Analysis Of Hamlet As A Tragedy

A Shakespearean tragedy or, for that matter, any successful tragedy is to be characterised by six Aristotelian criteria viz, ‘plot’, ‘character’, ‘thought’, ‘diction’, ‘melody’ and ‘spectacle’. In the play ‘Hamlet’ there are two prime female characters with Ophelia, Hamlet’s sweet heart-throb and Gertrude, the bete noir of the principal character, the prince Hamlet and the male characters are quite numerous in comparison [1-3]. From the body of the text of the play Hamlet had an ambivalent attitude to his mother Gertrude. He loved her as a female species, a queen and lulled or nurtured a dream or fantasy of having physical relationship with his mother Gertrude. In that case he would dam himself as an incest.

Hamlet can be classified as a tragedy

Throughout the events of this play, Hamlet, the protagonist, finds himself amidst a quandary. Because of Hamlet’s philosophical and contemplative nature, he remains in a constant state of distress, which the audience perceives sporadically throughout the play as Hamlet expresses his feelings concerning the events taking place. He becomes further confused in his efforts as he continues to contemplate the consequences of his decisions. Hamlet’s main expressions of his emotionally torn state are made known primarily through his renowned soliloquies. In his famous “to be or not to be” speech, Hamlet contemplates death and discusses how, in his eyes, death may prove to have relieving qualities in that if he commits suicide, he will no longer have to worry about making his decision. Hamlet appears to be the character most concerned with reality, but seems to be the least tied to it, due to this, he is left in a state of sheer mental distress that only he can get himself out of. As the events of the play progress the audience perceives that Hamlet develops an inward struggle as he attempts to decide whether or not to avenge his father’s death by killing his murderer, Claudius. His continuous awareness and doubt delays him from acting. To highlight Hamlet’s inability to take action, Shakespeare includes a number of other characters capable of taking resolute and headstrong revenge as required. In one instance Fortinbras travels many miles to take his revenge and ultimately triumphs in conquering Denmark. In another instance, Laertes schemes to assassinate Hamlet as an act of avenging the death of his father, Polonius. Hamlet finally acts to kill Claudius, his fathers’ murderer, only after realizing that he himself is poisoned. By procrastinating, everyone whom he ridicules and targets also dies along the way. Rene` Girard’s comments on Hamlet’s