Hamlet vs Epic Heroes

Despite obvious differences separating Hamlet and the traditional epic hero such as an epic hero being the epitome of a society’s values i.e: Beowulf, Achilles, and Hamlet himself being questionable of holding the title of “hero”, perhaps he could more accurately depicted with a milder “protagonist” role, another defining factor that defines Shakespeare’s tragedy from epic works of old is Hamlet’s use of language.  Hamlet along with other Shakespearean protagonists uses language with an agency to make realities in their own world. Shakespearean characters often use language to not only affect the world around them but also to instate change in themselves as well.

“To be or not be, that is the question”.  Hamlet’ soliloquy of internal turmoil provides an excellent example of Hamlet using language as an agent of change in himself. Hamlet manages to develop as a character by musing over his own thoughts and reacting to his own utterances. This starkly contrasts epic heroes who were generally rather static. Beowulf from the moment he ripped off Grendel’s arm to moment he thought it would be a good idea to fight a dragon by himself never faltered from the Anglo-Saxon values of bravery and loyalty. It could be argued however that the purpose of an epic hero was not to spend his time searching through himself, but rather champion the values of your society, so there was neither the need nor room for Bloom’s theories of self-over hearing. Whether needed or not, the idea of language as an agent of intellectual growth or maturity is still a factor in dividing Hamlet from the epics.

It can’t be said that epic hero’s of old did not use language to affect the world around them, the concepts around the locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary can be applied to any piece of literature. When Beowulf promises to kill Grendel and indeed does, this accurately illustrated the forces of the performance utterance at work. What separates Hamlet from the likes of Beowulf or Achilles is his ability to become a kinetic character and create a dynamic character arc through the ability to fashion himself as a character and develop himself through the response to his own use of language.