William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is the story of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Hamlet is the protagonist of the work, and the play outlines the trials and tribulations that Hamlet must endure while trying to uncover the truth surrounding his father’s death. It is also a story of revenge-the revenge that Hamlet seeks to inflict on those who are responsible for the death of his father, and finally, Hamlet’s own tragic demise, ending with his untimely death.
According to Aristotle’s classic definition of a tragedy, Shakespeare’s Hamlet undeniably falls into the category of tragedy. Aristotle’s definition states, “a tragedy is defined as an imitation of an event that is serious, complete, and possessing magnitude…”. Hamlet is undoubtedly a serious play that possesses much magnitude. For one, the story centers around an event of magnitude-the death of a king and the state of a nation due to that death. The seriousness present in the play involves Hamlet’s unquenchable desire to enact revenge on his father’s murderer who he believes is his uncle. Unfortunately, Hamlet does not immediately confront Claudius because he is much too cautious, and instead, Hamlet slips into a state of madness. Hamlet’s reflective and cautious nature are his tragic flaw, and these characteristics ultimately lead to the tragic ending of the play.The protagonist of a tragedy is required to possess not only requires a tragic flaw, but he must also make a tragic error. In Hamlet’s case, that tragic error occurs when he stabs Polonius through the curtain errantly believing that he is really stabbing Claudius. This action sets off a chain of events that eventually decides Hamlet’s fate. Aristotle’s definition of a tragedy also requires the hero to be admirable. Hamlet is certainly an admirable character, especially in his unwillingness to do harm to Claudius until he is absolutely sure that Claudius is guilty. But unfortunately, the admirable qualities that most tragic heroes possess are also…