Skip to main content

How do both Hamlet and Don Quixote act as soldiers? What does that tell us about heroism?

Both Hamlet and Don Quixote are used to critique "heroism" that relies too heavily on violence.


Hamlet is pointedly a scholar, not a soldier, despite being the son of a king. When confronted with the warrior's honor code that insists he murder his uncle to avenge his father's death, Hamlet hesitates. While many have seen this as a character flaw of Hamlet's, critics such as Rene Girard in his essay "Hamlet's Dull Revenge" understand Shakespeare...

Both Hamlet and Don Quixote are used to critique "heroism" that relies too heavily on violence.


Hamlet is pointedly a scholar, not a soldier, despite being the son of a king. When confronted with the warrior's honor code that insists he murder his uncle to avenge his father's death, Hamlet hesitates. While many have seen this as a character flaw of Hamlet's, critics such as Rene Girard in his essay "Hamlet's Dull Revenge" understand Shakespeare to be critiquing an ethic that creates a continuous cycle of bloodshed and revenge.


Hamlet is a sympathetic character, deeply anguished about doing the right thing, to the point of contemplating suicide as a release from his dilemma, but he is no warrior. Thinking, not fighting, is his chief weapon, and he does nothing to prevent Fortinbras from invading his kingdom (arguably, this is his uncle's problem, but as stepson of the king, he might have been created with a more soldierly aspect). By casting this prince as contemplative rather than a warrior and having him raise questions about life and death, Shakespeare critiques unthinking violence and revenge. Laertes' more unreflective and bloodthirsty approach to vengeance, in contrast, is exploited by Claudius for his own purposes, and we are meant to mourn, not celebrate, the pile-up of dead bodies at the play's end. 


Likewise, Don Quixote functions as a critique of heroism. Don Quixote has gone "mad" (this early novel questions madness and sanity) from reading chivalric romances and believes he is a knight errant. He sallies forth to right wrongs, but instead causes nothing but trouble with his would-be heroism, and often, comic book style, ends up brutally beaten before springing back to life and moving onward. He intervenes with a farmer who is beating a worker, only causing a more violent beating and trouble for the worker after he leaves, and he tilts at windmills, thinking they are giants, only causing pain to himself. In fact, the phrase "tilting at windmills" has come to represent misplaced heroism or idealism, or a misapplied use of force for no good end.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...