Hamlet

Hamlet

The character of Hamlet is none other but the best possible example in Shakespeare's play of a person suffering from intense inner torment. His inner conflicts drive him to several extreme actions which are nothings but the tendency to be prone to acting with fits of despair.

Though being the protagonist of the play, yet his major flaw is his lack of capability to perform according to his wishes. Being ordered by his father's “spirit” to avenge his death, the scene appears as a sort of a dramatic irony. Acting in obedience to the “spirit's” command, Hamlet proceeds to take revenge, but in doing so, Hamlet appears disturbed over how his mother could love the killer of her own husband. As he acts in partial madness, we see the hero losing his own personal identity. His attempt to commit suicide furthers his critical flaw. The scenario prevails on Hamlet with such a confusing note that he is unable to furnish justification for his judgment as the internal conflict envelopes his mind. Inconsistent, and acting unexpectedly, his actions are confused and through them he demoralizes what other were expecting from him. The continuous disturbing aura that surrounds him weakens his character. However, he recovers from his flaw, and even though acting recklessly, he proceeds with success to avenge his father's murder. So the protagonist is able to overcome his flaw and prove his worth as the hero. His initial weakness are only the result of the tragic events he had to suffer in his life, and in this regard, it would be unfair to go further ahead in critiquing him for his flaw (Wilson, 2001).

Hamlet's missing the mark is due to the contradiction in his character. The introduction portrays him as a man with style whose personality captivates the reader. However, this is something that he is unable to maintain on a constant basis throughout the play. Starting from the very beginning, we have him well-mannered, but at times rude. He is loving but violent at times. Prone to acting carelessly, he acts with great alert at times. Though his anger is understandable after his father's death, yet the way he feels no remorse over the deaths of Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and Polonius for which he is liable suggests his negative flaw. It is owing to the mistrust and doubt that exists in Hamlet's character that the entire play appears chilly and gusty to the readers in almost every scene of the play. Despite the vast genre of work completed on Hamlet, including the many films released and dramas staged, no final conclusive answers can be come up with. Similar to Oedipus Rex in Sophocles, Hamlet reflects back to us our hard-won experience of the great fundamentals of life, which are glimpsed but never fully grasped in youth (Edwards, pp 71).

Filled with errors, and a depressing attitude, the passion, violence, hatred and hesitancy in his character makes him miss the mark of a hero. Depicted as the most complicated character ever in Shakespearean plays, ...