An Analysis of Hamlet from the Perspective of Aristotle’s Tragic Hero

RAJLAKSHMI K | 23PREG02 | 2ND SEM MA ENGLISH

Aristotle (384-322 BC), a Greek philosopher and polymath, made significant contributions to
many fields, including philosophy, the natural sciences, ethics, politics, logic, and speech. As a
student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great, Aristotle's influence spread through his
many writings and teachings. In metaphysics, he explored the nature of reality and introduced the
concept of "four factors". In his Nicomachean Ethics , he emphasised virtue and the Golden
Mean, in Politics, he analysed the different forms of government and the role of the police.
Aristotle is also the creator of formal logic through his study of syllogisms and deductive
reasoning in his "Organon". His work in biology and physics, although later revised, was a
pioneer of the empirical approach. In Rhetoric, he analysed the techniques of persuasion, in
Poetics, he examined literary theory and tragedy. Aristotle's comprehensive and systematic
approach had a great influence on Western thought, and his ideas are still present in many
disciplines today.

According to Aristotle, a tragedy is, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete,
and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the
several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative;
through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions. “ and a tragic hero is a
type of character in a tragedy, and is usually the protagonist. Tragic heroes typically have heroic
traits that earn them the sympathy of the audience, but also have flaws or make mistakes that
ultimately lead to their own downfall. In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is a tragic
hero. His reckless passion in love, which makes him a compelling character, also leads directly
to the tragedy of his death.'' There are six constituent elements for tragedy, according to aristotle.
Which includes,
Plot, Emphasising that tragedy is first and foremost the representation of actions, and not of
characters, Aristotle makes the remark that many contemporary tragedies do not succeed in their
characterizations, but are still tragedies. The tragic effect comes from the plot, and especially
from the peripeteia–the reversal of the situation in which the characters find themselves– as well
as from scenes of recognition.

Character, which is second in importance after plot; tragedies depict characters as they relate to
the action which is the main object of representation. Characters represent their moral qualities
through the speeches assigned to them by the dramatist.Thought Thought comprises both the
rational processes through which characters come to decisions, as represented in the drama, as
well as the values put forward in the form of maxims and proverbs.

Diction has already been defined as the metrical composition of the play, the way language is
used to convey the representation.

Song, is described as an embellishment of language. The lines assigned to the chorus in a tragedy
are usually conveyed in song accompanied by rhythmical movement.

Spectacle Aristotle lists spectacle last in order of importance, pointing out that the power of
tragedy is not fully dependent upon its performance (we can read a tragedy and still appreciate its
message), and that the art of the spectacle really belongs to the set designer and not to the poet.

Hamlet is the most famous tragedy in English literature. Shakespeare shows Hamlet's flaws as a
hero. The tragedy of this play is the result of the protagonist's failure to overcome his prejudices
and the weaknesses of indifference. This deadly trait killed several people, including his mother
and the King of Denmark. He is brave and intelligent, but his desire to procrastinate prevents him
from doing anything about his father's murder, his mother's marriage, and his uncle's succession
to the throne. Qualities or qualities of a tragic hero: According to Aristotle, a tragic hero should
have the following characteristics: (a) GoodnessIf a person is not good, he will not be able to
develop negative emotions or express negative happiness. It is natural for readers not to
sympathise with a fallen man. And without love We cannot get the negative pleasure that comes
from love. However, Aristotle does not consider moral goodness to be the most important
characteristic of a tragic hero.(b) Correspondence with reality The second characteristic of a
tragic hero is that he must correspond with reality. A random hero should be in a class of its own.
You must act, behave and speak like people of your level, status and position. A tragic hero must
remain true to his type. If it is a person from the past, it should appear in the traditional photos of
history. In fact, Aristotle provides no examples to illustrate its meaning in this context.This
approach to life avoids situations being either good or bad. Therefore, a bad character must be a
person of moral character.
The tenth characteristic is that the tragic hero commits new crimes which increase his
destruction. For Hamlet, the only two crimes he commits before he dies are to kill the king and
send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths by changing the letter that Claudius originally
wrote. The eleventh quality is that he must suffer externally and internally. Hamlet suffers
externally because he is tormented by the knowledge of his father's death and the death of his
beloved women, Ophelia. The twelfth quality is that he should inspire both pity and fear in the
public. This quality can be seen several times in the play, Hamlet is compassionate in the play
when he speaks in some of his soliloquies and finds out what happened to his father. Indulging in
a crazy hobby, he instills fear in the audience, making both the show's characters and the
audience afraid of him. In the thirteenth play, Hamlet must confess his guilt. This can be seen
when he talks to Laertes before the sword fight and asks Laertes forgiveness for his actions and
gives Laertes his love. The last characteristic is that Hamlet must die to be a tragic hero. Hamlet
dies at the end of the play when he is poisoned in a fencing match between Laertes and himself .
If this poison is already in the body, he will die, because it is a very strong poison, the smallest
drop of which would quickly kill a person.
Hamlet is actually a tragic hero. Like other tragic heroes, Hamlet must face conflict, both internal
and external. The internal conflict is between his moral scruples and the act of revenge that must
be fulfilled. His love for his father, his mother's shame and his uncle's villainy him to seek
revenge, while his nobility, moral idealism, principles and religion rebel against such a cruel act.
As a result, he suffers mental torture torn from the inside. The external conflict is with Claudius -
the "powerful opponent" and murderer of Hamlet's father. He is the one against whom he must
take revenge. Other external conflicts are with Laertes, his friend and the brother of his dear
Ophelia, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, his former schoolmates and friends but current enemies.
Hamlet does succeed in defeating his enemy, but only at a terrible cost. Character is not the only
factor in Hamlet's tragedy. Hamlet's transformation into a tragic hero is also caused by external
circumstances. Shakespeare creates the view that there is a mysterious force in this universe that
is responsible for every little event. The appearance and appearance of a ghost is a manifestation
of fate. Many things that happen in Hamlet's life are coincidences, but none of them are
improbable. He accidentally kills Polonius. The ship is attacked by pirates, and his return to
Denmark is just a coincidence. Gertrude accidentally drinks poisoned wine and dies. So fate in
the form of chance shapes the future of all the characters, including Hamlet. But the sense of fate
is never so overwhelming as to overshadow the character, because Hamlet himself is responsible
for his own tragedy.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Aristotle: Poetics. (n.d.).

https://www.english.hawaii.edu/criticalink/aristotle/gloss/gloss6.html

2. Tragic Hero - Definition and Examples | LitCharts. (n.d.). LitCharts.

https://www.litcharts.com/literary-devices-and-terms/tragic-hero

3. Yang, G. C. (2014). Hamlet, tragic hero or self-indulgence. 인문언어, 16(2), 91–114.

http://dspace.kci.go.kr/handle/kci/1118960