Hamlet: A Tragic Hero

A detailed Summary of Hamlet: A Tragic Hero


A tragic hero is a character who attains a "heroic" stature, brought about after their downfall, which occurs as a result of the characters' own flaw. In this play, "Hamlet", Hamlet is perhaps a hero, but he is certainly a tragic hero. And in order to be a tragic hero, he must first have a flaw.

What is the flaw, which causes Hamlet's downfall? It could be many different traits. Was it his need for revenge? Was it his naive approach to life? Did he put too much trust in places where it wasn't deserved? I guess that each person who has read the play, "Hamlet", has probably come to their own unique conclusion as to what Hamlet's flaw really is. In the end, this flaw could be considered as a catalyst for events that lead to the deaths of many, including his own.

To me, Hamlet's tragic flaw is his inconsistent approach to problems. During the times that call for fast actions, and for Hamlet to make up his mind


quickly, he either takes forever to make a decision, or he makes a choice, only to slowly talk himself out of it. An example of this is seen in Act III scene III, when Hamlet finds King Claudius trying to pray. He is ready to kill him, but then, at the last minute, he talks himself out of doing it. Perhaps if he had gone through with his plan, King Claudius would never have conspired with Laerates, preventing a chain of events, which lead to many more deaths. Another example of this inability to think quickly is in Act III scene II, when Hamlet wants to have more proof of Claudius' guilt in murdering his father. In fact Hamlet didn't really need any more proof than what the ghost had told him.

I believe that in his death, he becomes a hero. He died in search of the truth, and of justice. Both are noble and just causes. His flaw was his method, and his inconsistent approach to problems. In the end, he got his revenge, along with the tr

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Approximate Word count = 640
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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