Need Help urgent.... Does Hamlet act honorably or nobly?

[juicyndkarma11]

the prompt is as goes: Analyze the play to argue whether or not Hamlet acts honorably,nobly. Using Hamlet as the primary example, explain whether or not Shakespear portrays mankind gennerally as honorable and noble. Refer to the most important aspects of the plot to support your answer. 5pg MLA format
My view on Hamlet is simple he is honorable because he well avenges his familys honor but then its like how do i support that, or iono i just wnat to know a way to simplify it and structure iit in a way where it is easy to write. PLease help...

[kelby_lake]

Structure:

paragraph 1- what is the definition of honourable/noble and what does it mean in relation to the question?

paragraph 2- Hamlet fits the definition (he is noble in vowing to avenge his father's death and he wants to fight corruption)

paragraph 3- Hamlet doesn't (remember, he kills Polonius, is cruel to Ophelia and sends his two friends to their death)

paragraph 4- your conclusion. honorable or not?

[juicyndkarma11]

thank you sooo much..... why do u think Hamlet is called a tragedy? I still dont know what consist or why a tragedy is a tragedy.. would it be that everyone dies? Thanks for the structural help

[OrphanPip]

The definition of tragedy changes depending on who you talk to. However, the dominant opinion during Shakespeare's time would have been Aristotle's definition from the Poetics. Which you can look up on wikipedia.

[juicyndkarma11]

What do you think of honor and noble in hamlet's plays and the 1500's? There are so many instances in which he acts honorable, avenging his fathers death, but then how is honorable to stop his mom from having sex with claudius? or is it noble... i am refereeeing to the scene where they talk and then polonius gets stabbed behind the arras...

[kelby_lake]

thank you sooo much..... why do u think Hamlet is called a tragedy? I still dont know what consist or why a tragedy is a tragedy.. would it be that everyone dies? Thanks for the structural help

Tragedy- my favourite subject

Shakespeare's tragedies are, at their most basic, tragedies because they end with the death of the hero/heroine (and comedies end with a marriage or two).

Some key terms to remember when looking at tragedy.

Tragic hero- a man in a high position (such as a king- nobility) who causes his own downfall because of a fatal flaw (harmartia) he has within himself. Hamlet is arguably a tragic hero, even if his actions don't appear very heroic. Shakespeare's other tragic heroes are easier to define- Macbeth's harmartia is ambition but short-sightedness and Othello's harmartia is pride/jealousy. You could look at some of the flaws Hamlet has which MIGHT have led to his downfall. How much of Hamlet's tragedy is due to his own flaws and how much is due to circumstance?

Revenge tragedy- 'Hamlet' is essentially a revenge tragedy, like Kyd's 'The Spanish Tragedy'. In a revenge tragedy, the hero has to avenge the death of a friend/family member.

Hubris- Pride before the fall. Are there any characters in Hamlet who are too confident in themselves for their own good? It's like if you're talking about how wondeful the weather is on your birthday and then it rains.

Anagnorisis- A critical discovery that enlightens the hero about their situation; the moment of realisation. Possibly in Hamlet this might be the graveyard scene.

Catharsis- A purging and cleansing of the emotions. This occurs at the end of a tragedy, after the big death has happened. Often in Shakespeare's tragedies,a messenger announces that he will tell the people of the town what happened and then the play ends. Basically to soften the impact and tie up all the loose ends so the audience feel satisfied.