approximate Word count = 647
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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