Hamartia and Catharsis in Hamlet

             The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare is one of the best tragedies ever written. Hamlet is a prince whose hamartia sets in motion a series of tragic events among his family and the family of the woman he loves. The rising action causes very strong emotions to build in the audience, the climax of the play leads to Hamlet’s complete downfall, and the play has a cathartic ending which provides an emotional release for the audience.

According to Aristotle’s Poetics, “Tragedy is an imitation not only of a complete action, but of events inspiring fear or pity” (Aristotle). In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, the plot involves relatives and close friends: Claudius has murdered his brother, King Hamlet; Prince Hamlet kills the father of the woman he loves; Ophelia goes mad and falls into the stream, killing herself; Claudius accidentally poisons the woman he loves, Hamlet’s mother Gertrude; and Ophelia’s brother kills Hamlet. The intimacy of these relationships heightens the audience’s pity for Hamlet, and the fact that Hamlet falls from royalty makes his descent that much more poignant.

Hamlet wants to be absolutely certain that the ghost’s allegation is true before exacting revenge upon Claudius. Once Claudius’ reaction to the play supports the ghost’s allegation, Hamlet is driven to seek revenge and justice. He has an opportunity to kill Claudius immediately after the play, but decides that killing Polonius during prayer would send him straight to heaven. Hamlet is doing his best to effectively manage the uncertainties in his life, to find justice where there may be none, to consider the actions he may take. He ponders the meaning of death and what comes after. He is likable, if somewhat gloomy, but is at times consumed by the emotion of it and unable to act rashly. He is someone that audiences can identify with: we have all done this.

An argument might be made that Hamlet’s tragic flaw is that he believed in ghosts. If he had not believed the ghost of King Claudius, he would never have sought revenge for the murder of his father; however, this argument would not have directly led to the tragic events of this play. Another argument might be that his indecisiveness is his flaw; unfortunately, this is supported because the series of tragic events do not unfold when he is being indecisive.

It is an act of rashness in an otherwise thinking man that is Hamlet’s hamartia. When Hamlet speaks to his mother in her room, he is angry that she does not see the situation his way and frightens her with his passion. When Gertrude calls out in fear, Hamlet rashly kills the man he hears behind the tapestry, only to learn that it is not Claudius. Hamlet’s action sets in motion events that lead to the deaths of seven more people including himself. In a sense it also leads to the death of Denmark itself, as the only royal left standing at the end is the Prince of Norway who happens onto the scene at the same time as the British ambassadors.

Catharsis comes when Fortinbras happens upon all the dead bodies in the palace, is briefly informed of what has happened, and says “Bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage, for he was likely, had he been put on, to have proved most royal; and for his passage, the soldier’s music and the rite of war speak loudly for him” (Shakespeare 287). After all of the tragic events, the audience is allowed release from the emotions they have been building up through the play: Hamlet is treated as a hero by Fortinbras.

Works Cited

Aristotle. Poetics. Trans. S. H. Butcher. Project Gutenberg. Web. 13 March 2014.

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Simon & Schuster. Paperback, 2012. Print.