Hamlet's Intellectual Virtue Analysis

"To be or not to be – that is the question." It is one of the most famous lines in Western Literature and the hallmark of a critical thinker. It is no coincidence that Hamlet is one of the greatest critical thinkers of all time. In school, we are expected to think critically and it is seen as an intellectual virtue. Given the situation Hamlet is in though, Hamlet's intellectual virtue only leads to chaos and death. The story of Hamlet is a tragedy because Hamlet has a tragic virtue. From the beginning, Hamlet is set up for tragedy. The death of his father leaves a void in Hamlet's life. In Act 1 Scene 2, Hamlet says, "How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable / Seem to me all the uses of this world!" Hamlet has lost his purpose in life and

As the ghost details the murder of Old Hamlet, Hamlet becomes distraught. As the ghost leaves, Hamlet proclaims, "I'll wipe away all trivial, fond records / All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past…And they commandment all alone shall live / within the book and volume of my brain" From this moment on, Hamlet declares that he will only think about avenging his father's death. The ghost gave the lost, wandering Hamlet a yellow brick road to follow. From this moment on, Hamlet knows his sole purpose in life is to kill Claudius as revenge. The turmoil in Hamlet's life that resulted from his father's death and his mother's marriage set the stage for Hamlet to be placed on a path that leads to death. After Hamlet declares his only purpose is to avenge his father, he is unable to take action. This is in part due to the fact that Hamlet thinks too well. He has trapped himself in a prison that his mind created. In Act 2 Scene 2, Hamlet explains, "Why then, 'tis none to you [Rosencrantz and Guildenstern], for there is /

However, Hamlet's critical thinking skills lengthened the process, involved more people than necessary, and led to a tragedy. One only has to look at The Myth of Sisyphus to realize Hamlet is a modern absurd hero, a person who searches for the answers to his dilemma only to come to the conclusion 'let be'. Albert Camus writes, "If this myth is tragic, that is because its hero is conscious." Hamlet is, without a doubt, conscious throughout the entire play. The play could have ended as soon as Hamlet learned of Claudius's betrayal in Act 1 Scene 5, but Shakespeare would not have had a story to tell if Hamlet was not the critical thinker he is. Just as one must feel for Sisyphus, one cannot help but to feel sorry for Hamlet. He was simply born to the wrong family and in the wrong place at the wrong time and his knack for thinking turned into a tragic