Hamlet, the character titled Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, William Shakespeare's most important play, is arguably the most complex, relevant and profound character created by Shakespeare . His actions and thoughts throughout the play show the audience how fully developed and unpredictable he is with his mixed personalities. What Hamlet experiences in the play defines the adventures experienced by a tragic hero. In this timeless tragedy, despite Hamlet's great nobility and knowledge, he exhibits a tragic flaw that ultimately leads to his ironic death. The conception of this character dates back to the 13th century. The first story Hamlet's story dates back to is Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum ("History of the Danes"). Many elements of Hamlet's earlier story are intertwined in Vita Amlethi ("The Life of Amleth"), which is part of Gesta Danorum (Mabillard). Some of the strong similarities between the two legends are the mother's hasty marriage to the murdered king's brother, the prince pretending to be mad, the prince killing a hidden spy, and the prince substituting the execution of two servants for his own . The story was later expanded and translated in 1570 by François de Belleforest and titled Histoires tragices. Belleforest embellished much of Saxo's writings and pioneered the hero's melancholy. Aristotle defines a literary tragedy as a story that "presents courageous individuals who confront powerful forces within or outside themselves with a dignity that reveals the breadth and depth of the human spirit in the face to failure. defeat, and even death” (Brainstorm Services). The character of Hamlet undergoes many of these trials and tribulations that make him a tragic hero. In order to meet the criteria...... middle of paper ......a hero because he is, like everyone else, both confused and drawn into endless dilemmas that come from being to be, ultimately, simply human.Works citedBrainstorm Services. Aristotle's tragic hero. September 25, 2001. December 6, 2007. Charters, Ann and Samuel Charters. “William Shakespeare.” Chartes, Ann and Samuel Chartes. Literature and its writers. 4th edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007. 1247-1251. Cliff notes. “Character Analysis: Hamlet.” 2001. Cliff Notes. December 6, 2007. Mabillard, Amanda. “An Analysis of Shakespeare’s Sources for Hamlet.” 2000. Shakespeare Online. December 6, 2007. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. 1600.