...Revenge in Hamlet “Hamlet is the finest of all plays in the English revenge tradition” (Shakespeare, IV). The recurring theme in William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, is revenge, every character in this play wants revenge on someone else. Revenge in this play means murder. From the beginning right through until the end of the book, there are three instances where revenge is seen; the ghost of Hamlet senior wants revenge on Claudius, Hamlet wants revenge on Claudius and Laertes wants revenge on Hamlet. Hamlet is the most serious play on revenge because of all the questions asked (Shakespeare, IV). At the very beginning of Hamlet, Hamlet seniors ghost appears to his son, Hamlet and demands revenge on his brother, Claudius. Claudius murders his brother because he wants to become king, his ambition and he wants to have the Queen Gertrude as his wife. When the ghost of Hamlet senior appears to Hamlet he says, “So art thou to revenge when thou shalt hear” (1.5. Line 7). Once Hamlet discovers that Claudius is the murderer of his father, Hamlet shall find revenge on his uncle. Also during the ghost’s appearance he tells his son to revenge Claudius’ soul in an unnatural murder, “Revenge his soul and most unnatural murder” (1.5. Line 25). Hamlet senior wants his son, Hamlet to find revenge on Claudius for his death and stealing his Queen. Now that Hamlet knows about his fathers murder and who actually caused it, he wants revenge. Hamlet wants revenge on his uncle, King...
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...2015 The Revenge in Hamlet The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often just called Hamlet, is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare between 1599 and 1602. Hamlet is Shakespeare’s longest play and delivers one of the most famous lines in history, “to be or not to be.” The story is set in the Kingdom of Denmark and tells of the revenge Prince Hamlet has on his uncle Claudius. Claudius murdered his own brother, Hamlet's father and took over the throne. Claudius also marries Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude. Revenge, being the driving force in the play is also one reason why it is a tragedy. This tragedy has many themes, including: murder, corruption, deceit and insanity. But revenge is the driving force of the play. The need to exact vengeance on one's enemy is the driving force behind many pivotal events in human history. The object of every war is to get revenge on the other side and become the successful leader. Revenge is also a common motive for robbery and murder. There is no denying that revenge is one of the main reasons for terrible deeds in this world, but at the same time it is a basic human desire that everyone has. In the beginning of the play, the ghost of Hamlet’s dead father appears to Horatio, Marcellus and Barnardo. The three beg the ghost to speak, but he refuses. Horatio tells Hamlet about the encounter once the ghost has gone. The ghost finally appears again and leaves with Hamlet to speak in private. Once alone, the ghost tells Hamlet that he...
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...that of revenge. Revenge is one of the defining traits of humanity. The drive to exact vengeance on one's enemy is the driving force behind many pivotal events in human history. The object of every war is to get revenge on the other side. Revenge is also a common motive for robbery and murder. There is no denying that revenge is a force for terrible deeds in this world, but at the same time it is a basic human desire. Stories of retribution are some of the oldest humans have ever told and also some of the most treasured. In the Christian Bible, one of the most revered texts in human history, vengeance is a key element to many stories. When Adam and Eve eat the fruit in the Garden of Eden, God takes his retribution on them by banishing them from the garden for all time. Cain takes revenge on Abel for outdoing him in his sacrifices to God. The list goes on, the point being that people have been taking revenge upon one another since the dawn of man. Even though the desire to obtain revenge often leads people to perform criminal, or at least unkind, acts, it is necessary for human society to function. Revenge acts as a very effective deterrent against undeserved violence. When man first learned to use tools and communicate, there was no police force or other entity capable of enforcing rules of any kind. If not for the threat of later revenge, there would not have been any reason for early humans to refrain from killing and stealing from each other. Revenge is the most...
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...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 off to England for the murder of Polonius, which is Laertes’ father. After discovering that Hamlet was responsible for the death of Polonius, Laertes does all he can to get revenge on Hamlet. The three men’s need for revenge relates to the corruption of the characters within the play. The corruption of the characters within the play results in the tragic death of each major character. The first of the murdered fathers was King Fortinbras who was the King of Norway. King Fortinbras challenged King Hamlet to a single combat over the state of Denmark by which King Hamlet won. This incident is responsible for Young Fortinbras’ hopes of seeking revenge upon his father’s death and winning back the land that he believes was rightfully his family...
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...A paramount theme that is displayed throughout the entire story of Hamlet is an individual's quest for vengeance. One example is Laertes seeking revenge on Hamlet for the death of his father. King Claudius was a major influence in the way Laertes seeked out retribution by leveraging him to take action for his own benefit. The king believed that Hamlet was a threat to not only his marriage but also his throne. Therefore he manipulated Laertes into using his hatred and drive to eliminate any risk of his downfall. Of course, Hamlet was another character that showed the theme of revenge but in a more hesitant way. After learning of the true cause of his father's death, Hamlet waits a total of 2 months before finally acting upon his wishes to avenge...
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... Revenge Revenge is something almost everyone can relate to. When the time is right and you take justice into your hands, nothing can describe that glorious moment. That is what most people believe the word revenge means, to take justice into your own hands and pay back the person that did you wrong. Also, people would think that it is logical to get revenge, because they figure the other person should hurt just as you have. I’m here to tell you that revenge is unrelated to logic and immoral. When revenge comes into your heart, it takes over the way you think and you’re no longer thinking logical. However, I do believe God has the right to take vengeance, because he is the ultimate judge. Revenge is immoral for humans, because either way someone gets hurt. It could be something as simple as hitting your sister and she hits you back harder. When revenge becomes serious, that’s when it can become deadly. Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is one of the most famous plays of revenge. In the play, Hamlet sees the spirit of his father. The ghost tells Hamlet that his uncle, who is now the king, is the one who murdered him. From this point on, the play becomes one big plot for revenge. More than a handful of people die. In the end Hamlet does succeed in taking revenge for his father’s murder, but unfortunately it results in his own death. This example proves my point that revenge is immoral and unrelated...
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...Hamlet’s Revenge It does not matter how old a person is or if that person likes literature or not, it is very probable that he or she has heard these words pronounced by Hamlet: "To be or not to be; that is the question..." (Act III, Scene I). This quote is not only one of the most popular quotes in history of literature, but also one that describes Hamlet’s dramatic situation after his father’s death, when he contemplates suicide as an option. This dramatic story is considered one of the greatest in history and, for many people, the best book written by Shakespeare. The influence of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in many modern narratives can be easily identified. Scott Leslie’s presentation is a good example of how Hamlet’s tragedy has influenced modern authors to write similar stories like “The Lion King”. In fact, Scott literally said, “The Lion King is the light version of Hamlet”. The story of Hamlet is based on revenge and Hamlet’s internal conflicts. Revenge is a concept that is not well considered today due to the strong moral values the society seems to have. However, anyone with my same perception of both modern justice and honor will claim that Hamlet’s revenge is justified. The first point to be discussed in order to demonstrate that Hamlet’s revenge is justified is the concept of justice. Many people will state that revenge has nothing to do with justice and it is nothing else than a primitive behavior. However, what is justice? According to Oxford’s dictionary, “justice...
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...The Theme of Hamlet - Revenge In Hamlet, Shakespeare created three revenge plots; all of the revenges involve a son seeking vengeance for the death of a father. Revenge has caused the downfall of many people. In my opinion, revenge is a very dangerous theory to live by. It will consuming ones nature and causes one to act recklessly through anger rather without any reason. Throughout Hamlet, revenge is a dominant theme. Prince Fortinbras, Laertes, and Hamlet all seek to avenge the deaths of their fathers. But in doing so, three of them rely more on emotion than thought, and take a very big risk, the risk which eventually leads to the downfall and death. In Act 1 Scene 1, Shakespeare was written about Prince Fortinbras's attempts to reclaim the land his father lost to Old Hamlet and that is the first of three revenge plots in the play. King Fortinbras was killed by King Hamlet in a sword battle. This entitled King Hamlet to the land that was possessed by Fortinbras because it was written in a sealed compact. "…our valiant Hamlet-for so this side of our known world esteemed him-did slay this Fortinbras."(Hamlet, Act 1 Scene 1 Lines 85) Prince Fortinbras was enraged by his father’s murder and sought revenge against Denmark. He wanted to take back the land that had been lost to Denmark when his father was killed. "…Now sir, young Fortinbras…as it doth well appear unto our state-but to recover of us, by strong hand and terms compulsative, those foresaid lands so by his father lost…"(Hamlet...
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...N V Professor Bayer English 1202 AO 25 April 2011 Revenge and Forgiveness Revenge and forgiveness are the two underlying factors that are present throughout the entirety of William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet: Prince of Denmark. The play is begun with the death of Hamlet’s father, which Hamlet finds to be unsettling from the start. Hamlet’s uncle Claudius then takes over the throne while Hamlet’s mother then marries his uncle. It is then that the ghost of his father, tells Hamlet that the very man who had become king murdered him in cold blood; the ghost brings the idea of revenge to Hamlet’s mind (Shakespeare 1547). While revenge is constantly on his mind throughout the play, there is also the idea that Hamlet must forgive those who have done wrongs to him or his family; this is shown through his dedication to religion. But in the end, Hamlet’s internal need to seek revenge for his father’s death is so great that he is ultimately unable to forgive his uncle. The play begins with the sudden death of Hamlet’s father, and his uncle Claudius, his father’s brother, taking the throne (Shakespeare 1550). Hamlet’s mother chooses to marry Claudius just days after the death of Hamlet’s father, and Prince Hamlet expresses his disgust through his soliloquies, where he exclaims, “Frailty, thy name is woman!” (Shakespeare 1553). After some time, Hamlet is brought out to a forest by two guards who have claimed to see the ghost of his father. After some deliberation, the ghost of Hamlet’s...
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...Cause and Effect Essay – Elizabethan Target Audience “Always mystify, torture, mislead, and surprise the audience as much as possible (Roff).” Hamlet is a dramatic production written by William Shakespeare. “The play, set in the Kingdom of Denmark, recounts how Prince Hamlet exacts revenge on his uncle Claudius for murdering the old King Hamlet, Claudius's own brother and Prince Hamlet's father, and then succeeding to the throne and marrying Gertrude, the King Hamlet's widow and mother of Prince Hamlet ("Hamlet”).” Shakespeare’s main objective was to impress his Elizabethan audience because entertainment through theater was extremely important to everyone in the era ("Elizabethan Theater"). Shakespeare successfully captivated an Elizabethan audience with this production (“Hamlet”). This essay will explain how an Elizabethan audience was targeted by Hamlet’s final monologue (act 4, lines 32-66). This speech effectively targeted and engaged an Elizabethan audience because its format, mentions of revenge and exciting nature caused the audience to sympathise with Hamlet’s decisions and feelings, and become enthusiastic and involved in the play. The format of this speech is a key factor which explains why the Elizabethan audience is effectively targeted. This speech is written and delivered in the form of a soliloquy. This means that it is an “uninterrupted speech delivered by a single character to the audience but not to other characters” (Jaber Al-Ogaili 48). Soliloquies are a...
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...Revenge William Shakespeare’s, “The Hamlet,” has many themes used to reflect the Renaissance period. Shakespeare used revenge as the main theme of this play to get a more dramatic connection between the actors and the audience. The characters show this by acting mindlessly through anger instead of through reason. Hamlet is based around the principle, an eye for an eye, which means a person who has injured another person will be penalized at a similar degree. The characters go about their conflicts very differently than perceived because they all acted on negative emotion to seek revenge. The actions of the characters led to major conflict throughout the play, leading to death in multiple occasions. At the beginning of the play, Hamlet’s...
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...I. Introduction: During the play Hamlet, many elements are brought forth. The three components that stand out the most are conflict, symbolism and theme. Arising dilemmas that are developed both inward and outward in the mind of Hamlet. This brings to surface different conflicts which Hamlet and other characters must face. When the ghost appears to Hamlet the symbolism is made aware, because it invites speculation to the readers mind along with numerous issues. The theme is setup with Hamlet being obsessed over who and why someone killed his father, which seems to cause revenge to take its place in this tragedy. In addition, Hamlet searches for perfect certainty so that the right person receives his revenge for his father’s death. II. During Hamlet the conflicts that stand out are both inward and outward. A. man vs. self B. man vs. man C. man vs. society 1. “To be or not to be”- Hamlet’s internal struggle throughout the story; Ophelia’s madness 2. Father vs. Son, Ophelia vs. Hamlet 3. Innocence vs. tyranny III. Symbolism in Hamlet. A. Clothing that is worn by Hamlet 1. Black cloak- symbolizing the darker portion of reason in Hamlet B. The ghost taking its place and inviting so many unique issues to be brought forth. 1. Who sees the ghost and what it symbolizes. 2. Ghost talks to Hamlet. 3. The Ghost guides Hamlet in his search for the truth C. Yorik’s skull 1. Death is unavoidable 2. Disintegration of the body back...
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...‘Revenge is a confession of pain’ – Latin Proverb. In the view of this statement compare and contrast the extent to which the playwrights demonstrate the idea that revenge arises from the pain of the aggressor. In the view of this statement and in relation to ‘Hamlet’ and ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ it is important to define what pain actually is. Pain relates to grief in terms of Hamlet grieving for his father’s death. It also relates to suffering and injury – be that of the mind or body. There are instances in ‘Hamlet’ and ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ where the motivation for revenge may arise from the emotional pain of the aggressor; there are however acts of revenge shared in these plays that cannot be explained as a confession of pain but rather as a result of self-preservation and duty. Somroo explains that ‘The motive of revenge is a primitive emotion to be found in natural man, though it is a dangerous emotion.’ Somroo explains that revenge is primitive therefore it can be explained as an impulsive emotion born of pain or suffering. This shows that suffering and revenge are closely linked; the idea that revenge is born out of pain has excited audiences throughout history as a theme of revenge tragedies. In this genre of play both Webster and Shakespeare use the theme of revenge to show that it has consequences for every character that is unfortunate enough to be involved as it often results in multiple and an almost comical amount of dead bodies. Shakespeare more than Webster has...
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...Hamlet is a revenge tragedy written by William Shakespeare in which Hamlet is depicted as Shakespeare's tragic hero due to his flaw of indecision and inability to take action along with deep self-doubt, these are significant factors which ultimately lead to his downfall. The characters and the plays events significantly impact Hamlet constantly pushing him towards vengeance. Hamlet’s uncertainty between action and inaction are a direct result of the character’s sense of obligation and convenience. Hamlets toying with madness and indecision resolve in tragedy. Hamlet and his behaviours that are neither actions or inactions symbolise the fundamental flaw in his character, indecision. The beginning of Hamlet’s journey for revenge is displayed through the use of death imagery in Act 1, Scene 5, when the Ghost tells Hamlet, “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder”. Hamlet’s instructions to avenge his father's death represents an essential moment in the plot as the play then begins to focus around revenge and justice. Hamlet’s most honest and fatal character weakness is exposed. That weakness being his major inability to take decisive action. This inaction is shown in Hamlet’s first conversation with the Ghost, Hamlet shows his persistence to pursue revenge for his father’s death “Haste me to know’t, that I with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love, may sweep to my revenge.” (1.5.29) This supports the concept of a determined Hamlet corrupted with desperate human...
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...2012 Deceit in Hamlet Deceit is generally applied in politics and peoples everyday life to achieve power and success. The theme of deceit is generally repeated in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Hamlets delay in killing Claudius, and Hamlets possible death is a straight-forward result of deceit in the court. Hamlet attempts to deceive everyone into believing that he is gone insane. He believes that he can kill Claudius without getting into any kind of trouble, and take revenge for his father's death. Claudius and Polonius decide to find the reason behind Hamlet's madness. They both make a plan to spy on Hamlet to see why he is acting the way he is. Through spying on Hamlet, Claudius figures out that he is dangerous, and a threat to him. Hamlets deceiving also directs to the death of Polonius and his daughter Ophelia. As well as generating Laertes to take revenge on Hamlet for producing the death of his family. After multiple attempts to murder Hamlet fail, Claudius and Laertes decide to team up. They both try to murder Hamlet and get rid of him once and for all. Each of these plans directly or indirectly leads to Hamlet's deceit and his death. Hamlets desire for revenge causes his insanity. Hamlet speaks to the ghost of his father, he figures out that Claudius murdered him to achieve that throne of Denmark. At this point, Hamlet is very frustrated and disappointed. Hamlet then makes a plan to get revenge by finishing Claudius. To complete this act, Hamlet must act inane...
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