Hamlet Essay #2

When people hear the word hero there are certain names that have been connected to it, like Beowulf; rarely does one hear Hamlet added into the mix. Hamlet is indeed an epic hero like the rest but he acts and speaks in a distinct way that those named do not. Hamlet is a far more intellectual man; he uses brains instead of brute force. Their motivations are quite similar but making this connection is quite difficult due to Hamlet’s self-expression. The languages of these men create an individual type of heroic tone.

            Beowulf is known for his strength, for defeating armies and creatures by himself. Hamlet, however, is known for his plot to kill his murderous uncle and remember his father. Beowulf does not think things through; he goes into battle with his haughty attitude and usually gets the job done. Hamlet planned out his revenge, in a way torturing King Claudius as he prolonged it. “ ‘The Mousetrap.’ Marry, how? Tropically. This play is the image of a murder done n Vienna. Gonzago is the duke’s name, his wife Batista. You shall see anon. ‘Tis a knavish piece of work, but what of that? Your Majesty and we that have free souls, it touches us not. Let the galled jade wince; our wither are unwrung.” He also set up a play in which he tricks King Claudius into reacting to something that would be insignificant were he innocent but of course he is not.

            Hamlet sounds as though he is unsure of what is right and wrong. “To be or not to be, that is the question, whether ‘tis noble 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.” Beowulf goes into battle so sure of himself and that he will defeat whatever is in his way. Compare to Beowulf, Hamlet sounds like a young boy that needs to be handheld through a maze.