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When the ghost of his dead father appears to him and charges him with the arduous task of avenging his most foul murder, Hamlet accepts the challenge. As the play progresses, however, Hamlet finds it difficult to execute such a murderous task. In order to delay killing Claudia, Hamlet plans to act crazy, which forces Claudia to send him to England. He also devises the “mouse-trap scene” where he asked a troupe of actors to play a scene similar to how Claudia murdered his brother (King Hamlet). Simply said, Hamlet’s Inability to act and to avenge his father’s death has led him, as well as many others to their bloody graves. Lustfulness 1 Student, undergraduate I notes Newbie distilleries said, Hamlet’s inability to act and to avenge his father’s death has led him, as well as Replace “Polonium” with “Claudia” in this paragraph. Polonium was the father of Aphelia and Alerter. Not Hamlet’s uncle. Claudia killed King Hamlet and so Hamlet Minor) tries to get revenge. Hamlet, however, does kill Polonium thinking it was Claudia spying on him in the curtain. Jumper I College Teacher I (Level 1) Adjunct Educator posted August 26, 2011 at 8:56 PM (Answer #23) As many have said, Hamlet’s tragic flaw is hesitation.
In the opening moments of the film version with Laurence Olivier, the unattached voice says, “This is the story of a man who could not make up his mind. ” While it is true that he hesitates, Hamlet’s flaw is not one single thing. In addition, Hamlet is fated to his own destruction. When he says “O wicked spite that ever I was born to set it right,” Hamlet is acknowledging that he is fated to the act and tragic consequences of that act. His other “flaw” is hubris, the sin of thinking oneself godlike.
Watch Hamlet when he has the golden opportunity to kill Claudia in the chapel, shortly after Hamlet has the proof he sought of Claudia’ guilt. He can act, and if this is the right thing to do, he should act. But he does not. Why? Hamlet wants to ensure that the soul of Claudia goes to hell. At that moment Hamlet dooms himself. Any human being could take the life of another; taking the soul of another? That is God’s province, and when Hamlet decides that he will be God in this instance, he has completed the circle which will lead to his own destruction. His fatal flaw then is threefold: hesitation, fate, and hubris. Experiences I Student, Grade 10 Valedictorian Shakespearean Hamlet is a play written to make the reader or director think for himself and create what he thinks to be Hamlets tragic flaw come alive. Any argument could be well supported or demolished on quotes and actions from the text and one’s interpretation of these. The bottom line is not what is Hamlet’s tragic flaw, but what tragic flaw can best be supported by the reader. Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his inconsistent approach to problems. In the scenarios that may call for quick, decisive behavior, Hamlet ruminates.
An example of this is seen in Act Ill, iii when Hamlet has his knife over the head of Claudia, prepared to murdered him, and he talks himself out of it. Another example of this is the play put on by Hamlet in Act Ill, ii when he wants to have proof of his father’s murder by Claudia. In reality, all Hamlet needs to do is act on the ghost’s words. In those scenarios that require thorough contemplation, Hamlet is impulsive. An example of this is seen when hears a “rat” listening in on his dialogue with his mother in Act Ill, ‘v. Without the necessary thought, Hamlet draws his sword and kills Polonium.
Another example to support this premise is in Act l, iv when Hamlet threatens his friends and follows the potentially dangerous ghost into the forest without any contemplation hydroxylation I TA, Graduate I Honors posted December 3, 2013 at 5 PM (Answer #49) I would approach this subject from a different angle. Procrastination is not his flaw, it s a symptom of his flaw. As I see it, Hamlet’s moral “compass” is in a discord with his time and that is the reason why he delays his revenge. Hamlet is a man who had an elite education away from his home, and his uniqueness stands out as he comes home from the University.
Upon his arrival it is obvious that Hamlet is an extremely delicate and sensitive intellectual whose view of morality and obligation differs immensely from that of his surroundings’. The rules of the society he originated from demand that he kill his father’s murderer, but his inner morality opposes this instinct. Hamlet finds himself stuck between social mores and his own sense of what is right. To choose to cast away society’s rules is to choose to be completely isolated and that is the worst punishment for any man (even God did not kill Cain, he even forbade others to harm him because banishment and isolation are worse than death).
Only upon seeing Frustrations’ passion when it comes to ruling, Hamlet understood what kind of person he needed to become and it was only then that he accepted his place within his people and his obligations that come with his argue I College Teacher Valedictorian ousted August 12, 2007 at 2:38 AM (Answer #3) distilleries The play deals with Hamlet’s suffering and tragic end. Hamlet, like the other tragic heroes of Shakespeare, belongs to upper or royal class. He follows Aristotle ‘s definition of tragic hero. He has exceptional qualities like graceful personality and popularity among his country that is eminent.
His tragic flaw is his delay in action and irresolution that depends on the nature of self analysis. Coleridge words: “His enormous intellectual activity prevents from instant action and the result is delay and irresolution. ” Jamie Wheeler I College Teachers notes Employee posted August 28, 2008 at 1 PM (Answer #5) This question has had several interesting answers. Click the links below to see them: What is a tragic flaw? What is the tragic flow of Hamlet and is Hamlet destroyed by his flaw? Does Hamlet realize his tragic flaw? It seems that Hamlet has had a slight change of heart at the end of Act II.
Is he serious or is he merely expressing his tragic flaw? You might want to also visit our free, online lessons on Hamlet which address your question. Just go to the Little course on Hamlet. There you can view complete concussions of each scene, browse our questions and answers or contribute questions on your own and receive answers. Thank you for using notes! Sumner I High School Teacher I(Level 2) Senior Educator posted May 24, 2011 at 9:35 AM (Answer #14) has killed his father. It is often hard to believe that anyone could kill your father.
This is an error on Hamlet’s part. He does not want to believe something as terrible as the murdering of his father, especially not by his Uncle. Hamlet’s delay to avenge his father’s death causes his own downfall. His Uncle Claudia acts upon his instincts and banishes Hamlet, plotting to have Hamlet murdered. While Hamlet’s inability to act and avenge his fathers death could be considered honorable, especially since he is not certain that Claudia has killed his father, his delay gives Claudia time to act and ultimately set up the murdering of Hamlet.
Hamlet’s honorable characteristic of not believing the worst leads to his own downfall. Simooms I Middle School Teacher I notes Newbie posted June 9, 2011 at 7:57 AM (Answer #15) I believe that the Shakespearian tragic hero is driven to his downfall because of a defect in his personality. Hamlet was hesitant and he kept delaying fulfilling the duty even to him by his father’s ghost, which is killing his uncle Claudia who had killed his father. He had got many “good” chances to avenge himself against Claudia but he did nothing and “paid” a lot for this. In a world, Hamlet’s tragic flaw is hesitation.
I believe that the Shakespearian tragic hero, as it were, is driven to his downfall because of a defect in his personality. Hamlet was hesitant and he kept delaying fulfilling the duty given to him by his father’s ghost, which is killing his uncle Claudia who had killed his father. He had got many “good” chances to avenge himself against Claudia but he did nothing and “paid” a lot for this. In a word, Hamlet’s tragic flaw is hesitation. Magma I High School Teacher I(Level 2) Associate Educator posted June 13, 2011 at 12:03 AM (Answer #17) Another angle you might want to consider is that Hamlet is an anti-hero.
He tried to be the hero, but ultimately, he falls short. This failing is not based upon a tragic flaw such as greed, pride or envy, it is a flaw of simply NOT being heroic. He is intellectual; he is sensitive; he is philosophical. None of these qualities mesh with the quick, violent action needed to avenge his father’s murder. We all have personality modes that lend us toward certain careers, activities, and goals. A meek, non-competitive person would not survive on Wall Street or as an NAB player. A competitive and aggressive person would not suffer committee planning very well.
Perhaps the tragedy here is simply that Hamlet is not the man for the Job. And that hibernator 1 College Teacher I Honors Posted August 1, 2011 at 1 AM (Answer #20) In reply to #1 Shakespearean ‘Hamlet’ is one of his most puzzling plays in that Hamlet possesses all the qualities required by a tragic hero -he hails from a lofty Emily and commands respect,his suffering is exceptional and inspires pity awe and terror . His multifaceted nature is revealed through the use of metaphoric language- he is at home with terminology derived from law,falconry, classical mythology,or theatrical imagery.
Thus the attributes of a ‘courtier soldier and scholar’ are impressed very early upon the mind of the reader ;but Hamlet the intellectual and sensitive hero is caught in a web of deceit ,introspection and procrastination. Despite having an advantage over a guilty Claudia his uncertainty and pangs of conscience prevent him from taking action . He thus fails to avenge his father’s death,time and again. Authored I College Teacher Lenore posted September 7, 2011 at 2:36 AM (Answer #25) Psychologists say that “no living human is perfect”. That means everyone has a flaw / some flaws in his personality.
Circumstances and the emotional state of mind at that particular moment brings this flaw out of the hidden recesses of mind and start dominating the personality of the individual. Shakespearean tragic heroes have this trait. That way they are mentally crippled to the extent of their flaws. Hamlet suffers from ‘indecision’. That’s his flaw. He cannot take a firm decision – right or wrong – at the moment of killing Polonium. He rather finds comfort in excuses and hence delays the action of taking revenge of his father’s murder by Polonium.
This indecision and consequent delay make him impotent for action. And that brings his downfall leading to death in the fencing match vs. Polonium. Formations I High School Teacher lentos Newbie Posted January 1 1, 2009 at 10:19 AM (Answer #9) dislikes like Hem, would it be fair to categorize Hamlet as an Aristotelian tragic hero? Shakespeare didn’t really follow Aristotle ideal of the tragic hero. Certainly his flaw art of Aristotle tragic hero. Doubleday I Student, Grade 9 Lenore posted July 8, 2011 at 9:57 PM (Answer #19) hamlet was quite an extreme personality. He was very deeply affected by his father’s tragic death. To take his father’s revenge he makes a plan. Owe another great flaw was that he was quite a suspicious and unsure character. Isomers I enter Posted August 1, 2011 at 8:12 AM (Answer #21) was his inability to act, but he lacks hubris and a sense of commitment, which are As Marquette Chute noted in Stories from Shakespeare, Shakespeare didn’t appear to know anything about Greek or Roman history (because honestly, how did Theses backcombed of Athens? ). In my opinion, he may never have had a Classical education, which would have included reading Aristotle. It’s quite possible that Shakespeare never read Aristotle Poetics at all and therefore jack of any idea of the formalized tragic hero of Aristotle. Zamia I College Teacher I enter I do not believe that Hamlet possesses any tragic flaw in his character. It is said by the majority of the critics that the ” Daley in action ” was the tragic flaw in Hamlet. But in the play his every delay is Justified by a content reason. So we can,t associate this flaw to Hamlet. He was a man of action we see when he was in graveyard he did not made any delay. He Just delivering a famous speech took the char of the situation. I loved Aphelia fourth thousand brothers, could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum.
Where is the delay of action in Hamlets personality. Swedish I College Teacher lentos Newbie posted August 29, 2011 at 1:13 PM (Answer #24) Procrastination is Hamlet’s tragic flaw. Khaki- I Middle School Teacher lentos Newbie posted September 15, 2011 at 7:16 PM (Answer #26) I think as royal person. He was unable to understand his motives. He is confused wife 1 Student, College Freshman I notes Newbie posted September 25, 2011 at 12:57 AM (Answer #27) His tragic flaw is basically his obsession with revenge, which ultimately consumes him and leads to his downfall (ii. Death). Think that the tragic flaw is what always dads to the downfall. Posted October 18, 2011 at 3:51 PM (Answer #28) I tend to agree with #21 in some respects. Hamlet, stemming from Danish family of noble roots, has all the qualities to be a hero. He is clearly a man of action, who is forced into a world that is contaminated. His action is not as easily accessible due to the moral, religious and family restrictions in place. His desire for action can be seen in his interest in the Warriors who are up in arms at by the side of their Prince for glory.
As a product of his position he is forced into a role where action is impossible, that is his tragic flaw. Reappearances I Student, College Freshman I enter Posted November 12, 2011 at 3:14 AM (Answer #29) Hamlets tragic flaw may be that underneath his ‘antic disposition’ and wittiness there is a vulnerability, that may have initiated from the betrayal of his mother and uncle, but he is unable to avenge his father sooner. He does not take the opportunity to kill Claudia while he prays yet Claudia effortlessly plots against him in a cowardly attempt to kill him during the fencing.