Hamlet: Hero or Villain

Hamlet, unfortunately, endures a great and prolonged period of suffering. To the extreme extent that he contemplates if life, the greatest treasure on Earth, is worth living in his famous soliloquy "To be, or not to be, that is the question..." However, once the dust settles, it is difficult to say that Hamlet comes out a better person.

Hamlet: A Tragic Hero?

By definition, Hamlet is a tragic hero from guidelines set in Poetics, a book written by Aristotle in 335 BC. Hamlet is a prosperous individual whose active concerns are not the horrors of war but instead engages with his academics. The audience first meets a witty and intelligent version of Hamlet. Not just adored by the people, but Hamlet is also the crown prince of Denmark. However, when unfortunate events push Hamlet out of his natural environment, the cracks in his noble character surface. Hamlet's flaw of indecisiveness, hesitation and recklessness causes the collapse of a man. He is an exemplar that one's greatest enemy is none other but themselves. With Hamlet's downfall originating from within, Hamlet is a tragic hero.

However, a true hero should be virtuous and admirable, inspiring others to be better. This definition of a hero is one that Hamlet fails to satisfy.

Hamlet's Lowest Point

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 them?

First, Hamlet loses the possibility of spending any more time with his father. Then, Hamlet witnesses the incestuous marriage between his mother and uncle Claudius. Furthermore, Ophelia, the one person Hamlet still loves, abandons him. And to maximize his torment, Hamlet is given the poisonous knowledge that Claudius murdered his father.

In this situation, Hamlet was unsure of the path to take. It is at this lowest point where the most crucial decisions arise; The decisions that will leave a permanent imprint; The ones that separate the heroes from the villain. It is at this moment, where Hamlet showed his true nature.

Hamlet's Transformation

They are not near my conscience. Their defeat Does by their own insinuation grow. 'Tis dangerous when the baser nature comes Between the pass and fell incensèd points Of mighty opposites.

With Hamlet's prolonged dwelling on his future as a dutiful son of vengeance, Hamlet unknowingly becomes an angel of death. Hamlet takes away the lives of the people closest to him. Without any justification, Hamlet directly causes the deaths of Polonius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern.

The distinguishing flaw that Hamlet displays from these murders is in his reaction. Particularly with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet defends his actions to sentence his friends to death. Hamlet shows no remorse for the lives of his closest childhood friends that he reduces to nothingness. Furthermore, Hamlet lets his ego take control of him. He views himself as a mighty force while viewing his friends as nothing more than tiny flies causing annoyances. Hamlet completely overlooks the beauty and the sacredness of human life. When humans believe that they have the authority to play God, history has taught us that there are no good outcomes.

Hamlet changes into the likeness of the things he hates most. Hamlet hates Claudius for murdering his father; Hamlet murders Ophelia's father. Hamlet hates that his mother shows so little grief; Hamlet takes a few mere minutes to mourn Ophelia's death. Hamlet hates the life that the universe bestows upon him; Hamlet murders Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who only try to help.

In Conclusion

During Hamlet's lowest point, he turns his misery into other's suffering. Hamlet takes his revenge out on the innocent people who want nothing but for Hamlet to flourish. When Hamlet's decisions matter most, his selfish acts accomplish only to hurt the ones who try to help.

References

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet. SparkNotes, www.sparknotes.com/nofear/shakespeare/hamlet/

Adobe Stock. Hand Holding Skull, https://stock.adobe.com/hu/search/images?k=hamlet+skull&asset_id=110587200