There are numerous times he could have killed Claudius, but he often overthinks the situation. Hamlet discloses, “To be or not to be—that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And, by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep—” (3.1.65-68). Hamlet wants to kill his father’s murderer, but he is not sure if he should trust the ghost. He needs proof that Claudius killed his father. Hamlet affirms, “How all occasions do inform against me And spur my dull revenge” (4.4.34-35). When Hamlet says all occasions, he is referring to all the chances that he could have killed Claudius, but he did not act upon them due to hamartia. Every chance that passes by Hamlet delays the death of Claudius and starts to lead to the death of Hamlet and the ones around …show more content…
The true turn of events that ultimately led to Hamlet’s downfall was the killing of Polonius. After the death of her father, Ophelia becomes mad and suicidal. Laertes hears the news of his father’s death and witnesses his sister’s madness. Laertes says, “Hadst thou thy wits, and didst persuade revenge, It could not move thus” (4.5.193-194). He then decides to take revenge against Hamlet. Claudius promises a fencing match between Laertes and Hamlet, but Laertes’s sword will have poison at the end of it so that he can have his revenge. The day of the match is the end of Hamlet and everyone around him. If Hamlet had not accidentally killed Polonius, the fencing match would not have happened. The story of Hamlet is a tragic tale about a circle of revenge and betrayal. He is considered to be a tragic hero because he is a man of noble stature. He has a greatness about him and outstanding characteristics. He also has a tragic flaw that brings about his downfall tremendously. His hamartia delays his promise he has made to his father. Hamlet’s fall is his own fault. He could have chosen to not listen to the ghost, or he could have attacked earlier which would not have led to his death. These characteristics makes Hamlet a tragic hero and his story a