Hamlet Tragic Hero Essay

William Shakespeare is one of the most recognized authors and playwrights of all time. One of Shakespeare’s most famous works is the play Hamlet. Focusing around the life of a young Danish prince named Hamlet, Shakespeare’s play assesses the tragedy that surrounds the throne of Denmark after the murder of the king. Hamlet himself is a diverse character whose attributes follow Aristotle’s version of a tragic hero. According to Aristotle’s ideas, one must be of noble birth, basically good, have a fatal flaw, make an error in judgement, be arrogant, have an epiphany, and cause his or her own death. While Hamlet fits all of these characteristics, three best suit him. The three necessities that best fit Hamlet are that he has an epiphany, is of

During Hamlet’s epiphany, he realizes that through his actions, he has caused his own downfall. Hamlet does not only cause his own death, but also the deaths of Claudius, Gertrude, Polonius, Laertes, and many others. Hamlet brought about his own undoing in his attempt to get revenge for the murder of his father. Hamlet once had a chance to kill the king while he was praying, but Hamlet decided not to and he says “A villain kills my father and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven” (3.3.81-81). In this quotation, Hamlet is saying that he will wait until the king sins again, so that when he kills him he will not be allowed into heaven. However, after Hamlet leaves Claudius says “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; words without thoughts never to heaven go” (3.4.104-105). This quotation is important because Hamlet chose not to kill the king at this time because he would have gone to heaven, but little did he know that the king’s prayers did not work. If Hamlet had taken this first opportunity to kill Claudius, it is likely that he could have spared the lives of himself and countless others. By bringing his own death upon himself, Hamlet has yet another reason to be considered a tragic