Shakespearean Tragedies

Initially, William Shakespeare, perhaps the greater playwright of all time, wrote a number of works consisting of comedies, sonnets, and tragedies. Arguably William Shakespeare’s magnum opus, Hamlet, is the classic example of a tragedy. In almost all tragedies the hero suffers, and usually dies at the end. Othello stabs himself, Romeo and Juliet commit suicide, Brutus falls on his sword, and like them Hamlet dies by being cut with a poison tipped sword. But sometimes a hero doesn’t need to die. There are more elements needed to proclaim a character a tragic hero in a Shakespearean sense. The tragic hero must display strength of character, be fully aware of every assault upon him, and is endowed with the power of expression. In Hamlet, the tragic hero is weaved into the theme. Characters, Ophelia, Laertes, and Hamlet all pose important roles in the novel. Two of which are tragic heroes, one of which does not meet or exceed the criteria.
First of all, Ophelia does not have al...