Hamlet as a Tragic Hero
...ot literally described by Aristotle, they are typical of most tragic heroes throughout literary history. First of all, Hamlet is brave in the fact that he takes a fairly large risk in departing for England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. If his plan didn’t work for one reason or another, he was sure to be executed. In some aspects, his bravery can also be seen when Hamlet blindly follows a ghost into the darkness away from the safety of the others. It is also fairly obvious that Hamlet is very loyal. The whole story revolves around Hamlet’s loyalty to his father, and even causes him to view his mother coldly and hate his uncle. Another trait was that he was intelligent. First of all, Hamlet was a university student. He is extremely philosophical and contemplative, and seems to be drawn to difficult moral questions and even some that cannot be answered with any certainty. His reasoning and observant behavior throughout the play also displays aspects of his intelligence. Also, the audience was able to feel sympathy for Hamlet, as is key in developing a tragic hero. He had just lost his beloved father and witnessed his mother marry his less than adequate uncle. The audience is able to sense that Hamlet truly loved his parents and the previous state affairs, and that this sudden change was really hurting him. There are some small differences in the tragic hero role that Hamlet fills and that described by Aristotle. One difference in the tragic effect can be seen in the character’s “better than we are” personality. Though morals do play a significant role in Hamlet’s life, the audience doesn’t feel as though Hamlet is of higher than ordinary moral worth. To start with, he spends the beginning of the play seriously contemplating suicide. As the play progresses, he curses Ophelia and his mother and even murders a man. A second difference between Hamlet and other tragic heroes is that Hamlet doesn’t necessarily start out in a high, or happy, place; but, rather, he is already fairly disenchanted with life at the beginning of the play, trying to decide whether to commit suicide or not. From here on, though, he follows the same downhill path as any other tragic hero, his one flaw leading him to a state of ultimate misfortune. Like any other tragic hero, Hamlet possesses that tragic flaw that ultimately results in his death. Whereas in many cases the hero’s tragic flaw is his, or her, hubris, or pride, it is not so in Hamlet’s case. Hamlet’s flaw is his inability to act, his inability to move on. First, he was a full grown adult and...