To what extent does Hamlet correspond to classical, medieval, or Renaissance notions of tragedy?

Its
clear that Shakespeares is a , right from its full title: The
Tragedy of , Prince of Denmark. Shakespeares originality shines through in the way he
blends elements of classical, medieval, and Renaissance tragedy all at once.

Theres a clear element of Renaissance revenge tragedy in the play: its central plot is
that Hamlet seeks to avenge the death of his father, whom his unclemurdered. The action of
ancient Greek tragedies traditionally takes place in a limited time frame and focuses on the
single story of the tragic hero. Thus, the plot of Hamlet differs from an
ancient tragedys because it features side elements, likeand the play-within-a-play.

Like an ancient tragic hero, as defined by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, Hamlet is
flawed in a fatal way: hes obsessed with seeking revenge, causing him to kill others until he
himself is killed. Unlike an ancient tragic hero like Oedipus, however, Hamlet is a much fuller
character. He doesnt just seem to be pulled around by the external forces of fate and gods and
goddesses, but also by his own internal psychology. Throughout the play, he waffles about what
to do: whether or not to seek revenge, and whether to trust in Gods judgment of Claudius. Theres
even lots of evidence that his sanity and mental health are in danger (think the famous To be
or not to be? ). During the Renaissance, as the secular world flourished, a greater emphasis on
individualism emerged.

Medieval tragic stories essentially had one purpose:
showing how individuals fell into disaster because of weaknesses and sin. These stories had
clear morals and were designed to encourage people to accept religious teachings to set them on
a path to follow God. So, even with all of the Renaissance individualism, theres still an
element of medieval tragedys moralizing in Hamlet. The decision of whether
or not to seek revenge weighs heavily on Prince Hamlets mind (he wonders if it is right or
wrong), and the self-destructive end of the tragedy certainly leaves audiences wondering about
what was or would have been a just reaction to the situation.