Hamlet's Tragic Flaw Essay

Shakespeare's play, Hamlet illustrates the tragedy of a young prince's pursuit to obtain revenge for a corrupt act, the murder of his father.   As the exposition unfolds, we find Prince Hamlet struggling with internal conflict over who and what was behind his father's death.  His struggle continues as he awaits the mystic appearance of a ghost who is reported to resemble his father.  Suddenly it appears, proclaiming, "Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing / To what I shall unfold" (1.5.5-6).  The ghost continues to speak providing an important clue: "The serpent that did sting thy father's life / Now wears his crown" (1.5.38-39).  In short, this passage reveals evidence leading to the identity of whom

Does Hamlet have a tragic flaw? If so, what is it and how does it effect his surroundings and how does it effect Hamlet himself? What is the outcome of his flaw?

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the titular character struggles to engage in his desired plan of revenge. Hamlet shows throughout the play that he is inconsistent, indecisive, and unsure of himself, as well as his actions. The play focuses on Hamlet’s revenge; however, he continuously fails to happen at opportunistic moments. Throughout the play, Hamlet insists that he intends to avenge his father’s death through the murder of Claudius, but Hamlet fails to act on occasion because of his indecisive personality.

Hamlet decides to get more information / prove what the ghost was saying before doing

Hamlet is indecisive in the murder of King Claudius, due to his methodical thought process. Though he is given several opportunities to avenge his father throughout the play, he simply cannot take them as the result of his questioning nature evident when doubts the ghost’s reciting of the King’s murder is true. “The spirit that I have seen / May be a devil, and the devil hath power / T’ assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps, / Out of my weakness and my melancholy” (2.2.627-630). To ease his doubt, he uses a play to trap Claudius into showing some guilt of his actions. However, even with confirmation, Hamlet still hesitates, using the excuse that he does not want Claudius to go to heaven, but to kill him while he is sinning.

With Hamlet being generally labeled as the best tragic hero ever created, it is ironic that his tragic flaw has never been as solidly confirmed as those of most of his fellow protagonists. There is Macbeth with his ambition, Oedipus with his pride, Othello with his jealousy, and all the others with their particular odd spots. Then there is Hamlet. He has been accused of everything and of nothing, and neither seems to stick. Flaws are carved out of obscure conversations when he may or may not be speaking truthfully and alleged from instances of his own self-discipline. They are bored into him with the bits of psychological drills invented long after Shakespeare's hand crafted

“A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction” (bisd303.org). The judgement errors that tragic heroes face are due to their own tragic flaw. Hamlet, from the Shakespearean play “Hamlet”, is one of many tragic heroes who must bear their flaws until they meet their noble death. Before his imminent downfall, Hamlet is approached by the ghost of his father, Hamlet Sr. This ghost explains to him that he was murdered by the king and that Hamlet must avenge him.

(II.2 ln 547-585) He mistakenly awards the pretense the same degree of authenticity as his own reality receives. However, because of the disparity between the actor's performance and Hamlet's own actions, Hamlet gains needed motivation. He remains uncertain of the ghost's reliability, confused by the seemingly genuine grief of the actor. Nonetheless, it is this uncertainty that provides Hamlet with the less disturbing purpose of proving the ghost's story in contrast to the more daunting intention of murder.

Logic is man 's most valuable asset; it is what pushed humanity past other species and helped develop humankind into what it is today. Without such logic and reasoning, humanity would not have evolved into the strongest and most powerful beings alive. It is what has enabled us to dominate the world, create civilization, unlock the secrets of the universe through math and science and reveal the true nature of man through art. One of art’s most beloved benefactors, William Shakespeare, crafted his most famous character, Hamlet, to be the living embodiment of this God-given reason. However, we learn throughout Hamlet’s eponymous play the irony in the

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is an interesting play in many ways. The character Hamlet is particularly intriguing in regards to his fatal flaw. Hamlet’s fatal flaw is a specific trait that forces him to postpone killing the king and it is this trait that drives Hamlet mad (Shakespeare 1.4.23-38). This Shakespearean tragedy is open to many interpretations of Hamlet’s fatal flaw. Two recent film productions of the play, Kenneth Branaugh’s Hamlet and the Zeffirelli’s Hamlet, each show a different fatal flaw in Hamlet. Branaugh shows his fatal flaw to be that Hamlet over thinks everything. Zeffirelli accentuates the Oepipus Complex in Hamlet meaning that Hamlet is jealous over his mother. Branaugh and Zeffirelli both use different methods to

It is better not to put off till tomorrow what you can do today. Many consequences can arise when one procrastinates. An example of this is found in Shakespeare’s Hamlet through the depiction of the central character. Although Hamlet is characterized as daring, brave, loyal, and intelligent, he is overwhelmed by his own conscience. The tragic hero is defined as one whose downfall is brought about due to their tragic flaw. Hamlet’s inability to act on his father’s murder, his mother’s marriage, and his uncle assuming of the thrown are all evidence of his tragic flaw of procrastination.

focussing on his purpose. As a matter a fact, a whole act is used to

The two characters are facing both internal and external conflicts throughout the play. Hamlet’s madness is portrayed through his thoughts as he is says he can kill Claudius at that moment. Hamlet’s innermost feelings towards Claudius is brought out in his sixth soliloquy. Hamlet’s initial thought being “ Now might I do it pat”(3.3.73) displays his willingness to take action and commit the murder. However, his conscience stop him from committing the murder as he comes to the realization that Claudius’ sins will be exempted if he were to die while striving repentance. Hamlet’s desire to punish Claudius is shown as he wants to ensure the dead of his uncle lasts an eternity and not a moment. This conflict between Hamlet and Claudius allows the development of the play as it is essentially revolves around the dead of King Hamlet.

A fatal flaw refers to the key element in the precipitous decline of a plan or person. It is an event that could cause an unexpected problem and prevent an opportunity from accomplishing its goals and objectives. Fatal flaws can be associated with assumptions which are difficult to establish. In literature, fatal flaw is associated with a protagonist who has a serious character flaw which leads to their downfall. (Evans, 158). In the play Hamlet, Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his heart. He is a very clever person because he would make devious plans on finding out if King Claudius murdered his father or not. He becomes hesitant in carrying out revenge on King Claudius because Hamlet lacks willpower and passion. His incapability to act is indeed the tragic flaw. He had an opportunity to kill King Claudius when praying in his chamber but he made excuses as to why he could not destroy him. This indecisiveness leads to his downfall. He again is sent to England by Claudius where he goes through many ordeals before his flaws lead to Claudius, Gertrude and his death.

Hamlet believes that he will not be doing his father justice if he kills Claudius after he is forgiven of his sins. He goes on to say, “To take him in the purging of his soul / When he is fit and seasoned for his passage?... / Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent” (1659 3.3). Not taking advantage of the opportunity, Hamlet once again falls short in fulfilling his vow to his father. Although, Hamlet is given a perfect opportunity to kill Claudius, his tendency to constantly reflect on the situation and whether he should kill Claudius or not is often delayed. Hamlet’s constant contemplation becomes his major flaw, delaying him from killing Claudius. This flaw is yet another aspect of Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero. Another element of the Aristotelian tragic hero is the reversal of fate, rather a change for the worse. Hamlet’s continuous delay in killing Claudius determines an alternative course for his fate. He has the potential to claim the throne, restore order in the kingdom, and keep his family in power of the nation. However, these outcomes are only possible if Hamlet can execute his plan with swiftness. Thus, Hamlet reverses his fate by procrastinating in avenging his father’s death. Instead, Hamlet spends most of the play in devising a plan that allows him to take the throne without having to face punishment for killing Claudius. While Claudius is swift in plotting and carrying out his actions against Hamlet, Hamlet often puts off his duty to