h little thought, draws his sword and speaks "How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead!" (3.4.23-24) and stabs through the arras killing Polonius. It is this action, taken withoutthought, which ultimately seals Hamlet's fate. Hamlet is a tragedy because Hamlet could have avoided his own death. Hamlet had many opportunities to kill Claudius, but did not take advantage of them. He also had the option to tell the public that his father died by Claudius' hand. Yet he did neither. He did neither because his tragic flaw kept him from achieving his goals. That is until the end. In the end after he realizes that his death is imminent and Claudius caused the death of his mother, he lets his anger overcome him. Hamlet kills "Claudius in an impulsive act, thus overcoming his own 'tragic flaw'" (GermanGirl2005 p.1). ...
