... a tragic flaw, which is usually due to some type of human characteristic such as frailty, susceptibility, emotional distress, or an error in judgment. Though this topic is extensively debated by literary critics, Hamlet's tragic flaw, in my opinion, is his intense over-analysis. He is too conscious of the consequences of his actions. He literally over thinks every decision he makes because he is ... so uncertain of what course to take. Hamlet judges his actions too greatly and, as a result, acts on his decisions much too late ... to his tragic flaw, the hero usually meets his downfall ...

• Word Count: 814
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Polonius, in Hamlet, is a minor character whose deceitful ways show the audience that he is one of many characters who lack sincerity and integrity. Throughout Hamlet Polonius is a hypocrite who looks out for his own interests, and betrays those he should be loyal to. These aspects of his character are exposed in his relationships with the King, Ophelia, and Laertes. Polonius is two-faced in his interactions with people. One example of this is his relationship with the King. Polonius was King Hamlet's loyal servant, well liked and trusted by King Hamlet and Prince Hamlet. But his loyalty to Ki...

• Word Count: 398
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

The main characters in Hamlet include Hamlet, Cluadius, Polonius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Laertes, and Horatio. This play is centralized around Hamlet, however the other characters contribute to his problems. The main character is Hamlet. Hamlet is the son of passed King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude. He must decide whether to kill his uncle Claudius and revenge his father's death. Hamlet is an introspective character who does not know whether to trust the ghost of his father or not. He hates his mother for marrying Claudius so soon after his father's death, and he is in love with Ophelia until she rej...

• Word Count: 639
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

In the story of Hamlet, Ophelia is an innocent, nave little girl that put too much trust in the men in her life. She is a very young teenager who lost her mother, possibly at birth. She has a father Polonius and a brother Laertes who have gone to great measures to shelter her from the harsh realities of life. She starts off with great potential, having the prince Hamlet as a boyfriend and the hopes of possibly becoming the queen one day. Tragically, the opinions and desires of Polonius and Laertes easily mold this beautiful and simple-minded woman. The willingness to obey her father and broth...

• Word Count: 1081
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Character Analysis Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: The character of Hamlet dominates Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name, yet Hamlet at the start of the play is not a commanding figure. Indeed, when we first see the Prince, his posture is defensive, Hamlet taking a passive, if resentful, stance toward the events that have befallen him. Slow to the conviction that the ghost is his dead father and that ... , a many modern critics have argued that, in his particular circumstances, Hamlet is wise to defer action. In the end, Hamlet does act, defying augury in accepting the challenge to duel with Lae...

• Word Count: 782
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Looking at Act 3 Scene 4 of 'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare. This scene has been seen by some critics as crucial to their reading of the play. This essay is a close examination of this scene as a starting point of the nature of the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude, its dramatic presentation and its significance in the play as a whole.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Act 3 Scene 4, so called the closet scene, is the first time we see Hamlet and Gertrude together alone. In this scene Hamlet releases his anger and frustration at his mother for t...

• Word Count: 691
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... a procrastinator and this is demonstrated many times in the play. In line eighty he says "Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge". He knows that he must kill Claudius but he postpones it. This almost suggests that Hamlet does not really want to kill Claudius, but feels obligated to do so. Through his over-analysis he seems to be almost talking himself out ... of doing his job. One of Hamlet's most renown traits is his over-analysis of conversational topics and situations in which action must be taken. An example of his ... over-analytical nature is apparent in his speech in act one,...

• Word Count: 1213
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School