What Makes Hamlet's Failure

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William Shakespeare is one of the most renowned and studied authors throughout the illustrious history of literature. A 15th century poet, his works such as "Macbeth" and "Romeo & Juliet" have been dissected in various manners through the present day. One of his most storied pieces, titled "Hamlet", is an eloquent classic that is perhaps the most recognizable of his work. Set within a royal town of Denmark, this collection of sonnets utilizes varying literary elements and portrayals to create a confounding plot that captivates audiences and readers alike. One of the incorporated characterizations of the play is represented by Hamlet, the prince of the kingdom whose conundrum makes up majority of the tale. His tragic character is constructed …show more content…

Overall, the tale of "Hamlet" is a captivating piece that extensively describes the main character's failure, as well as the overall theme of the text. The main character of the piece, known as Hamlet, is the prince of a Danish kingdom. The entire story is set into effect by the death of his father and the king of the nation, also named Hamlet. Young Hamlet is extremely depressed at the news of this occurrence, and he begins to allocate his efforts to redressing his late father's passing. The problem with his plan, however, is his personality. Within the play, he is extremely profound and over-contemplative. His thoughts range back and forth, and his internal conflict is overtly obvious as he struggles to decide on what action to take. One of the most renowned soliloquies in the story occurs at this point, a speech which asks the question "To be, or not to be, that is the question/Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer/The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,/Or to take arms against a sea of troubles/And by opposing end to them. To die—to sleep,/No more; and by a sleep to say we end." (3.1.57-63) …show more content…

In this particular soliloquy, he is discussing the prospects of his ordeal, and whether or not it is preferable to live and endure, or die and become regarded as a coward. The quote "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer" proposes his will to persevere through the pain, while the later quip of the same speech "To die—to sleep,/No more; and by a sleep to say we end." portrays his yearning for an end to the struggle, a ceasing to the guilt that he internally faced every day. This is one of the first examples of Hamlet overthinking the many portions of his life, which I consider to be the 'hamartia', or tragic flaw, of this particular character. Further examples of Hamlet's unique imperfection can found later within the plot. For example, he states about himself that "But I am pigeon-livered and lack gall." (2.2.538) This portrays that he is quite critical of himself and his qualities, lamenting the inaction and spinelessness that he believes makes him. Additionally, he believes that he doesn’t maintain the capacity to seek revenge for the death of his father. In regards to the entirety of

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