Open Prompt pt. 2 February 15th

     In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the title character fulfills the qualifications of a tragic hero because he begins as a prosperous prince, but loses the things that are most precious to him. Hamlet not only causes the deaths of multiple characters, whether directly or indirectly, but also loses his own life. Through the choices Hamlet makes, he epitomizes the theme of the play: moral confusion along with isolation can lead to paranoia and corruption and the upset of the natural order.

     Young Hamlet is clearly a tragic hero. Before the play begins, Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark at school in Wittenberg, awaiting the crown. King Hamlet’s own brother, Claudius, poisons him and becomes king. The first act of Hamlet finds the prince distraught about his father’s recent death and mother’s abrupt marriage to young Hamlet’s uncle. As a thirtysomething prince, Hamlet had everything going for him, but lost it all because of his uncle’s actions. In order to avoid suspicion, Hamlet pretends to be insane as he tries to decide whether or not to avenge his father’s death. As the play progresses, the distinction between Hamlet’s pretend and real madness grows foggy, leaving the audience to pity his indecision. This pity that the audience feels is essential to what makes a tragic character tragic.

     Hamlet’s indecision, however, does not only affect himself. As his madness progresses, constantly crossing the line between real and imaginary, he begins to make rash decisions. For example, when the Prince is in his mother’s closet, he thinks he hears a spy behind a curtain and before even considering it, stabs a hidden Polonius to death. In this way, Hamlet’s own personal tragedy directly causes the suffering of another character. He also causes the tragic death of other characters indirectly. Hamlet basically brings on Ophelia’s suicide. First, he breaks her heart by being incredibly crass and cold toward her and then kills her father. Although Hamlet did not do any of the killing, his tragic quest brought on Ophelia’s death. Hamlet negatively affects almost every character in the play.
     By bringing tragedy upon himself and others, Hamlet contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. Throughout the play, Hamlet is trying to decide whether or not to kill his uncle. His main concern is whether or not Claudius’ murder would be against God’s will. Since there is no way of knowing exactly what God wants, Hamlet cannot make his decision. Furthermore, because Hamlet is pretty much isolated from the outside world, both geographically and emotionally. In the end, many of the characters meet tragic ends, showing how Hamlet’s own confusion and isolation led to a disruption of the natural order.