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Mr. Flanigan
English III: British Literature Honors
18 April 2008
Tennyson and Shakespeare: Defining a Hero
A firefighter rescues a baby from a burning house! An undercover agent saves the world!
A superhuman outwits his arch-enemy! All of these events bring to mind today’s societal view of
a hero. One contemporary definition of a hero is “a person who, in the opinion of others, has
heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal” (Hero 1). In
Idylls of the King, Alfred Lord Tennyson creates numerous medieval heroes, such as Gareth,
Lancelot, and King Arthur. Tennyson’s ideal hero uses chivalry as his moral code and embodies
such characteristics as loyalty, honor, and generosity. These heroes, all striving to reach the ideal
of chivalry, serve as models to the rest of medieval society. However, as the Medieval Period
came to a close around 1485, a new literary movement was beginning, known as “the Rebirth of
Knowledge” or the Renaissance. This period would give “birth” to William Shakespeare and his
play, Hamlet. Hamlet’s thoughts and actions throughout the drama reflect a change in ideals
between the Medieval Period and the Renaissance. With Hamlet, Shakespeare takes the
traditional hero and re-defines it to make it his own. He introduces audiences to the tragic hero,
the human condition, and the Renaissance’s new-found stress on intelligence. These changes
between the Medieval Period and the Renaissance will be explored through a comparison
between Hamlet and various heroes in Idylls of the King.
Tennyson’s heroes are often only two-dimensional, while Shakespeare’s characters take
on the human condition and become incredibly complex. Medieval heroes are present throughout
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the Idylls of the King. In particular, Gareth is fueled by only one driving force: validation of his
character. In the opening of Gareth and Lynette, Gareth is trying to convince his mother that he
is ready to become one of King Arthur’s knights. However, his mother objects to the idea and
Gareth replies, “Mother, tho’ ye count me still the child” (Tennyson 37). Not only does he want
to prove to his mother that he is an adult, but also he wants to become like both of his brothers,
Gawain and Modred, who have already become knights of the Round Table (Tennyson 36).
Eventually, Gareth becomes a “kitchen-knave” under Sir Kay in Arthur’s castle (Tennyson 48).
Then, Gareth is presented with an opportunity to prove himself as a capable knight, when
Lynette comes to Arthur requesting a knight to help her save her sister (Tennyson 53).
Throughout the rest of the idyll, Gareth wants to be recognized by Lynette as more than just a
kitchen-knave. Therefore, he goes on the quest, defeats three knights, rescues Lynors from Castle
Perilous, and finally proves his knighthood. As seen from the chronology of the entire idyll,
Gareth is trying to prove himself to his mother, his brothers, Sir Kay, King Arthur, and Lynette.
Gareth is motivated by only this factor and all his decisions are made because of it. This shows
that he is a flat, predictable character and not complex by the slightest degree.
Shakespeare takes this traditional hero and complicates it. He uses the human condition
to capture true human behavior in his characters. Many of his characters display this, including
Polonius, who serves as the play’s comic relief, but at the same time says some of the most
intelligent things. However, the main character, Hamlet, also has this quality, which makes his
character complicated, but also realistic. Ralph McCanse feels that “…the motive for Hamlet’s
actions are prompted perilously often by impulse” (477). Hamlet, similar to any other human,
often reacts on instinct without thinking first. However, this summarization of Hamlet’s actions
as strictly spontaneous is not completely accurate, because, “Hamlet, particularly at the prayer
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scene, is unequivocally selfless in conquering all revengeful impulses” (McCanse 477). His
refusal to kill Claudius during prayer is “the crucial passage in the interpretation of Hamlet’s
character” (McCullen 24). This rare demonstration of somewhat noble behavior shows that
Hamlet is more complex than Tennyson’s medieval heroes. In this instance, Hamlet thinks
before he acts, even though normally his character would be impulsive. This shows that Hamlet
has many facets to his character. According to Richard Levine, “He [Hamlet] reacts to the
circumstances which envelop him” (Levine 539). This simple fact, along with his flaws and everchanging attitude, makes Hamlet a three-dimensional character. Even Shakespeare hints at the
complexity of his characters in the second line of Hamlet, when Francisco says to Bernardo,
“…stand and unfold yourself” (Shakespeare 191). This shows that there are multiple layers to
Shakespeare’s characters, even the most insignificant ones, like Bernardo. Shakespeare uses the
human condition to make his characters more realistic and complex, whereas Tennyson leaves
his characters, such as Gareth, to be a flat character driven by only one impulse.
Tennyson and Shakespeare, two extremely different writers, created their own unique
heroes in their respective works. Idylls of the King is filled with medieval heroes, who all strive
towards the ideal of chivalry, while Hamlet has a tragic hero, who meets his demise because of
his tragic flaw. The ideal of chivalry is an important part of the Medieval Period and serves as a
moral code for one to live by. It encourages behaviors of loyalty, generosity, and honor, along
with many other things. King Arthur states, “my knights are sworn to vows / Of utter hardihood,
utter gentleness, / And, loving, utter faithfulness in love, / And uttermost obedience to the King”
(Tennyson 51). This perfectly defines a medieval hero. Arthur’s knights make every effort to
become like him, because he is the perfect model of chivalry in Camelot. All of Tennyson’s
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characters, from Gareth to Lancelot, are medieval heroes because they have “heroic qualities”
which are present because of the Medieval Period’s stress on chivalry.
Shakespeare’s tragedy revolves around the main character, Hamlet, who is “…cast into
the mold of the traditional tragic hero” (Levine 539). In this “mold,” Hamlet faces his downfall
because of his tragic flaw. Most commonly, Hamlet’s tragic flaw has been seen as indecision.
Richard Levine states, “Hamlet, the avenger, is incapable of straightforward action. He cannot
willfully act because he is uncertain as to the final end of action and he cannot resolve that
uncertainty…he is incapable of the necessary action” (541). Hamlet’s uncertainty of the
consequences of his actions is suggested in the gravedigger scene. The clowns in this scene are
“able to penetrate truth, although clothing this truth in the caps and bells of jesters” (Levine 544).
Levine suggests a closer look at the conversation between the clowns at the beginning of Act 5:
First Clo. It must be “se offendendo;” it cannot be else. For here lies the point: if I drown
myself wittingly, it argues an act, and an act hath three branches—it is, to act, to do, and
to perform. Argal, she drowned herself wittingly.
Sec. Clo. Nay, but hear you, goodman delver—
First Clo Give me leave. Here lies the water; good. Here stands the man; good. If the man
go to this water, and drown himself, it is, will he, nill he, he goes, mark you that. But if
the water come to him and drown him, he drowns not himself. Argal, he that is not guilty
of his own death shortens not his own life. (Hamlet 252)
At face value, this is merely a conversation about the recent death of Ophelia and whether or not
she drowned herself. However, this conversation is juxtaposed closely to Hamlet’s entrance in
the scene and even the first clown switches his diction from “I” and “she” to “he” in the
conversation. Levine says, “Hamlet had been incapable of entering the water of knowledge (a
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common symbolic association) due to the very reason given by the clown: Hamlet could not act,
do, or perform since he had no understanding of the ultimate ends of action” (544). Hamlet has
in a sense let, “the water come to him and drown him,” as the clown says. His indecision builds
up until he is finally ready to face the future, no matter what it holds, in the duel scene. This
shows that Shakespeare has introduced literature to a completely different kind of hero. One who
does not rise to the occasion, but instead pushes it off until the last possible moment.
Shakespeare’s tragic hero faces his downfall because of his indecision, unlike Tennyson’s heroes
who accept their quests without question in order to prove themselves as chivalric knights to
King Arthur.
However, as mentioned in previous paragraphs, Hamlet is more complicated than he may
seem because of Shakespeare’s use of the human condition. Robert Utter puts it best when he
says, “there are as many theories of Hamlet as there are readers” (138). As for Hamlet’s tragic
flaw, other readers believe that, “His [Hamlet’s] tragedy is the disaster wrought by too great
emotional sensitivity” (Walley 797). Similarly, Ralph McCanse feels that, “So impelling are
Hamlet’s concessions to extreme feeling, so impulsive and excessive are his indulgences in
emotion, that his real tragedy in the play is less the outer one of personal death than the inner one
of a certain insidious deterioration of character” (477). So whether one believes that indecision
was Hamlet’s tragic flaw or that it was his extreme emotions, it only proves how great a writer
Shakespeare really was. The mere fact that there are so many different interpretations of the true
downfall of this iconic hero gives evidence to Shakespeare’s ability to make his characters seem
incredibly realistic. Not only does it show how well Shakespeare mastered the human condition,
but it also shows how he created a new kind of hero, as mentioned previously. The combination
of both the human condition and the tragic flaw give way to the tragic hero.
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Finally, the ideals of the Medieval Period and of the Renaissance affected the portrayals
of the various heroes in Idylls of the King and Hamlet. Alfred Lord Tennyson, although a
Romantic poet himself, writes Idylls of the King taking place during the Medieval Period. As
shown previously, the ideal of chivalry motivates Tennyson’s medieval heroes to act with certain
honorable qualities. However, chivalry also emphasizes skill, especially in jousting and in
dueling. This is especially shown throughout the idylls in both the “Tournament of the Youth”
and the “Diamond Jousts.” Nevertheless, Lancelot is a great example of chivalry’s emphasis of
being a skillful knight and a generous person at the same time. This is shown in lines 313
through 318 which states, “But Lancelot on him urged all the devisings of their chivalry / When
one might meet a mightier than himself; / How best to manage horse, lance, sword and shield, /
and so fill up the gap where force might fail / With skill and fineness” (Tennyson 73). Lancelot
realizes that it is his duty, according to the code of chivalry, to pass on his knowledge and skills
to the inexperienced Gareth. Further displaying generosity, Lancelot gives his own sword, shield,
and horse to Gareth. Lancelot in making Gareth a better knight teaches him how to face both the
literal and figurative “Death” like a man. At the same time Lancelot is being generous, he is
teaching humility to Gareth and Lynette. This scene gives insight to the ideals that were held so
high during the Medieval Period and how they affected Tennyson’s creation of heroes, like
Lancelot.
Just as the Medieval Period affected Tennyson’s Idylls of the King, the Renaissance
affected Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The Renaissance stressed realism and a “rebirth” of classical
knowledge. This new-found realism has already been explored and explained in previous
paragraphs with Shakespeare’s use of the human condition. However, the Renaissance placed the
acquisition of knowledge above all else. It is no wonder then that the main character, Hamlet,
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and his best friend, Horatio, are both scholars from the college of Wittenberg. Horatio provides a
good example of a Renaissance man. He is not only learned, but according to Hamlet, Horatio,
“…is not passion’s slave” (Hamlet 227). Unlike Hamlet, Horatio can control his emotions and
think practically and clearly. Because of this, Hamlet’s conflict is also seen as, “the Renaissance
conflict between the contrasting pictures of man as he should be and as he is” (Levine 545).
Hamlet, being a learned and intelligent student, should be able to deal with problems in a
sensible fashion, but he lets his emotions get in the way. Therefore, Horatio portrays a picture of
how a Renaissance man should be, intelligent, practical, and a good friend. So just as the
chivalry of the Medieval Period comes through in Tennyson’s characters in Idylls of the King,
the Renaissance’s stress on knowledge and intelligence is present in Shakespeare’s characters in
Hamlet.
Both Tennyson and Shakespeare were influential writers during their time. Their writings
reflected ideals that were present during each of their respective time periods. Before the
“rebirth” of knowledge occurred, the medieval hero was the center of literature and was simple
and predictable, always aspiring to the ideals of chivalry. However, Shakespeare was able to take
the medieval hero and transform it into his own new character. Shakespeare’s use of the human
condition, infused with the Renaissance’s stress on intelligence, gives way to his new character,
Hamlet, the tragic hero. Although Tennyson’s characters provide a fantastical read,
Shakespeare’s Hamlet is relatable to the common man: “Undoubtedly, in intellectual terms to a
greater or lesser extent, every man must wage Hamlet’s struggle, and for this reason alone
Hamlet is perhaps the most compelling of all Shakespeare’s plays for the modern reader”
(Levine 546).
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Works Cited
“Hero.” Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Version 1.1. Random House Inc., 2006.
Dictionary.com. 10 Mar. 2008. < http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hero>
Levine, Richard A. “The Tragedy of Hamlet’s World View.” College English 23.7 (1962): 539546. JSTOR. 12 Mar. 2008 <http://www.jstor.org/>
McCanse, Ralph A. “Hamlet’s Lack of Balance.” College English 10.8 (1949): 476-478. JSTOR.
11 Mar. 2008 <http://www.jstor.org/>
McCullen, Joseph T. “Two Key Speeches by Hamlet.” The South Central Bulletin 22.4 (1962):
24-25. JSTOR. 11 Mar. 2008 <http://www.jstor.org/>
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. America Reads: England in Literature. Eds.
John Pfordresher, Gladys V. Veidemanis, and Helen McDonnell. Glenview: Scott,
Foresman and Company, 1991. 191-263.
Tennyson, Alfred Lord. Idylls of the King. New York: Penguin Books, 2004.
Utter, Robert P. “In Defense of Hamlet.” College English 12.3 (1950): 138-144. JSTOR. 12 Mar.
2008 <http://www.jstor.org/>
Walley, Harold R. “Shakespeare’s Conception of Hamlet.” PMLA 48.3 (1933): 777-798.
JSTOR. 12 Mar. 2008 <http://www.jstor.org/>