The indispensable constituent to any calamity. Grecian or Shakespearian. is a supporter with a fatal defect. In Grecian calamity this is called tragic flaw. This Latin term translates straight into the word “flaw” but is normally used to depict an surplus of a personality trait – virtuousness or frailty. The protagonist’s fatal defect pushes the the secret plan and action of the calamity frontward. It is this tragic defect. which leads to the eventual ruin of the character. his fortunes. and the denouement of the play. In analyzing the majority of the literature’s supporters. no other character embodies the indispensable function of the blemished supporter like Hamlet.
Without the defect there would be no play. and no sarcasm and it would stop with speedy decease and defeat. Hamlet’s fatal defect is idealism which leads to indecisiveness. The lifting action. falling action. and declaration. in Hamlet. can be attributed to the subject of indecisiveness. Hamlet. the Prince of Denmark. is a bright immature adult male with many endowments. He is an academic. a witty speechmaker. and a unflawed histrion. Surely. he has the potency to make anything he wants which may hold included. in the hereafter. being the King of Denmark.
His aptitude for all things calls into inquiry why there is a great hold between Hamlet’s determination to revenge his father’s slaying and the existent retaliation. It is Hamlet’s idealism which leads to indecisiveness and the reevaluation of his pick to kill Claudius. Hamlet “showed all the marks of a baronial and well-balanced sanguine disposition. ” Joseph assumes that Hamlet is non sing insanity and he is in perfect mental wellness – the incarnation of everything a good Elizabethan should be. Hamlet actions should non impute to mental unwellness but the pureness of his psyche.
He believes to the full that work forces were born good and were meant to make good things. His strong belief system contrasts strikingly with the world and corruptness of the universe when he returns place. He remarks on the province of Denmark and more specifically his father’s house. “‘Tis an unweeded garden that grows to seed ; Things rank and gross in nature possess it merely” ( Act I. sc two ) . He is disgusted non merely by his place community but the immorality which existed in his household. Upon the realisation that the universe was cruel he describes life as a “prison” ( Act II sc two ) .
He finds it hard to decide his semblances of what his universe was with the world of the state of affairs. It is idealism which allows him to hide his resentment while his internal will coerce him to revenge his father’s decease. Hamlet efforts to utilize logic. a typical dreamer feature. to find what class of action he must take. Hamlet struggles with thought that he may be a coward for his inactivity. At this point in the drama Hamlet does non understand that it is his ‘goodness’ that is detaining his retaliation.
Despite his every night supernatural confab with the shade of his murdered male parent. he is still diffident if justness should be done by his ain manus. The secret plan shows Hamlet to be a first category investigator — he uncovers a felon who has committed a perfect offense. and merely in his more scholarly minutes of monologue has he clip to see contemning himself. This makes a good point in that Hamlet has to calculate out for his ain peace of head what genuinely happened to his male parent. He understands that if Claudius did kill his male parent he must kill Claudius.
He understands that in a universe of prevarications it was difficult to state truth from fiction. and a evildoer from a saint. Hamlet provinces. “the native chromaticity of declaration is sicklied o’er with the pale dramatis personae of thought” ( Act III Sc I ) . and concludes that the decease of Claudius must be based on justness non emotional retaliation. Therefore. Hamlet must hold independent cogent evidence that his uncle murdered his male parent. The drama with in dramas is a common tool used by Shakespeare and is present in Hamlet. It is besides the lone manner Hamlet. besides direct conformation. is traveling to be able to state if Claudius is guilty.
It is for this ground that Hamlet invites participants in to execute a “murderous” drama to ferret out the truth from his female parent and new male parent. Hamlet’s inability to understand the motivations of immorality in actions and idea can besides be attributed to his exclusive idealistic point of view. He does non understand why anyone would perpetrate slaying and therefore he is unsure that he had ability to violently kill a adult male. Homicidal retaliation represents everything that Hamlet is non. Hamlet’s rational mind allowed him the lucidity of head to understand both the good and bad in the act of the retaliation.
The mental debasement of Hamlet. is believed to be insanity by the other characters but it was clear to the audience that he is simply coming to footings with what he believes to be right. Hamlet is a spiritual adult male and slaying was a wickedness. Hamlet is a adult male of classical doctrine and retaliation is non rational. In “The Mind of Man in Hamlet” . Levy writes “In Hamlet. adult male is still the rational animate being. but a revolution in understanding the operation of idea occurs” . Levy statement that Hamlet is still ration is true.
Choosing to look mentally impair is good scheme because if the characters believe he is unwell. he will non be able to calculate out the true. Hamlet’s true character remains unmarred. Hamlet is a adult male who believes in gallantry. and slaughter is non soft. Hamlet is seeking to be worthy of the times in which he lives is non so far in kernel from the supporters of Grecian play. His fright of the hazard of damnation is non something that can be called a moral defect ; yet it acts like one. paralyzing his will. doing him act like a coward. It is those idealistic qualities which causes the delay of Claudius’ decease.
It is in the minute that Hamlet allows his emotion to rule over his mind that Claudius was killed. He is consumed by the ideas of his father’s death and is haunted by the cognition that his father’s psyche will non be able to rest until his decease is avenged. Hamlet wilfully concludes. “My ideas be bloody or be nil worth” ( Act IV sc four ) . It is so that Hamlet eventually had the ability to stamp down his idealistic nature. and make what is right. The slaying is non a well planned strategy and occurs in the heat of the minute. Hamlet. after the slaying of Claudius ne’er one time wavers in his determination.
He has done what is right and believes that “There is a particular Providence in the autumn of a sparrow” ( Act V sc two ) . Curiously adequate fatalism is portion of idealistic theory and hence Hamlet ever remains true to himself and his idealism. Hamlet’s idealism makes him the perfect tragic supporter and leads to theme of indecisiveness. Without his intense respect for the ideals of truth. justness. goodness and beauty there would be no drama. His fatal defect. the belief that work forces and therefore the universe are inherently good. created a moral quandary which the characters. and secret plan revolves.
Even Hamlet. the academic. remarks on the presence of tragic flaw in human nature. He stated: oft it opportunities in peculiar work forces That for some barbarous mole of nature in them. As in their birth. wherein they are non guilty. By the o’ergrowth of some skin color. Oft interrupting down the pickets and garrisons of ground. Their virtuousnesss else. be they every bit pure as grace. As space as adult male may undergo. Shall in the general animadversion take corruptness From that peculiar mistake. ( Act 1. sc 4 ) . Hamlet continues tardily in the declaration of the drama. “though I am non spleenative and roseola Yet have I in me something dangerous” ( Act V. sc i. )
Critics believe while Hamlet is “Normally non rash at all. he is capable of utmost heedlessness when provoked highly. The “something dangerous” is the proud restlessness that there is in his otherwise baronial sense of public mission. It is Hamlet’s idealistic nature mismatched with his matter-of-fact fortunes. which creates the ultimate subject and driving force behind all the lifting action. falling action. and declaration of this calamity.
Plants Cited
Shakespeare. William. Hamlet. Ed. Cyrus Hoy. 2nd erectile dysfunction. New York: Norton. 1992. 1-101.
