Free Hamlet Essays: Hamlet the Anti-Hero :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Hamlet the Anti-Hero Hamlet certainly isn't a hero in this play. He exhibits many of his weaknesses that contradict other characters in the play. A hero is a person who shows great courage through his actions and one who is noble and self-sacrificing. He does exhibit courage in parts like when the ghost came and Hamlet followed it, but yet he certainly isn't self-sacrificing. He sacrifices other characters lives to benefit his chance of getting revenge with Claudius. I thought Hamlet was a selfish, self centered, weak and crazy person. How can you call a person a hero after killing friends and family in order to get what one wants? Hamlet can be a very smart and noble person but in parts of the play he exhibited actions that are completely opposite of the person he can be. He acted with a sense of madness that made me think he was actually going mad. He acted obnoxious and annoying to other characters in the play. Here is a scene where Hamlet is talking to Polonius and they get into a little argument over what figure a cloud forms. Polonius: "My lord, the Queen would speak with you and presently." Hamlet: "Do you see yonder cloud that is almost in the shape of a camel?" Polonius: "By th' Mass, and 'tis like a camel indeed." Hamlet: "Me thinks its like a weasel." Polonius: "It is backed like a weasel." Hamlet: "Or like a whale." Polonius: "Very like a whale." (page 161, Act 3, Scene 2, lines: 404-412) I thought Hamlet demonstrated his madness greatly here because it seemed like Polonius knew he was mad and just played along. Polonius didn't want Hamlet to get annoyed because Polonius disagreed with him. If Polonius didn't have any idea that Hamlet was going mad he probably would have said something about what Hamlet was talking about and would have asked him why he was acting like he was. Polonius also would have done something to change the way he had been acting or help him out. Hamlet showed many of his weaknesses in this play. He exhibited some of his weaknesses in the choices he makes and the actions he does. He acts before he thinks, in other words he makes a move before he sits and thinks about it. Like the scene when Hamlet killed Polonius.