To what extent do you think Hamlet can be seen as a tragic hero in a revenge tragedy?

Hamlet’s inability to move into action creates a tragic flaw typical of a tragic hero in a revenge tragedy.

Hamlet’s overwhelming sense of self-disgust makes it impossible for him to fulfill the role of a typical tragic hero.

On hearing about the foul nature of his father’s death from his ghost, Hamlet feels obliged to avenge his father as quickly as possible. Though it is clear that Hamlet harbours deep resentment towards the supposed killer, his uncle Claudius, and is eventually certain of his mission, Hamlet is seen to consistently delay in completing his task for various reasons. In turn, the audience can begin to shape their views on whether or not Hamlet fits the criteria for a tragic hero. His inability to act could be seen as a tragic flaw typical of a tragic hero; or on the other hand, his hesitation in exacting revenge could be down to an overwhelming sense of self-disgust, which in turn could mean it is impossible for him to fulfill the role of a tragic hero.

Shakespeare gives the audience a glimpse of Hamlet’s reaction to the Ghost’s news in Act 1 Scene 5 immediately in a soliloquy, and it is clear in this outpouring of emotion that Hamlet is not going to be exacting revenge instantly. The body of the speech comprises cursing and exclaiming rather than plotting vengeance. Hamlet starts by crying ‘O all you host of heaven! O earth! What else? / And shall I couple hell? O fie!’, and then towards the end of the speech, ‘O most pernicious woman! / O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!’ which could indicate two things; that he feels so disgusted and devastated that it is impossible to take the task on; or that he is unable to act, and appears to be a man of words rather than actions. The latter of these two interpretations could be enforced further by Hamlet’s reference to ‘this distracted globe’ which could be seen as a punning reference to the distraction and confusion in his own mind. The key issue in this soliloquy is to try and establish whether Hamlet appears to accept the task of revenge or not. The repeated cursing could be because he knows he has to act, or it could indicate he has been numbed into inaction by the shock of the truth being uncovered. However the closing lines imply the former of the two as Hamlet remembers the Ghost’s final words ‘Adieu, adieu, remember me’ and hence reminds himself of the task at hand. Hamlet therefore closes out the soliloquy with the impression, arguably, that he has taken on the tragic hero mantle, despite having his reservations.

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The remainder of Act 1 Scene 5 continues to have a curious, surreal feel to it as Hamlet slowly comes to terms with what he has learnt, and again there is evidence of the figure of the tragic hero in a revenge tragedy as well as evidence negating this. Crucial to note is Hamlet’s decision to refrain from telling his friends what has happened. This could be seen as being down to his accepting of the tragic hero role – he feels he has to go it alone, so to speak, and doesn’t need or want anyone else’s help; but other audiences could interpret it as meaning Hamlet is immediately discarding the importance of the task as he would surely inform Horatio and Marcellus of it if he was concerned about it. However the former of these appears more likely as Hamlet hints at the task and his father’s death. He tells the pair ‘There’s never a villain dwelling in all Denmark / But he’s an arrant knave’, obviously meaning Claudius, before suddenly shutting up shop and suggesting they should part ways. Then when Horatio reassures Hamlet ‘There’s no offence my lord’ when Hamlet apologises for his strange behaviour, Hamlet’s mind instantly turns back to the task. He makes it quite clear ‘there is [offence], Horatio, / And much offence too’ before returning to his bizarre state once more and making Horatio and Marcellus swear upon his sword that they will never speak of what they have seen, which, as the audience knows, is nothing. Hamlet’s hinting at the task lets the audience know for sure that he has not dismissed or forgotten the task and so reinforces the idea of him being set upon the path of a tragic hero. The fact that he cannot bring himself to tell his friends exactly what it is he has seen, despite indicating it is something significant, could however be seen as evidence of Hamlet’s reluctancy to fulfill the task of revenge; he is overwhelmed by the devastation of what has happened and cannot bring himself to repeat the news.

The clearest indication yet of Hamlet’s accepting of the tragic hero role comes in another short speech right at the end of the same scene, Act 1 Scene 5, just after Horatio and Marcellus have sworn. Despite another reference to his own self-pity - ‘what so poor a man as Hamlet is’ – he appears to be on-task, so to speak, and speaks as if he is on the verge of moving into action. He closes out the scene with the words, ‘O cursed spite, / That ever I was born to set it right.’ This is a hugely relevant quotation in the context of this debate. The first part, ‘O cursed spite’, implies evidence for Hamlet’s overwhelming self-disgust as yet again he is cursing, but the second part, ‘That ever I was born to set it right’ demonstrates Hamlet’s acknowledgement of his duty as the tragic hero.

The close of Act 1 will give the audience time to think and ponder over what they have seen. Hamlet just about seems to have accepted that he has a duty to take revenge, but what is more alarmingly obvious is the timescale involved in his decision. Between finding out the news from the Ghost and the close of the scene, Hamlet engages in one soliloquy and one mini-speech, and in neither does he outline any plans of how exactly he is going to take his revenge. Some would see the fact that Hamlet has recognized himself as the tragic hero by the end of the scene as progress; others would argue it has taken him far too long to accept and would criticise his contemplative nature and lack of planning.

Considering everything at a glance it would appear that one could argue more strongly that Hamlet has accepted his role as a tragic hero given his tragic flaw of lulling over taking action than to argue that it is impossible for him to fulfill the role of a typical tragic hero. By the end of Act 1 he should have plans in place for how to carry out his revenge, but he has only just concluded the stage of accepting the burden. This inability to act is evidence of his tragic flaw, and coupled with his acknowledgement of the fact that he himself has to be the one to carry out the deed, it becomes apparent that Hamlet can be seen as a typical tragic hero.

To what extent do you think Hamlet can be seen as a tragic hero in a revenge tragedy?

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