Revenge in Hamlet - 1070 Words

Amongst the most tragic story lines of Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet is definitely one of them. In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Fortinbras, Hamlet and Laertes each demonstrate the ways revenge leads to tragedy when they are unable to cope with the loss of a loved one. Young Fortinbras has intentions of honoring his father’s loss by gaining the territory that was rightfully theirs. The lengths he is willing to go compare to Hamlet’s determination to seek revenge upon his uncle, and father’s murderer, Claudius. Hamlet’s hopes of wanting to destroy Claudius the way he had done to King Hamlet are delayed several times throughout the play, making it nearly impossible to follow through with his plan. One of Hamlet’s setbacks is being shipped†¦show more content†¦Hamlet believes that Fortinbras does not have good intentions for why he is leading an army against Poland but he concludes that reasons are unimportant. Young Fortinbra s demonstrates a great leader by acting for any reason he finds necessary to preserve honor of his father’s death and in the end, achieves great success and becomes the King of Denmark. Claudius, the brother of the late King Hamlet, uses his manipulative language to influence the decisions of others. Claudius’ imperative decision to marry the wife of his dead brother, Gertrude, demonstrates the extreme lengths he is willing to go to gain all the power. Hamlet had been haunted by the ghost of his father and had been given reasons to believe that Claudius is responsible for his death. Hamlet hopes to seek revenge on Claudius for the corruption in Denmark he has caused but finds trouble doing so. Hamlet always seems to delay in the action of killing Claudius to avenge his father and becomes obsessed with trying to prove his uncle’s guilt before acting upon it.â€Å"Now might I do it pat/now he is praying/And now Ill dot/ And so he goes to heaven/And so am I revenged/That would be scannd:/A villain kills my father/ and for that I/ his sole son,/do this same villain send/ o heaven.† (3.3.1) This quotation demonstrates aShow MoreRelatedEssay on Reven ge in Hamlet912 Words   |  4 Pageslanguage. Shakespeare wrote hundreds of pieces, from sonnets to plays. Hamlet is one of his most well-known plays. There isn’t any shortage of revenge in Hamlet, and so that is the theme we’ll be discussing. Hamlet and Laertes are the most obvious character with revenge in their minds, and that’s who we’ll be focusing on throughout the essay. Two months before the beginning of the play, the King Hamlet dies. The King shows himself to two guards, Barnardo and Francisco, atRead MoreTheme Of Revenge In Hamlet1763 Words   |  8 PagesRevenge is one of the deepest instincts common to humanity. Different people emit different purposes of revenge and are most likely filled with an internal confliction of emotions. Once that individual gets his/her revenge, a feeling of justice is established in the mind. Unfortunately, many people blindly take revenge without thinking of their actions or the consequences and believe that they will be able to move on after they take revenge. Revenge is ultimately placed in the hands of the impatientRead MoreRevenge Themes in Hamlet1077 Words   |  5 PagesIn the play ‘Hamlet written by William Shakespeare in Elizabethan times, the theme of revenge is a constant throughout the plot. Not only does it underlie almost every scene, but it also has a major effect on the story as a whole. Two of the main revenge plots within the play are Hamlets aim to avenge his father by killing his uncle, the king Claudius, and Laertes aim to avenge the murder of his father by killing Hamlet. These two revenge plots play a major role in presenting to the audience theRead MoreRevenge In Hamlet Essay1900 Words   |  8 PagesHamlet is visited by his father’s ghost who ultimately gives him the task of enacting revenge upon Claudius, but because of his suppressed resentment he clashes with the idea of achieving retribution for his father. In addition â€Å"Sigmund Freud, in a letter to Wilhelm Fliess, announced that he had found in his own development all the symptoms of the Oedipus complex and that he was coming to consider â€Å"love of the mother and jealousy of the father† (Faber pg. 79). Hamlets impulsive actions seem to beRead MoreTheme Of Revenge In Hamlet792 Words   |  4 PagesRevenge is something most people seek when they are hurt by someone or a loved one of theirs is hurt. Revenge can be a physical or verbal action toward someone. In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the play has a major theme of revenge. Many of the characters in the play are seeking revenge, such as Hamlet, Claudius, and Laertes. Some of the characters are seeking revenge due to their father’s deaths, and others are encouraging someone to seek revenge. The theme revenge can lead to death is seenRead More Revenge In Hamlet Essay1109 Words   |  5 Pages Hamlet nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Hamlet is a classic example of a tragedy as Hamlet suffers while trying to avenge his fathers death and eventually dies at the end while attempting to do so. Hamlet feels empty without resolution to his fatheramp;#8217;s death and since there is no justice system that is going to reveal the truth about his fatheramp;#8217;s death, he must take it into his own hands. Hamlet delays killing Claudius for a long time after the ghost appears. Hamlet delays hisRead MoreRevenge And Justice In Hamlet968 Words   |  4 Pagessaid, â€Å"Revenge is the act of passion, vengeance is an act of justice.† Many people seek revenge and try to disguise it as justice. Revenge can either be justifiable or unjustifiable based on the circumstances of the offense. Someone’s vengeance can be the establishment of justice, but revenge is not always justice. Revenge is defined as the action of inflicting hurt or harm on someone for an injury or wrong suffered at their han ds (Webster Dictionary). Justice is based on actions while revenge is basedRead MoreRevenge in Hamlet Essay1152 Words   |  5 PagesIn his play Hamlet, William Shakespeare frequently utilizes the word â€Å"revenge† and images associated with this word in order to illustrate the idea that the pursuit of revenge has caused the downfall of many people. He builds up the idea that revenge causes people to act recklessly through anger rather than reason. In Hamlet, Fortinbras, Laertes and Hamlet all seek to avenge the deaths of their fathers. Hamlet and Laertes manage to avenge their father’s deaths and in doing so, both rely more on theirRead MoreEssay On Revenge In Hamlet723 Words   |  3 Pages Hamlet essay â€Å"An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth† is a widely known statement referring to revenge, though many don’t know the origins of the saying. The thing is, however, is it truly that simple? Or does revenge cause more problems than it solves? In the case of the play Hamlet, written by Shakespeare in the sixteenth century, it could be argued that it changes the way that people would look at revenge and put a spotlight on its complexities. In Hamlets quest for revenge for his father’sRead MoreRevenge And Betrayal In Hamlet1531 Words   |  7 PagesThe play, Hamlet by William Shakespeare, surrounds the central idea of revenge and betrayal. Revenge drives the characters and determines their actions throughout the play, which results in several instances of betrayal. With revenge, the friendship and loyalty of characters are tested and conflicts are established between characters. Hamlet’s father, the king of Denmark, was helplessly poisoned by his own brother, Claudius. Hamlet, the protagonist, becomes aware of his father’s death and finds himself