To what extent does Hamlet correspond to classical or medieval notions of tragedy?

Hamlet as a Tragedy: Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is a very dramatic play, involving many conniving people, murder, and an overall atmosphere of suspense. It is therefore referred to as a tragedy There are many aspects in Hamlet that make it one of Shakespeare’s best tragedies. 

There are numerous murders including the untimely death of the innocent and pure Ophelia, and the murder of two loving fathers: King Hamlet and Polonius. There are also numerous revenge plots including those of Laertes, Hamlet, and Fortinbras. As the play progresses, hatred becomes evident between many characters of the play. After omes evident that two characters are more responsible for it being a tragedy, Hamlet and Claudius.

Hence, Hamlet rises above the revenge play and answers to subtler demands of a great tragedy. In the end, Hamlet turns out to be a great tragedy rather a mere revenge play. One of the foremost Elizabethan tragedies in the canon of English literature is “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare and one of the earliest critics of tragedy is Aristotle. One way to measure Shakespeare’s work, “Hamlet”, is to appraise it using the methods of classical critics to see if it meets the criteria for a tragedy.

Hamlet is one of the most recognizable and most often quoted tragedies in all of English literature.  Aristotle, who is concerned with the proper presentation of tragic plays and poetry, defines tragedy as: “… a representation of an action that is worth serious attention, complete in itself, and of some amplitude; in language enriched by a variety of artistic devices appropriate to the several parts of the play; presented in the form of action, not narration; by means of pity and fear bringing about the purgation of such emotion.”

Shakespeare uses character, plot and setting to create a mood of disgust and a theme of proper revenge, as opposed to fear and pity, hence Aristotle would have disapproved of Hamlet as being a tragedy. It is the above-mentioned elements; character, plot and setting, used in a non-Aristotelian way, that makes Hamlet work as one of the English language’s most renown tragedies.  By proper revenge, we refer to the Elizabethan view that revenge must be sought in certain cases, for the world to continue properly. This is the main plot of Hamlet.

In Poetics, Aristotle defines for us, the element of plot and shows us how he believes it must be put together.  He also believes in various unities which he states are necessary for a proper tragedy. Aristotle believes in what he calls “Unity of plot”. This “Unity” leaves no room for subplots, which are crucial to the theme of Hamlet. Without the subplot of Laertes’ revenge and the subplot of Fortinbras’ revenge, we are left with a lugubrious play where the ending, although necessary, is pointless.

The three sub-plots together as a unit, allow us to understand what Shakespeare thought of revenge. Another of the ways Aristotle defines plot in tragedy as “The noble actions and the doings of noble persons”. By this definition, Hamlet should be a noble person, who does only noble things. Aristotle would have objected to Hamlet’s refusal to kill Claudius during prayer which forms the turning point of Hamlet.

This is significant because if he were to have achieved his revenge at that point, Claudius’ soul may have been clean. Hamlet wishes to get revenge when Claudius “Soul may be damned and black/As hell, whereto it goes. By waiting for the right time, Hamlet loses his chance to achieve revenge. This ignoble act does add to the theme of proper revenge, not in the primary plot, but when all three revenge sub-plots are considered together.

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