The Hamlet...

Another tragedy,,

The Elizabethan play Hamlet is one of William Shakespeare's most popular works. One of the possible reasons for this play's popularity is the way Shakespeare uses the character Hamlet to exemplify the complex workings of the human mind.Hamlet is undoubtedly my favourite Shakespeare play. Hamlet is a traditional Elizabethan revenge tragedy and a thrillingly entertaining spectacle.
I had originally read the book when i was twelve!!! It always makes it more exciting when you have vague memories of the storyline. It makes it far easier to understand the storyline.The main question at the end is whether Hamlet fits the role of a tragic hero during the Elizabethan period when revenge tragedy was a hugely popular genre. The word “tragedy” as a literary genre has a number of specific elements which set it apart from common conceptions of the word.- A tragedy is usually about one central figure (protagonist), and the play charts their fall from a position of power to their ultimate death. Often others die as a consequence of their actions – known as the “multiple death convention.”- The tragic hero is normally a figure of considerable importance, and is often royal.
Their death therefore does not just have an individual impact but affects the whole state.- The tragic hero is a person with an exceptional nature, with the ability to feel emotions in an intensified way. However one of their characteristics is to possess a tragic flaw, a fault which would normally be insignificant, but which is revealed by the chain of events and leads directly to their downfall.
The play Hamlet clearly follows the dramatic conventions of revenge in Elizabethan theatre. At the beginning of a revenge tragedy a crime is committed and due to the nature of laws and justice, the crime cannot be punished so the main character is forced to carry out the revenge and commit an act against the law. The protagonist usually experiences a period of doubt, where he is unsure of the truth. The appearance of a ghost is extremely typical to urge the protagonist to go through with the deed. The revenger has a very close relationship with the audience through the use of soliloquies. The crime is generally committed against a close family member so the revenger has personal motives for revenge. In the course of the deed, the revenger and his many helpers are often killed.As you can see, hamlet contains virtually all of these features but the question of whether Hamlet can be considered to be a real tragic hero has been a question of debate for many years.
At the end of the play, Hamlet achieves his father’s vengeance but only after being driven to it by the death of his mother, and knowing that he too will die in moments. This is the argument of many, who felt he had nothing to live for and achieved revenge as a last resort.
Personally I think that Hamlet can be considered as a tragic hero because he successfully avenged his father’s death, despite of the circumstances. He had a desire to kill Claudius straight away but being a scholar made sure of the ghost’s honesty before taking any action. That is only natural, for one to ensure that what he is doing is right. Hamlet put on a play to prove whether the ghost was telling the truth and discovered he was. He then acted on this and had planned to kill Claudius.


Long live the Hero!!!!!

For Raaj..,

Chinnu.