Archetypes in Hamlet - Martin

Archetypes are a part of everyday life. They are instilled in us from the day we are born. We believe that because someone or something has certain characteristics that they fit a certain “type”. This can also apply to literature. Many basic archetypes are implanted throughout literature. Many archetypes can be seen throughout William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, including the hero, the fall, the wise, the innocent, and the villain.

The main character in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is Hamlet himself, as the title suggests. As the main character, Hamlet has various roles to fill, including portraying certain archetypes. One of the most prominent archetypes seen in literature is the hero. A hero is defined as someone, typically a male, who is admired for outstanding achievements and noble qualities. Hamlet is considered the hero for a portion of the story. He wishes to avenge his father’s death, which is seen as a noble and courageous act. Hamlet also experiences the fall. The fall is a descent from a higher state of being to a lower state. After being seen as the hero, his descent into madness after Ophelia’s death sends him plummeting downwards.

Shakespeare uses characters other than Hamlet to display important archetypes. Horatio exhibits the qualities of the wise. He listens to the hero and proceeds to give him advice and information. The wise also tends to know when danger is imminent and warns of it. Horatio additionally is the voice of reason. The character of Ophelia is used to show the archetype of the innocent or the damsel in distress. She is sheltered by her father, therefore being shielded from the harsh realities of the world. She is naive and pure. When the realities of the world catch up with her, she kills herself instead of being saved by the hero.

The villain is arguably one of the most important archetypes in history. Their goal is usually to destroy the hero or to gain power. The villain lacks compassion. In Hamlet, Claudius is the villain. He murders his brother, who is also Hamlet’s father, in order to gain power. He also attempts to murder Hamlet in order to prevent people from finding out the truth. The villain is willing to betray anyone in order to accomplish their goal. Claudius marries his dead brother wife in order to ensure his position in power. As there is a villain and a hero in Hamlet, this fills the archetype of nemesis’ and the struggle between good and evil. Claudius is Hamlet’s nemesis as Hamlet is the hero and Claudius is the villain. Their feud creates the fight between good and evil, although in the common use of the archetype good comes out on top. In Hamlet good nor evil really wins as Hamlet and Claudius both die in the end.

Archetypes are a prominent part of life and literature. There are endless amounts of them, and William Shakespeare exhibits quite a few in his play Hamlet. Whether it be the fall from grace or the battle between good and evil, archetypes can be found everywhere.