Sunday, September 9, 2018

Hamlet is a flawed character. Which of his flaws can be considered the tragic flaw that leads to his downfall?

Hamlet's fatal flaw, his indecision, stems from his conflicted personality. On the one hand, he wants to avenge the death of his father by killing Claudius. On the other hand, however, he's reluctant to do so on account of both his innate thoughtfulness and his religious beliefs. It's Hamlet's religious beliefs, for example, that prevent him from taking an opportunity to kill Claudius while he's at prayer. In this particular scene, Hamlet's genuinely concerned that Claudius—praying for forgiveness for murdering his brother—will go to heaven if he's struck down there and then.
So Hamlet is torn, torn between his visceral desire for revenge and his commitment to being a true Christian prince. In his complex personality he embodies the contradictions of an age which combined intense religious faith with the beginnings of scientific investigation. Hamlet is unable to reconcile those contradictions in himself, and so his ensuing indecision leads directly to his ultimate downfall.


Hamlet's most resonant flaw is his reluctance to take action.  Though his father's ghost visits him and exhorts him to avenge his death, Hamlet's indecisiveness ultimately enables Claudius to get the upper hand; as a result, Hamlet and his mother die (as does his corrupt uncle, Claudius, and Laertes, Ophelia's brother).  It can also be said that Hamlet's inability to act leads to Ophelia's suicide.
Hamlet fails to act in several situations which ultimately results in a cascade of tragedies.  He could decide to take Ophelia into his confidence instead of acting mad and rejecting her.  He could tell his mother explicitly that he knows the circumstances of his father's death. He could confront Claudius directly and win back the throne of Denmark, since it is rightfully his.  He could kill Claudius when he finds him defenseless and at prayer.  However, because Hamlet is crippled by indecision and an inability to recognize whom he can trust, he and others die, and the throne of Denmark passes outside Hamlet's family.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Summarize the major research findings of "Toward an experimental ecology of human development."

Based on findings of prior research, the author, Bronfenbrenner proposes that methods for natural observation research have been applied in ...