Hamlet as a Tragic Hero

Hamlet is one of the greatest tragedies of Shakespeare. It is also one of his most popular
plays. The play is named after its central character Hamlet. The play centres on the
actions and thoughts of Hamlet and ends with his tragic end.

According to Aristotle, a tragic hero should have six major qualities:

Noble Birth: A tragic hero should be in a position above the ordinary man. Only then,
his life and actions will have an effect on the audience or readers. Here, in the play,
Hamlet is the prince of Denmark.

Tragic Flaw: A hero should not be too good because if he suffers, the audience will not
accept it. If he is bad, then the audience will not feel pity for him when he suffers. So, he
should be a good person with a flaw or imperfection in his character. This is called
hamartia. In the play, Hamlet’s hamartia is that he thinks most of the time and
therefore delays his actions. For instance, even when he gets a chance to kill his uncle
Claudius, he thinks that killing him at the time of prayer is not good.

Reversal of Fortune: The tragic flaw or hamartia leads to a change of fortune or luck in
the hero’s life. He falls from a high to a low state. Hamlet falls from being a favourite of
everybody to a person who is considered insane and who is not in his senses. This
reversal is called Peripeteia.

Recognition: At one point in the play, the hero realizes his faults and tries to overcome
his folly or mistake. In other words, his eyes are opened to truth. This is called
Anagnorisis. Hamlet realizes how slow he has been in actions only after losing his dear
and near.

Tragic Irony: The tragic effect is felt in a play when the hero wants to change but cannot
change as it is too late. Even in Hamlet’s case, when he realizes his faults, it is too late
and he loses his mother, his beloved and is the murderer of Ophelia’s father Polonius.
This leads to pathos or suffering in him.

Catharsis: The term catharsis means purification or purgation (removal). The pathos
and the resulting death of the hero create the twin feelings of pity and fear in the minds
of the audience or readers. Their feelings of suffering and their tears bring about a
cleansing of the mind. Although Hamlet is a revenge drama, Hamlet’s death does evoke
pity and fear in the audience or readers.

Thus, one may state that Hamlet is a true tragic hero.