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Hamlet Tragic Flaw Analysis

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Archetypal Critique and Hamlet’s Tragic Flaw In the Shakespearean play Hamlet, the main character Hamlet is a classic example of a tragic hero. Not only does he begin with the noblest motivations (to punish his father’s murderer) but by the end, his situation is such a mess that the only believable final act should be his death. Like the classical tragic hero, Hamlet does not survive to see the full outcome of his actions and more importantly, this is because he possesses a tragic flaw. Although Hamlet has many flaws in his character, Hamlet’s recognition with and his ability to understand the power of words and language is both his biggest strength and tragic flaw. Hamlet’s deep connection with language and words causes him to base his perceptions …show more content…

The fact that Hamlet’s best trait is also his downfall makes him a great example of a tragic hero. More specifically, what makes Hamlet even more of a tragic hero is that his actions and tragic flaw is not his fault. He has been put in a situation that is quite unusual, but when Claudius names him heir to the throne it starts Hamlet’s spiral into tragedy. Being part of the royal family makes him prone to negative and stressful situations. For Hamlet, the power of language and words are the key to both the driving action of the play as well. In many senses, each character’s sense of reality has been created and shaped because of their relationship to language and words, often to tragic ends and for this reason, it becomes clear that his fascination with language is part of his tragic flaw as a character. The reader sees foreshadowing when the ghost of Hamlet’s father states, in one of the important quotes from Hamlet that Claudius has poisoned “the whole ear of Denmark" with his words. Although the reader is not aware of it yet, words will drive the action of the play. For instance, it is not necessarily Hamlet’s actions toward Ophelia that are part of what drives her to suicide, but his words. He, like other men in the play, scolds her like a

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