The play Hamlet can be defined as a tragedy in every sense of the word: there is a great downfall in fortune for all characters involved and although Hamlet does manage to gain what he originally sought (his revenge) by the end of the play Hamlet ends up dying. Hamlet was written around 1599 and follows Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, who is faced with many hardships throughout the play eventually Hamlet’s life comes to a tragic end. Therefore it was Hamlet's hesitation and highly introspective nature which were his greatest gift yet also his major flaw which eventually led to his downfall, making him a tragic hero.William Shakespeare, the greatest playwright of the English language, wrote a total of 37 plays in his lifetime, Hamlet being the most famous. It takes him a long time to understand that Claudius is a foxy character, and he only realizes this when he dies, which was too late, and he does not live to see the full result of his actions. He stages a duel a fight between the two young men: Hamlet and Vertis, and both kill each other. Yet does this hesitation bring about his downfall? It sure does, because Claudius sets a trap for Hamlet. So, we can see that Hamlet is aware that he is hesitating and he is indecisive.

More so, he says: 'To be, or not to be: that is the question' (3.1.56), which reflects his introspective nature, longing for death and blames himself for thinking rather than acting. For example, Hamlet says: 'O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!' (2.2.550), at the beginning of his second soliloquy, where he accuses himself of being a coward and someone who lacks passion and action. So he gives himself sufficient time to verify that Claudius is the hero, while being deeply connected to words and language.

This has led him to wait a long time before deciding, because he wanted to make sure that the one who killed his father is Claudius not anyone else.

So what is Hamlet's tragic flaw? His great connection with words and language lead him to be greatly introspective and highly verbose. However, he does a fatal mistake which brings about his downfall. What makes Hamlet a tragic hero is that first of all, because Hamlet begins with very noble motivations: he wanted to punish the murderer of his father, and he wants to do it in a fair and just manner, making sure that he does not mistake the murderer. A tragic hero is someone who makes a fatal, deadly mistake, despite his good intentions.

How is hamlet a tragic hero