Hamlets Fatal Flaw Essay - 688 Words

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is an interesting play in many ways. The character Hamlet is particularly intriguing in regards to his fatal flaw. Hamlet’s fatal flaw is a specific trait that forces him to postpone killing the king and it is this trait that drives Hamlet mad (Shakespeare 1.4.23-38). This Shakespearean tragedy is open to many interpretations of Hamlet’s fatal flaw. Two recent film productions of the play, Kenneth Branaugh’s Hamlet and the Zeffirelli’s Hamlet, each show a different fatal flaw in Hamlet. Branaugh shows his fatal flaw to be that Hamlet over thinks everything. Zeffirelli accentuates the Oepipus Complex in Hamlet meaning that Hamlet is jealous over his mother. Branaugh and Zeffirelli both use different methods to†¦show more content†¦Claudius is only acting out what Hamlet secretly wants to do, take his father’s place as his mother’s lover. This would explain why Hamlet puts off the revenge instead of carryin g it out immediately after seeing his father’s ghost. It would also provide a reason for Hamlet’s later insanity. Branaugh interpreted Hamlet as a man placed in difficult circumstances, trying to outwit perpetual scheming and sort out what his plan of action should be. He believed that Hamlet’s fatal flaw was his over thinking. The message of his father’s ghost â€Å"to avenge his most foul and unnatural murder† (Shakespeare 1.5.25) presses Hamlet’s intellect to its limits. Hamlet wants to do the right thing. The suspense is in trying to decide right from wrong. Hamlet despite wishing to avoid the â€Å"morally repulsive action† (Aichinger, par 4) of revenge, he feels the duty to avenge his father’s death. As Foster says, â€Å"Hamlet has, after all, been a student of theology at Wittenberg, and his knowledge complicates the situation (Foster, par. 14). Hamlet’s environment is one filled with secrecy and subterfuge and Branaugh uses imagery to convey this sense. The imagery he uses includes black and white tiled floors that create the illusion of a chess board. Chess is a game of strategy and cunning that reflects the deceit and strategy that are so prevalent around Hamlet. There are many two way mirrors and hidden passages, and some doors are even disguised as bookshelves. In the film we see the KingShow MoreRelatedEssay about Hamlets Fatal Flaw786 Words   |  4 PagesHamlets fatal flaw is his inability to act. Unlike his father, Hamlet lets his intelligence rather than his heroism govern him. When he has a chance to kill Claudius, and take vengeance for his fathers murder, he hesitates, reckoning that if he kills the man while he is at prayer, Claudius would have asked for pardon from the Lord and been forgiven of his sins, therefore allowing him to enter Heaven. Hamlet decides to wait for a better opening. His flaw of being hesitant in the end leads toRead MoreTo Believe Or To Believe: No Question About It: An Analysis of Hamlets Fatal Flaw1236 Words   |  5 Pagesthe people of that age. It is important to examin e the historical setting to fully understand some of the play’s subtler connotations. The protagonist of the play, Hamlet, is one of the most famous tragic heroes in existence, but the character’s fatal flaw is that he does not believe in God sufficiently. According to Christian doctrine, spirits that were not God originated from Hell, and ghosts were classified under demonology (Bath Newton, 3). This fact explains why Marcellus warns Hamlet not toRead MoreAnalysis Of Hamlet s Hamlet 1547 Words   |  7 PagesHamlet’s Hamartia Shakespeare s longest play is Hamlet, which takes place in the Kingdom of Denmark. Hamlet is a tragic tale about the Prince of Denmark and is a drama about revenge. Prince Hamlet is visited by his father’s ghost who demands he kill his uncle, Claudius, after Claudius killed Hamlet’s father. Yet despite being â€Å"†¦ the son of a dear father murdered, prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,† Hamlet delays enacting vengeance on Claudius (II,2,584-585). This delay ultimatelyRead MoreAgamemnon, Hamlet and ALfred prufrock compasion essay1616 Words   |  7 Pagesroles in the plays, it would be best to know first what hamartia means to further connect them with this element. By definition, hamartia is a flaw in the hero’s personality that allows them to commit certain tragic or fatal mistakes. To better understand the significance of hamartia in the plays, a thorough understanding of each character’s personality flaws as well as how they respond to the circumstances is just as important. The central characters of these plays include Prince Hamlet in â€Å"Hamlet†Read MoreHamlet by William Shakespeare648 Words   |  3 PagesTo be, or not to be, or maybe just to pretend to be – Hamlet - make up your mind already! Before discussing Hamlet’s hamartia, please let me say that Hamlet is one of my all-time favorite plays. Yes, it is tragic. Yes, they all fall in the end. But, good lord, what action! So, what is this shortcoming the unfortunate Hamlet possesses that brings about his undeserved end? Before discussing the frailty of this tragic hero, let us examine the word, hamartia, used by Aristotle in â€Å"The Poetics†. HamartiaRead MoreDifferences in the Tragedies of Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet by William Shakespeare1621 Words   |  7 Pagesact in the manner that will allow the truth to be reviled, as the truth is the ultimate goal. Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet are tragedies that end in death. The foils of Laertes and Horatio compared to Benvolio and Tybalt are able to portray the fatal flaws of of the heroes while also defining the differences of each tragedy. Laertes is seen as a man of action that does not think about the consequences. When finding out about his father’s death he proves his spontaneity by declaring, â€Å"I dare damnationRead More Hamlet As An Aristotelian Tragedy Essay581 Words   |  3 Pagesmust fall through his or her own error. This is typically called the quot;tragic flawquot;, and can be applied to any characteristic that causes the downfall the hero. Shakespeares Hamlet, Prince of Denmark can be seen as an Aristotelian tragedy and Hamlet as its tragic hero. Hamlets flaw, which in accordance with Aristotles principles of tragedy causes his demise, is his inability to act. This defect of Hamlets character is displayed throughout the play. In the opening scenes of the play,Read More Hamlet Essay1206 Words   |  5 PagesHamlet Each major character of Shakespeare’s Hamlet has a major flaw, which destroys him or her. The King, Queen, Hamlet, Ophelia, and Polonius all have these flaws but Horatio does not. He is Shakespeare’s ideal man. Claudius’ fatal flaw is ambitiousness. Claudius kills his brother King Hamlet and then takes the throne by marrying King Hamlet’s wife: â€Å"Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen†¦have we (as ‘twere with a defeated joy, with an auspicious and a dropping eye, withRead MoreIs Hamlet A Tragic Hero Essay961 Words   |  4 Pagesmakes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy.†. Throughout the play, which follows Hamlet as he plots to get revenge on his uncle Claudius for his father’s murder, Hamlet reveals his tragic flaw. A tragic flaw is â€Å"a character trait that brings about the downfall of the protagonist; ironically, in some works, this ‘flaw’ is the characters greatest strength taken to an extreme.† Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his inability to take action dueRead MoreThe Tragic Flaw of Hamlet Essay792 Words   |  4 PagesThe Tragic Flaw of Hamlet One of the greatest works in literature, Shakespeares Hamlet has been the topic of controversial discussion ever since it was written. The controversies range from Is Hamlet truly mad, to Is Hamlet really in love with Ophelia. The most intriguing topic of discussion though, is Hamlets fatal flaw. As in all Shakespearean works, there is always a tragic hero. This hero is always the person that the audience comes to love, however every tragic hero has to have