Hamlet - The Tragic Flaw
For a play to be considered tragic, it must have a few vital components. Most importantly, the main character must suffer extreme sorrow or be brought to ruins. We use the secondary definition of the word "tragedy" in our everyday speech, especially since the horrific events that have happened in the past few months. However, we overlook the primary definition of tragedy and how it used in the literal sense. What most people fail to realize is that in a tragedy, the suffering the main character endures is a consequence of a tragic flaw or moral weakness. The main character is not completely innocent as we assume in tragedies; he has his own personal weak points that get exploited. In Hamlet's case, his procrastination and over exaggerated madness are several weaknesses that eventually conquer him. Hamlet's major flaws are continuing problems that he fails to tend to, ultimately leading to his own death. The first and foremost tragic flaw that comes to mind when reading the play is that of Hamlet's procrastination. After speaki
/ Madness in great ones must not unwatched go. In conclusion, Hamlet is a true tragic hero in the sense that he possesses numerous moral flaws that lead to his destruction. Initially he hides under a mask of insanity in front of the King and other loyal subjects in order to conceal his intent to kill the king. After Polonius and Claudius had spied on Hamlet and Ophelia, Claudius says "It shall be so. Hamlet forgoes several opportunities to dispose of the king and wastes precious time in committing the deed. Polonius also notices Hamlet's madness from the accounts of Ophelia. However, Hamlet fails to control his madness and soon becomes lost in it, eventually to the point of clinical lunacy. ng to the ghost of his father, Hamlet vows to act swiftly, saying "Haste me to know 't, that I, with wings as swift / As meditation or the thoughts of love, / May sweep to my revenge. Both his madness and his procrastination are two important issues brought up constantly throughout the play, and they help define Hamlet as a tragic hero. Hamlet's flaw in carrying out his revenge quickly results in his untimely death during a duel with Laertes in act five.
Common topics in this essay:
Tragic Flaw,
Claudius Hamlet,
Denmark Hamlet's,
Ophelia Claudius,
King Claudius,
Polonius Claudius,
tragic hero,
hamlet's procrastination,
tragic flaw,
main character,
moral flaws,
/ madness,
play continue,
act 3,
3 scene,
king claudius,
act 3 scene,
|