Hamlet_As_A_Tragic_Hero

Hamlet As A Tragic Hero To be or not to be a Tragic Hero In the 4th century B.C., Aristotle defined the characteristics of a tragic hero. According to Aristotelian dramatic theory, a tragic hero is usually a man of noble standing and good character who possesses a tragic flaw, or hamartia, which eventually contributes to his demise. The tragic hero usually undertakes a task and, in the process of this task, becomes very emotionally and psychologically upset, which results in his alienation from people around him. In my opinion, Hamlet fits the definition of an Aristotelian tragic hero perfectly. First of all, a tragic hero is usually a man of noble background. This characteristic gives the hero the vulnerability of “falling” from a high-ranking position. Hamlet most certainly fits this particular description due to the fact that he is of noble birth. He is the Prince of Denmark, and he is next in line to be crowned king after the death of his father. Secondly, a tragic hero undergoes a transformation from a state of contentment to one of sadness and melancholy. In Hamlet’s circumstances, however, this characteristic is slightly altered. At the beginning of the play, Hamlet is tragic, hero, hamlet, flaw, claudius, hamlet’s, death, king, father, uncle, transformation, plot, people, own, opinion, noble, kill, journey, however, due, denmark, characteristic, aristotelian, after, about, whether, very, two, task, takes, surrounding, state, send, revealed, result