The heroes of literature and history, more often than not, meet tragic ends, unless they were created by Walt Disney. These particular people are often seen as someone who is separate from the masses in moral terms and attempts to fulfill a higher calling for the common good. The problem with these types of heroes is that they are destined to suffer. Two such characters exist in classic literature, Winston Smith from George Orwell's 1984 and Hamlet from William Shakespeare's “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.” However, Hamlet is the true classical tragic hero, because he is of noble birth, possesses high moral standards, completes the task entrusted to him to improve the world, and causes tragedies both in his own life and in the lives of others. Traditionally, a tragic hero is one who is of noble or high birth. Hamlet himself is a prince while Winston Smith, compared to the social hierarchy of Oceania, would be considered only a middle class citizen. The mere fact that Hamlet is a prince does not mean that this title alone describes a hero, but rather that a hero can describe the title. “Hamlet's charm comes from his youth, intelligence, charm, vulnerability and, above all, his intellectual and emotional honesty. He is a raw nerve in the Danish court, disconcertingly inclined to give instinctive rather than conditioned responses” (Wells 315). Traditionally those who are born into a world of upper class society and rebel against it tend to be more interested in the needs of others and sympathize with them. Those born into a lower class tend to be concerned about their well-being and increasing their position in society. The hero's morality also plays a key role in the nature of his heroism. Hamlet holds himself to high moral and ethical standards. “We, the……medium of paper……ty and Literature 40.2 (Winter 1991): 157-167. Rpt. in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Jelena Kristovic. vol. 171. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Literature Resource Center. Network. March 12, 2014.Orwell, George. 1984. New York: New American Library, 1949. Print.Scott, Mark W. ed. Shakespeare for Students book I. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1992. 72-163.Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Literature and composition. Ed. Carol Jago, et. al. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2011. 720-830. Print.Tiffany, Grace. "Hamlet, reconciliation and the just state". Rebirth 58.2 (Winter 2005): 111-133. Rpt. in Shakespearean criticism. Ed. Michelle Lee. vol. 102. Detroit: Gale, 2007. Literature Resource Center. Network. March 12, 2014.Wells, Stanley. “William Shakespeare”. British Writers Vol. 1. Ed. Ian Scott-Kilvert. New York: Sons of Charles Scribner, 1979. 295-334.