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Prince Hamlet: A Tragic Hero In Shakespeare's Hamlet

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In all literary tragedies, the tragic hero suffers and usually dies at the end. A tragic hero is a character that makes an error in judgement that leads to their downfall. Prince Hamlet is an example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. A tragic hero must possess many good traits, but also possess a flaw that ultimately leads to his downfall. In the Shakespearean play, Hamlet, the tragedy of a young prince’s attempt to extract revenge upon the man who murdered his father is the central idea. Throughout the play, the audience is shown Prince Hamlet’s internal conflict over who killed his father. The internal conflict Prince Hamlet brings upon himself is his hesitancy to trust his own judgement and act upon it. Prince Hamlet’s instances of self-doubt and indecisiveness correspond to the idea that tragic heroes lack important decision-making skills in times of distress. Prince Hamlet’s inability to make crucial decisions ultimately leads to his tragic death, and that is what makes him a tragic hero.
Prince Hamlet’s inability to act in dire situations is a tragic flaw that haunts him throughout the story. In one of the opening scenes, King Hamlet’s ghost tells his son to, “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (Shakespeare 25). This significant quote introduces the plot of the story as well as plants the seed of the internal conflict Prince Hamlet has yet to face. This quote also reveals Prince Hamlet’s feelings towards his father’s murder on top of the anger he has over his

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