...play, Hamlet by William Shakespeare explores the concept of revenge. To most people, revenge means getting back at somebody. In order to get to the point of wanting revenge, something has to happen to you and has to get to you. Revenge is a common human emotion that is usually negative and destructive. This destructive aspect of revenge is evident in the play, Hamlet. The main character of the play, Prince Hamlet, is the principal character who struggles with seeking revenge. For Hamlet, revenge becomes a chain reaction in the play causing him to commit acts of violence against others both intentional and accidental. Other characters in the play like Laertes, Hamlet’s dead father’s ghost, Fortinbras, and King Claudius also look for revenge. Overall, the play Hamlet portrays revenge as a destructive and powerful emotion that negatively influences the characters. The first incident where revenge is brought up in the play is at the beginning when Hamlet confronts the ghost of his father. Horatio, Hamlet’s friend, is the one who tells Hamlet that there is a ghost that Hamlet needs to see. Intrigued by this thought, Hamlet goes with Horatio to see this ghost. As it turns out, the apparition is the ghost of Hamlet’s dead father. The revenge is mentioned when the ghost commands Hamlet to “revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.” (1.5.31) The ghost does not hesitate to mention revenge; it is a natural act that Hamlet should commit to honor his father. Hamlet is told...
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...the feeling of revenge is meant to motivate a person to retaliate towards someone who did them wrong, it often harms themself in the process. In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley and the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Victor’s devotion to acting on his revenge leads to his death, while Hamlet’s refusal to do so leads to being killed by a man who does take action. This reveals that a person devoted to revenge causes their own death as well as the deaths of people who take too long to act. After Victor creates a monster a spurns it for his appearance, it kills several people close to him, including his brother, best friend and wife. Hamlet meanwhile, discovers via his father’s ghost that his father was murdered by his uncle, now king Claudius. Both promise that they will get revenge. Despite this, Hamlet constantly delays his revenge, while Victor often chooses to act on his feelings. Eventually, Hamlet acts on his revenge when he realizes he is dying nonetheless, contrasting with Victor, who dedicates his life to fulfilling his revenge after his wife’s death. Because of his late action, Hamlet is killed by his uncle, who takes action before he does, unlike Victor who eventually wears out and dies because of his own long quest for revenge. Hamlet and Victor’s fates are first determined by their decisions as to whether or not to act on their feelings of revenge. After agreeing to create a mate for his monster, Victor takes his first action of revenge on the monster when...
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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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...Revenge in Julius Caesar Revenge. Revenge causes one to act blindly without reason. It is based on the principle of an eye for an eye, however this principle is not always a justified one to follow. In Julius Caesar, Antony seeks to avenge the death of Caesar. Antony acts on emotion which leads to the demise of Brutus, who is a noble man that does not deserve to be killed. Revenge is a central theme within Julius Caesar. Revenge In Julius Caesar Revenge in Julius Caesar Revenge. Revenge causes one to act blindly without reason. It is based on the principle of an eye for an eye, however this principle is not ... This is demonstrated through Antony s desire to avenge Caesar s death, and also the return of Julius Caesar s ghost. Revenge is again exemplified through the violent course of action, which is taken by the Plebeians in an attempt to seek justice for the assassination of their Roman superior. The theme of revenge is evident when Antony demonstrates a desire to avenge Caesar s death. After Caesar s death, Antony swears to take revenge on those who Revenge In Julius Caesar Revenge in Julius Caesar Revenge. Revenge causes one to act blindly without reason. It is based on the principle of an eye for an eye, however this principle is not ... murdered Caesar, And Caesar s spirit, ranging for revenge, With ate by his side come hot from hell, Shall in these confines with a monarch s voice Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war, That this foul deed shall smell above the earth...
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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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...Revenge and Harmony There is a huge debate over the many different kinds of ethical issues all over the world. Some of us learn how to agree to disagree. Others take matters into their own hands and try to change the world’s view on the certain ethical issue. Whatever it may be, ethics are the moral principles we abide by that determine our behavior. It shapes who we are as a person. Ethics comes from within us. We decide what our ethics are because we have the power to be whoever we want to be. Having the ability to make decisions for us is a powerful responsibility; so some know how to handle it while others don’t. That decision marks the point where people resort to revenge or to harmony. Which one is ethical? There’s no simple answer to this question, but deciphering it as much as possible allows us to relieve an answer that best describes who we are. I think that majority of people in the world would agree that revenge isn’t the way to go. There are many other possibilities into solving problems because that’s how we’ve been raised and taught our entire lives. “…Simply bombing other countries after the fact will not protect lives…the deaths of civilians just as innocent as those killed in New York City. And survivors bent on revenge… Instead of continuing the cycle of violence, we need to re-evaluate policies that lead to such anger and resentment.” Simply put, the author of this article, Stephen Zunes, retaliates against violence. He states all throughout that our...
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...“Revenge and Conflict Escalation” By: Sung Hee Kim and Richard H. Smith The article begins with three examples of interpersonal conflicts that escalated by vengeful behavior. The authors attempt to focus on understanding actual mechanisms that underlie the pattern of conflict escalation. The authors explain, “justice is a deep concern for most people.” It is human nature to want to be treated fairly. However, when expectations are not met, a sense of injustice can lead to patterns of retaliation. Vengeful acts by the person who is “wronged” are most likely to be out of portion to the original offense. Thus, revenge often leads to a destructive cycle of spiteful counter-responses from parties involved in a conflict. The tendency to desire and seek “justice” can be seen as a key motivator when people take revenge. Ironically, the harsh cycle that develops when people seek revenge is characterized by irrational and wrongful acts. The authors suggest that when explaining such extreme acts of revenge one possible reason can come from feelings of self-worth. When another diminishes one’s self-worth, they may use methods of revenge to restore it. In relation to one’s self-worth, another contributing factor can be the prevention of future unfair treatment. In order to gain respect, a person may retaliate in order to stop unfair acts they have received. Despite the underlying reasons that motivate revenge, many examples demonstrate that vengeance leads to conflict escalation...
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...theme of death in the fifth act of Hamlet) Death, no one likes to hear the word, but none of us can escape it. The death of someone or even ourselves is all a part of the life that we live. It is impossible to avoid death when the time has come. In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet¬ there is much death throughout the play. The play itself starts out with the knowing of the death of the King, Hamlet’s father. Throughout the play more and more characters die in their own way. In act five of Hamlet death appears in three different ways: through suicide, through accidents, and through revenge. Initially, the first way death appears in act five is suicide. In the beginning of the fifth act the two grave-diggers are digging the grave of the once love of Hamlet, Ophelia. They are talking whether or not she is being buried in the right place or not. “Is she to be buried in...
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...Honors English 10 1 December 2015 Frankenstein Essay Revenge follows abandonment. When one creates something, it is theirs; they are the “mother/father” of this creation. They are supposed to take care of it like it is theirs. Cherish it. Love it. But, what happens when one does not do those things? The creation takes revenge on them because they never gave it the time of day; never tried to help it. Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein explores the act of revenge driven by a sense of abandonment and neglect. Shelly shows, in the novel Frankenstein, that when one is abandoned or neglected, he/she will resort to revenge to find piece within him/her self. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelly shows that when one abandons something, it will come back and take revenge on them. Shelly had an interesting way of showing this throughout the chapter; she played on characters emotions, killing their close ones. She created acts of violence that we see in our daily lives, driven by the anger from abandonment or neglect. An example of this is when Victor receives a letter from his father stating that his brother, William, has been murdered. So, Victor goes to Geneva where his family is located, but its too late and the gates are closed. He spends the night plodding around and comes across the spot where his brother was killed. Victor sees the monster hiding behind trees and this brings Dr. Frankenstin to the conclusion that the Monster showed no clemency to William. The audience, know that the monster...
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...Revenge is a powerful feeling, it's able to make one completely enraged and focused on acquiring justice. It can sometimes make one feel like committing a crime, like Romeo in the play Romeo and Juliet. Romeo went to the Capulet party uninvited. This enraged Tybelt, he wanted to fight Romeo to the death but instead Mercutio steps in and fights the battle for Romeo. Ending with Mercutio dieing because Tybelt stabbed him (Act III Scene III ). This scene leads to Romeo later wanting revenge and ends up fighting Tybalt for his cousin's death. Soon after Tybelt dies from Romeo’s sword, Romeo is exiled from Verona, Italy according to the Prince. With revenge being the reason many deaths acquire in the play The Tragedy Romeo and Juliet it is evident that revenge is the cause to their lives. “A plague a’both your houses” (Act III, Scene I). Romeo and Juliet, felt that the feud between their families was something that...
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...danger. When fearful times come, courage or bravery to act in a situation are abilities most people lack. The way people decide whether to act or not in situations determine their character or personality. Those who hide behind their inaction and lack courage are considered cowards. In the same way as others who do not have the ability to take action in a state of fear, Hamlet is a character in Hamlet who can relate. Hamlet continually shows signs of fear and inaction. He lacks courage to act on opportunities where he can resolve his problems that scare and confuse him. His emotions and indecisive attitude take over his...
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...Prince Fortinbras. But Hamlet is furious about Gertrude's marriage to Claudius. Hamlet meets the ghost, which claims to be the spirit of his father, murdered by Claudius. Hamlet quickly accepts the ghost's command to seek revenge. Yet Hamlet is uncertain if what the ghost said is true. He delays his revenge and begins to act half-mad, contemplate suicide, and becomes furious at all women. The Lord Chamberlain, Polonius, concludes that Hamlet's behavior comes from lovesickness for Ophelia, Polonius's daughter. Claudius and Gertrude summon two of Hamlet's old friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to find out what's wrong with him. As Polonius develops a plot to spy on a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia, Hamlet develops a plot of his own: to have a recently arrived troupe of actors put on a play that resembles Claudius's alleged murder of Old Hamlet, and watch Claudius's reaction. Polonius and Claudius spy on the meeting between Ophelia and Hamlet, during which Hamlet flies into a rage against women and marriage. Claudius concludes Hamlet neither loves Ophelia nor is mad. Seeing Hamlet as a threat, he decides to send him away. At the play that night, Claudius runs from the room during the scene of the murder, proving his guilt. Hamlet gets his chance for revenge when, on the way to see Gertrude, he comes upon Claudius, alone and praying. But Hamlet holds off—if Claudius is...
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...The Volatile Cycle of Corruption and Revenge The Renaissance was a time period with drastic change, not only in art but in the way that society thought about the world. The spread of humanism throughout Europe allowed people to question the ethics of their society, as curiosity was encouraged. William Shakespeare lived in the Elizabethan era, and he noted things about society that he emphasized in his plays. While it was illegal, revenge occurred frequently, as did corruption (as exemplified by Queen Elizabeth’s Court ). In Hamlet, Shakespeare intertwines the two themes of corruption and revenge, and throughout the piece, he makes it evident that the two are part of a relentless cycle. Throughout the play, Hamlet, Shakespeare makes it known that when...
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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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...Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “There is always some madness in love, but there is also always some reason in madness. Love and revenge lead to strong motif of madness in William Shakespeare “Hamlet”. Hamlet like most sons, loved, his father dearly. Hamlet tries to seek revenge for his father’s death so he decides to act mad. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern try not to see what’s wrong with hamlet he says, “I am but mad north – North West when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw” (scene 2 act 2 page 57). He explains that he is mad, but he still knows what he is doing. There is no need to worry about him. Over and over again each character explains how they think Hamlet is mad, even his mother, and the queen. She says, “Alas,...
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