Archetypes In Hamlet Essay

What is a Man? The play Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a tragedy that features Hamlet the prince of Denmark. He does not fit into the ideal of a man in Elizabethan times this is shown repeatedly throughout the play. In this play Hamlet’s progression as a character is shown in each of his soliloquies as he offers insight into his decisions this shows us a depth to the avenging hero archetype, as most characters in the archetype are consumed by revenge and focus on solely on retribution. The notion that he is thinking about every possible outcome of his actions breaks the mold of a traditional man in Elizabethan times this subsequently breaks the mold of a traditional avenging hero. Hamlet is ruled by his emotions this is unusual for a man in his role, all of these factors lead to him to overthinking the situation and procrastinating which is his fatal flaw and thus the cause of

He believes his father is like Hyperion whom was seen as the original god of the sun, Hamlet then compares his uncle to a satyr: a lustful half beasts that are most often depicted chasing women. Hamlet says, “Must I remember? Why, she would hang in him, / As if increased appetite had grown/By what it fed on: yet within a month-/ Let me not think on’t-Fraility thy name is woman!...”(I.ii 143-146), this reveals that he believes women are weak and that his mother should have mourned longer. He thinks the marriage is vile and “tis an unweeded garden,” (I.ii 135) Hamlet references Garden of Eden when he talks about how rank and disgusting their union is. This separates Hamlet from most men in Elizabethan times because of his lack of action, most men in Elizabethan times confront their problems head on “Medical theories of the Renaissance suggest that men are “excessively hot-blooded and passionate’”