In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, the main character is a classic.
example of a Shakespearean tragic hero. Hamlet is considered to be a.
tragic hero because he has a tragic flaw that in the end, is the cause of.
his downfall. The play is an example of a Shakespearean tragic play.
because it has all of the characteristics of the tragic play. As defined.
by Aristotle, a tragic play has a beginning, middle, and end; unity of time.
and place; a tragic hero; and the concept of catharsis.
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One of the main reasons this play is considered a tragic play is.
because the main character is a tragic hero. Hamlet's tragic flaw is he.
spends too much time thinking and not enough time acting. This is the.
opposite of Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, in which the tragic hero spends.
too much time acting, and not enough time thinking. Hamlet dwells too much.
on whether or not to act on something, and by the time he decides to act,.
it is too late. When Hamlet finally decides to kill Claudius, he sees him.
praying and decides to wait longer. The next time he gets a chance to kill.
Claudius he takes it, but by then it was too late. Hamlet was killed as.
well. He could have prevented his downfall if it wasn't for his tragic.
flaw.
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Another reason Hamlet is a classic example of Shakespearean tragedy.
is because it incorporates the idea of catharsis. Aristotle defined.
catharsis as the purging of the emotions of fear and pity. In the play,.
Claudius has the emotion of fear because he is afraid of Hamlet knowing.
that he killed his father. Claudius knows that Hamlet is capable of.
killing him. He knows that he cannot kill Hamlet to protect himself or to.
prevent the people from knowing who killed the king because the people love.
Hamlet too much. Claudius feels pity after he sees the "Mouse Trap".
because he realizes what he had done was wrong now that Hamlet knows the.
truth behind the matter.
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Hamlet is a tragic play because it has a beginning, middle, and end,.