Hamlet as an Aristotelian Tragic Hero

The sad life of Prince Hamlet

The sad life of Prince Hamlet is depicted in the play Hamlet. The play, written by William Shakespeare, is regarded a tragic affair because Hamlet is portrayed as a tragic hero.

Aristotle’s definition of tragedy

According to Aristotle (12), a tragedy constitutes “an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude, language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play, the form of action, not of narrative, through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions”. As a result, Hamlet is an Aristotelian tragic hero.

Hamlet’s flaw and error of judgement

To begin with, Aristotelian predicates that a tragic hero should have a flaw or error of judgement. Essentially, their moral inclinations should be at par with the normal people. They should make decisions which are not wholly correct and should bear the consequences of the same. It is this fatal flaw that often leads to their downfalls. Hamlet’s indecisiveness cost him his life. His inability to act on his impulses ultimately costs him his life. Hamlet is informed, in a dream featuring his father, that his uncle Claudius but still refuses to kill him. Essentially, he seeks the truth beyond that which is predicated by his intuition. This inclination opens him up to manipulation and danger such as that which is posed by his uncle. When he is allowed the opportunity to kill his uncle, Hamlet determines that “when he is fit and season’d for his passage? No. Up, sword; and know thou a more horrid hent: When he is drunk asleep, or ion his rage, Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed” (Shakespeare Act 3, Scene 3, Lines 87-91). In the end, his indecisiveness and attempted justification cost him his life.

Reversal in fortunes

Aristotle further determines that the tragic hero must experience a reversal in fortunes which is often a culmination of his inability to make sound judgement (Aristotle 25). Hamlet experiences a reversal in his good fortunes when he refuses to kill his uncle Claudius. The prince suffers madness and melancholy as a result of his inability to act on the information that was extended to him by his father’s ghost. By delaying Claudius’ death, Hamlet also dies when he ultimately gathers the will to kill Claudius. It is highly likely that he would have lived and occupied the throne long after the death of Claudius had he killed Claudius when he found him in prayer. Consequently, in his death he beseechs his friend Horatio to explain to his people that his madness resulted only from the will to do good. He thus states that, “Horatio, I am dead; Thou livest; report me and me cause a right to the unsatisfied” (Shakespeare Act 5, Scene 2, Lines 331-333).

Nobility

Additionally, based on the Aristotelian principles, tragic heroes are often nobilities (Aristotle 16). They are portrayed to be all powerful and above the ordinary position in the society. Similarly, Hamlet was a prince of the Kingdom of Denmark. He is not an ordinary citizen but a potential ruler of the Denmark kingdom. Shakespeare reflects on Hamlet’s nobility by indicating that “his greatness weigh’d, his will is not his own; for he himself, is subject to his birth” (Shakespeare Act , Scene 3, Lines 17-18). A tragic hero is also often willing to sacrifice his nobility for the sake of the average in the society. Aristotle’s argument with regards to nobility is a consequence of the prevailing class system which was present during the ancient times. The majority of the peasants led normal and unexciting lives and by capturing nobility, the authors hoped to spur the lives of the many peasants in the society.

Aim for goodness

Similarly, a tragic hero should aim for goodness. He should be committed to ensuring that his actions are intended to improve the lives of his subjects. It is this goodness that serves to inspire empathy for the tragic hero. Overall, Aristotle negates the depravity of the character in tragedy (Aristotle 18). The character should aim to rectify a given societal challenge and should be willing to sacrifice himself to achieve such a goal. Hamlet is a true portrayal of the goodness in the tragic hero. Essentially, it is his aim to reclaim the throne that fairly belonged to him and to right an injustice that was committed when his father was killed. He cares for his mother and wishes to absolve her from the clutches of the disguised evil in King Claudius. In the end, he is able to achieve the goal and restore goodness in his society.

Conclusion

Conclusively, Hamlet is indeed an Aristotelian tragic hero. Firstly, he is from a noble family which formed one of the fundamentals of Aristotelian arguments with regards to a tragic hero. Alternatively, a tragic hero, according to Aristotle, is one who aims for goodness in the society. Hamlet was not driven by his own ambition but rather the desire to restore fairness in the administration of Denmark. Lastly, a tragic hero is often projected to have a fatal flaw. In the same way, Hamlet’s death is a consequence of his indecisiveness.

Works Cited

Aristotle. Poetics. Ed. Stephen Halliwell. Harvard University Press, 2005. Print.

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet: Prince of Denmark. Cambridge University Press, 2003. Print.