William Shakespeare: Is Hamlet a hero?

The character Shakespeare created in "Hamlet" is one who has many paradoxical qualities, but his heroic tendencies outweigh his weak and more emotional qualities. Hamlet exhibits many characteristics of a tragic hero, his tragic flaw is what would make it seem as though he is weak when in reality it is what classifies him as a tragic hero. His tragic flaw is that he never chooses to do what he really wants to do; his …

…sympathy from the reader. Hamlet does all of these things. He also has the character trait of the typical "tragic flaw" which not only leads to his downfall but makes for the drama in a play. The response to the flaw from the reader is directed by how the author writes it. Shakespeare intentionally showed Hamlet's true feelings, which were the opposite of his actions, and the reader accordingly viewed him in a heroic sense.