How does William Hazlitt ultimately interpret the personality of Hamlet in “Characters of Shakespeare’s Plays” ?
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Answer: B. As a profound philosophical genius
Explanation
Hazlitt views Hamlet as an intellectual whose thoughts paralyze his capacity for action. The critic emphasizes the prince's profound philosophical depth over mere tragic flaws. Hamlet thinks too precisely on the event rather than seeking immediate revenge. William Hazlitt was a prominent English essayist and romantic literary critic. Characters of Shakespeare Plays was published in eighteen hundred and seventeen. Romantic critics often identified deeply with Shakespeare's introspective melancholic heroes.
This interpretation shifted character criticism away from rigid neoclassical moral judgments. It established Hamlet as the ultimate archetype of modern intellectual alienation. Readers continue to debate whether excessive rumination destroys decisive human agency. Calling Hamlet a crazed fool ignores his brilliant intellectual soliloquies. Describing him as boyish contradicts his mature philosophical musings on existence. Viewing him as a brilliant warrior misinterprets his notorious reluctance to fight.
- Subject
- English
- Category
- English Literature
- Topic
- —
- Difficulty
- medium
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