d

“Revenge is a dish best served cold.” This famous saying is an ancient proverb that has been carried out for centuries. The phrase describes that the best payback is one that comes with planning; revenge is bringing the most horrendous pain to your enemies when they are least expecting it. In the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, Hamlet discovers that his uncle, Claudius, poisoned his father, late King Hamlet, in order to steal his crown. Not only did his uncle usurp his father’s throne, but he married Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude, as well. After meeting a ghost that claimed to be his father, Hamlet is instructed by the ghost to commit vengeance on his uncle. Hamlet is furious about the cases regarding: murder, incest, betrayal, and deceitfulness, that he is quick to follow through with his orders. Revenge is a dominant theme portrayed throughout Hamlet, influencing the trust between characters, resulting in downfalls and deaths.

The tragedy Hamlet revolves around three major families. Each one of the eldest sons in the family had one thing in common, they wanted revenge for a slaughtered father. Hamlet’s main goal was to make his uncle suffer more than his father, so that his revenge would be complete. In Act 3, Scene 3, Hamlet had the perfect opportunity to kill Claudius, but because of Hamlet’s religious beliefs, he hesitated. Since Claudius was praying, Hamlet decided to wait for a time when Claudius was committing a sin to execute him instead. Hamlet believed that the action you were committing right before death, would determine if you entered heaven or hell. He did not favor the idea of Claudius entering heaven, so he decided to kill, “when he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, Or in th' incestuous pleasure o...

... middle of paper ...

...s him new ruler of Denmark before he dies,and Fortinbras regains all of his father's lost land, and becomes King of Denmark. Fortinbras ends victoriously!

Since the fathers’ of the three major families were all murdered, the eldest sons of these families all swore vengeance. But unfortunately, due to lack of intelligence and acting while angered and clueless, two of the three sons died. As a theme, revenge was present in all parts of the play. It is ironic that Claudius, Laertes, and Hamlet all died of the same sword. Revenge was the driving force behind three of the main characters of the play, for two it led to downfall, and for the other it led to greatness. Hamlet is a great example in reminding us not to intent revenge, because it will only hurt us in the end. Instead, the best revenge is to strive for one’s personal best and reach success.