Can Hamlet Good Enough To Be King Essay

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As the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry is currently fifth in line for the throne. However, if his older brother were to pass away, Harry's ascension to the throne would only occur if his two nephews and niece were also not eligible for the succession. The play Hamlet by William Shakespeare follows Hamlet as the successor of Denmark. Throughout the play it is questioned whether Hamlet is good enough to be the next king. In this essay I will talk about what being royal means, Hamlet’s strengths and weaknesses, and how his actions determine how he will be as a potential ruler. Proving that while Hamlet's flaws may make him seem unsuitable for royalty at times, his strengths and potential as a leader outweigh them, making him a viable candidate …show more content…

Throughout the play we follow Hamlet’s journey while he gets revenge on his uncle for poisoning his father. Through his plan Hamlet’s intelligence is displayed several times throughout the play. For example, he reveals his plan to "catch the conscience of the king" (II.2.614) by showing him a play of what he did to his father to see if he acts guilty. This plan works amazingly well, it displays and showcases Hamlet’s wit. It is also clear that Hamlet is loved by the subjects of Denmark. Claudius complaining that “He’s loved of the distracted multitude,/ Who like not in their judgment , but their eyes” (IV.2.4-5). Hamlet's potential as a leader is also acknowledged by others in the play, such as Horatio who states "Now cracks a noble heart" (V.2.366) upon Hamlet's …show more content…

Hamlet continuously goes back and forth on whether or not he should carry out his revenge against his uncle. One display of Hamlet’s indecisiveness is when he says “O curséd spite/ That I ever was born to set it right!” (I.5.193-194). Hamlet has already at this point decided to kill his uncle, but in this line he begins to rethink what he was sure about before. Being indecisive as a king is not good. His tragic flaw of overthinking and indecisiveness is preventing him from realizing his full potential. But Hamlet’s flaw at this point of the play is caused by the severity of killing a person. Which greatly affects this back and forth on taking his

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