Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the six main characters in Shakespeare's "Hamlet": Claudius, Ophelia, Gertrude, Laertes, Polonius, and Hamlet. This paper further defines what their fatal flaws are in accordance to Aristotle's understanding of the "Tragic Hero." All six of the characters seem to exhibit a flaw pertaining to the question of reality, and how an individual should justify their actions.

From the Paper:

"A tragic hero, according to Aristotle, is a character in a tragedy that possesses a fatal flaw; this flaw eventually leads to their demise. Ordinarily, characterization of this sort is only attributed to the central protagonist; largely because tragic heroes, like Achilles for example, are usually very nearly ideal in every way, save for their single fatal flaw. Yet, this is not necessarily true in Hamlet, since all of the main characters can be perceived as tragic but none are wholly idealized. Hamlet, Ophelia, Gertrude, Claudius, Polonius, and Laertes all possess fatal flaws, but no overarching moral standard is supplied as a foil through which the audience can measure their faults. Instead, Shakespeare presents a philosophical question that each of his characters are forced to handle: how do we know what is true?"

Visitors who viewed this Essay also liked these:

• Analytical Essay # 6893 : "Hamlet and his Fatal Flaw"
• Analytical Essay # 16630 : "Hamlet as Tragic Hero"
• Comparison Essay # 49492 : "Hamlet" and "Henry IV"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: