Hamlet is not the usual tragic hero that Shakespeare liked to use in his works. In "The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark" he does not die an evil man, but is complemented by Horatio and Fortinbras. There are many different thoughts on what Hamlet's tragic flaw is; jealousy, inaction, and insanity are all accepted as possibilities. Jealously and inaction are very plausible, but Hamlet was not insane.
Hamlet is in love with his mother Gertrude and cannot stand the thought of a man other than his father in bed with her. The fact that her and Claudius' relationship is considered incestuous makes the marriage even worse in his eyes. He dwells on the relationship between the two of them, and constantly thinks of their bed. At the beginning of the play, Hamlet focuses on the relationship she has with Claudius, not the fact that he may have been responsible for the murder of his father.
David Garrick in Hamlet, I, 4
Book signing and Hamlet Au's interview with Julian...
HamletOnly after a visit from Old Hamlet's ghost does the murder add to his hatred for Claudius. Claudius must be punished for taking advantage of Gertrude in a vulnerable situation and killing his father, but she must remain unharmed. Hamlet has no problem with that order, as he cannot imagine harming his mother. When the Queen tries to figure out what is wrong with Hamlet near the end of Act 3, he cannot keep from relating their discussion back to her sexual relations with Claudius. The death of his mother after being poisoned by Claudius' drink is what finally convinces Hamlet to kill the King. If she had not been harmed, Hamlet may have never done anything. Hamlet's obsession with
Hamlet's inaction leads to numerous deaths in the play. He cannot bring himself around to killing Claudius, no matter how many times...