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There are lots of reasons to call Shakespeare’s Hamlet a tragedy. There’s death. There’s deception. There are plots to kill Hamlet around every corner. But there’s a bigger reason to call Shakespeare’s play a tragedy. We’ll reveal all in this Recap.

Video Transcription:

The full title of this play is, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. So why is it a tragedy? Other than because of the fact that everyone dies. I’ve got an even better reason … so stick around.

Here are the signs you’re reading a tragedy.

1. Whatever you’re reading deals with a somber theme.

Check.
?(If you watched Recap 7 you know that this play focuses a lot on death.)

2. Whatever you’re reading ends with your main character’s destruction.
Check.

(If you’ve been watching all along, you know that Hamlet dies.)

But I think this play is mostly a tragedy because no one understands Hamlet.

Here’s what I mean.

We spend the whole play watching as the other characters accuse Hamlet of madness, right? His mother does, his stepfather does. His friends do. His girlfriend and her family do.

And Hamlet may desire revenge, but does that make him mad?

Not in contrast to Claudius, who dreams up one dastardly plan after another.

Not in contrast to Ophelia who literally does go crazy, spends one scene singing nonsense songs, then drowns in the river.

Hamlet may be a mystery. He may struggle with depression and cynicism. But what’s truly tragic about him is that he’s misunderstood—and he’s misunderstood by a group of characters who have their own agendas for calling him crazy.