The Tragic Flaw Of Shakespeare s Hamlet - 1734 Words

Jacqueline Borutski ENG4U Mr. Froome April 11, 2016 The Tragic Overuse of Logic in Hamlet Logic is man s most valuable asset; it is what pushed humanity past other species and helped develop humankind into what it is today. Without such logic and reasoning, humanity would not have evolved into the strongest and most powerful beings alive. It is what has enabled us to dominate the world, create civilization, unlock the secrets of the universe through math and science and reveal the true nature of man through art. One of art’s most beloved benefactors, William Shakespeare, crafted his most famous character, Hamlet, to be the living embodiment of this God-given reason. However, we learn throughout Hamlet’s eponymous play the irony in the†¦show more content†¦It is clear that the death of his father and his mother s remarriage has taken an enormous mental toll on him and that he desires death to free himself of the burden laid upon him by the ghost. He romanticizes it, saying that suicide is the brave and courageous option akin to â€Å"[taking] armsâ €  against troubles. However, he can’t commit to the idea of death, saying â€Å"To sleep, perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub / For in that sleep of death what dreams may come† (III, i, 66-67). He craves death, which would allow him to escape all the â€Å"natural shock / that flesh is heir to† (III, i, 63-64) but the more he ponders it, the further he is from reaching a decision. Ironically, the argument within his mind about how he should free himself of the ghostly burden — murder, or death — is impeding him from carrying out any action on it. At the end of his most famous soliloquy, Hamlet hasn’t made any decisive choice and therefore is in limbo regarding death due to his overarching rationale. His inaction proves â€Å"[his] endless reasoning and hesitation and the way in which the energy of his resolutions evaporates in self-reproaches† (Morgan 259). Moreover, Hamlet tackles the decision of interpreting what is real and what is false when he questions the ghost’s true nature. At first, Hamlet is certain