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Hamlet And Julie Tragic Hero

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This paper will argue that both title characters from Hamlet and Miss Julie are tragic heroes in an absurd world. Both characters find themselves fighting an immortal battle; Hamlet is struggling for identity and meaning, Julie for independence and freedom. Hamlet 's struggle takes place after the betrayal of his father which throws him into a depressive and self-destructive cycle of indecision and contemplation. Julie 's struggle takes place slowly throughout her entire life, accelerating with her failed engagement and her relations with the servant Jean. This essay will explore the elements of a tragic hero and to what extent they apply to Hamlet and Julie. The intentions of Strindberg regarding Julie as a tragic hero will also be …show more content…

Firstly, it has to be an individual of a relatively high socio-economic status, they also have to be generally good and beloved. They have to be relatable to the intended audience and reflect the audience 's deepest fears and desires. Lastly, a tragic hero must possess a fatal flaw, a hamartia, which triggers their tragic fall from grace. The tragic hero is portrayed as both the hero and the victim, usually victimized by their own flaw as much as by their unfortunate circumstance. Both Hamlet and Julie exhibit all of these elements, whether by author 's intention or not as will be addressed further …show more content…

Turning now to the absurd world of the two plays. To begin with, Hamlet finds himself in a world of actors where no one is who they seem. Claudius is playing the role of the king though his betrayal would suggest he is not meant to be king. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are playing the role of Hamlet 's friends while secretly working for Claudius. Even fair Ophelia, who Hamlet thought honest deceives him in Act 3 scene 1. Hamlet himself is characteristically indecisive of what role to play as is seen in his "to be or not to be" monologue (3.1). On another note, Hamlet appears to be the only one grieving for his late father. Claudius assumed the throne and carried on as king, Hamlet 's mother remarried and carried on as queen. Hamlet even acknowledges "how/ cheerfully [his] mother looks" (3.2.116-117) so soon after his father 's death. Hamlet 's grief juxtaposed with the lack of grief in the other characters serves to alienate him from the world around him, as briefly mentioned before. Being alienated from his world serves to make it appear more absurd and meaningless to him. In understanding how Hamlet feels about the world around him, we can better understand his motivations

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