Examples and Definition of Tragic Hero

Are you intelligent, do you have greatness within you or strength? If so then you can be a tragic hero. Not saying that anyone would want to be a tragic hero, but these are the characteristics that one may exemplify. That person should not be perfect and have a flaw in their personality. Hamartia, a term named by Aristotle, meaning a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine. I will be explaining who I believe had a better hamartia between Oedipus and Hamlet.

Oedipus’s downfall better achieves the ultimate goal of tragedy. Oedipus excessive pride, temperament, and steadfast determination are the reasons he orchestrates his own demise. Hamlet’s demise is because of his inability to overcome his weakness of indecisiveness. The tragedy of Hamlet was written by William Shakespeare. This play is an Elizabethan style play.

Meaning there is a main plot and within the plot there are more stories that are sometimes related.

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Hamlet, who is the prince of Denmark, was almost driven insane by his father’s ghost. Hamlet’s father’s ghost convinces him that the current king Claudius is responsible for his death. Claudius is Hamlet’s uncle and has betrayed the trust of King Hamlet. Claudius killed his brother in order to become King and marry Hamlet’s mother Gertrude. Hamlet wants to seek revenge on his father’s killer, but his inability to overcome his weakness of indecisiveness delays him from taking revenge. Hamlet wants to be sure that the information given to him from his father’s ghost is correct and not of the devil.

So, Hamlet devises a plan to be certain.

There is a play to be acted out within the play and Hamlet provides an extra scene to be acted out by the actors. This is to determine if Claudius is guilty of the crime that the ghost bestowed on Hamlet. Hamlet informs Horatio of the plans and they watched Claudius actions during the play. After the play is completed it is confirmed that Claudius indeed killed the king. Hamlet later finds Claudius praying and wants to kill the king but cannot because Hamlet believes Claudius will go to haven. Hamlet says: Now might I do it pat, now ’a is a-praying, And now I’ll do’t – and so’a goes to heaven, And so am I revenged. That would be scanned. A villain kills my father, and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven. (3.3.73-78)

This play could have been over already if not for Hamlet’s hamartia. “ Hamlet’s tragic flaw is that he cannot act on impulse for things that require quick, decisive behavior, and that he acts on impulse for things that require more contemplation than is given by him.” Later Hamlet goes to his mother Gertrude and they have a heated altercation, during which Hamlet hears a noise behind a curtain, Hamlet thinks it is the King and stabs Polonius to death. After Polonius’s death his daughter Ophelia becomes depressed and falls into madness. Hamlet was sent to England followed by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern after he killed Polonius. Then Hamlet returns to Denmark and Claudius uses Laertes, Ophelia’s brother to kill Hamlet.

Claudius sets up a fencing match for Laertes and Hamlet. Claudius has poisoned wine that is supposed to be meant for Hamlet if he is to win the match. During the match, Laertes is using a poison-tipped foil, and is able to strike Hamlet with it. They begin to tussle and their weapons gets switched, Hamlet is able to strike Laertes with the poisoned foil as well. Gertrude gets excited that Hamlet is winning and makes a toast, she drinks from the poisoned wine to celebrate and she collapses and dies. Laertes then reveals that Claudius’ planned this to kill him, Hamlet lashes out on Claudius and kills him.