Examples Of Arrogance In Hamlet

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Hamlet In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince Hamlet's arrogance as his hamartia is best shown in the scene where Hamlet confronts Gertrude and kills Polonius. This is portrayed through Hamlet's excessive ambition and desire to avenge his father, losing his sense of empathy. While conversing with Gertrude, Hamlet hears a noise behind the curtain and kills Polonius thinking it was Claudius, exclaiming “How now? A rat. Dead for a ducat, dead!”(Shakespeare 3.4.27-28). Hamlet’s arrogance causes him to act impulsively, as he believes he is avenging his father by murdering Claudius. Rather than confirming the identity of the person behind the curtain, Hamlet acts on his assumptions and instead kills Polonius, depicting his arrogance as his tragic