Hamlet as a Tragic Hero - Essay Example

He is noble in correspondence with the definition given by Aristotle. During the whole play, a reader or spectator can trace all the changes that happen with this hero. Hamlet is noble but as every person, he has both positive and negative traits. From the very beginning a reader can feel Hamlet’s vulnerability that is perfectly demonstrated by his suffering because of his father’s death. For this relief much thanks; 'tis bitter cold And I am sick at heart. He becomes more upset after he founds out about his mother’s fast marriage.

When he gets to know that his uncle is a murderer, his sorrow is immeasurable and his tragedy starts. Hamlet wants to commit a suicide that is the demonstration of his weakness, however he stops as considers the suicide as a sin. Here we can see high moral values of a young man. All that live must die, Passing through nature to eternity. Hamlet awakes sympathy with the readers and viewers. It is the first inner conflict that he has to face. Every line of the play helps understand Hamlet’s character.

The throne of Denmark becomes a subject of conflict. Hamlet thinks that he who deserves to be the King, not Claudius. Hamlet is sure that only revenge can reinstate the good name of his family. The head is not more native to the heart, The hand more instrumental to the brain, Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father. After the ghost tells him about the murder, Hamlet gives his greatest and significant promise “thy commandment all alone shall live within the book and volume of my brain”. . He is talking about the promise to punish Claudius and not to bring any harm to his mother being not sure that he really saw the ghost and it told him the truth.

It can be considered as a benchmark of his downfall. The soliloquy “To be or not to be” is a visiting card of the play. It shows Hamlet’s attempt to look at everything differently, taking into account morality and his own understanding and wishes. “To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep…” (3.1.55-59). Hamlet has a number of moral standards that distinguish him from other characters.

However, he is obsessed by the desire to revenge and understands that there is no one who supports him. “Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift As meditation or the thoughts of love, May sweep to my revenge (1.5.7). He can kill Claudius but he waits for the appropriate moment for the murder. Claudius tries to manipulate other characters and gains success. The atmosphere of the play has become more and more strained. Polonius becomes an accidental victim of Hamlet. Hamlet doesn’t regret about this act as Polonius was his enemy.

Here Hamlet is nothing more that victim of the circumstances. Hamlet kills Claudius in the Act V, which is culmination of the whole play and defines the destinies of all the heroes. Conclusion Having analyzed the character of Hamlet, it is possible to come to the conclusion that the character of the tragic hero is very complex and unparalleled. Hamlet deserves sympathy and admiration at the same time. The character of Hamlet is tragic as it