Revenge In Hamlet Research Paper

Revenge is the desire for retribution or repayment from those who have caused harm or injury. It is also a powerful, emotional response that can result in an obsession with varying results of success. The idea of vengeance against those that have wronged another is not a new concept. Throughout history, retribution has been seen as the main driving force for several actions and in some cases have been considered socially acceptable. The concept of avenging a person for the harm that has come upon them is still true today and is perceived as an obsession. During Hamlet, the audience observes this same fixation presented in several characters, when they became obsessed with the idea of avenging their father’s murder. In William Shakespeare’s

After learning this he swiftly swears revenge for his father’s “foul and most unnatural murder” (Hamlet, 1.5.24-26) to prove his love and duty as his father’s son. Hamlet’s oath establishes the play with the theme of revenge because it is his main quest that he wants to achieve. However, Hamlet doesn’t carry out his revenge in a straightforward way, instead, he postpones it for several different reasons. One of the reasons was that he wasn’t sure the ghost was speaking the truth and then once Hamlet was assured that the ghost was speaking the truth, he had an alternate reason to delay his revenge. That reason appeared when Hamlet had the first opportunity to enact vengeance against Claudius, he said, “Now might I do it pat , now he is praying. / And now I’ll do ‘t. And so he goes to heaven. / And so am I revenged.”(Hamlet 3.3.73-75). The moment before Hamlet was about to kill Claudius, he decided that killing Claudius in the church while he was praying would not be complete revenge because Claudius would go to heaven if he died at that moment. Therefore, he waited for the perfect moment where Claudius would mess up and Hamlet could kill him and damn his soul to hell. This opportunity for total and complete revenge is presented at the end of the play where Hamlet finally killed Claudius for the murder of

I dare damnation. To this point I stand,

That both the worlds I give to negligence

Let come what comes, only I’ll be revenged

Most thoroughly for my father (Hamlet 4.5.136-141) Laertes want for revenge was immediate. He did not doubt that his father’s death required vengeance and it is clearly depicted that his revenge was important to him and needed to be resolved immediately. However, Laertes eagerness for revenge could have clouded his judgment because he was easily manipulated before he exacted his revenge by Claudius. Claudius was able to convince Laertes that his father’s death was Hamlet’s fault and Laertes revenge should be enacted on Hamlet. As soon as Laertes found this out he was willing to do anything even “cut his throat i’ th’ church” (Hamlet 4.5.129). Which is another example of Laertes eagerness for vengeance. At the end of the play, Laertes says “Mine and my father’s death come not upon thee” (Hamlet 5.2.137 ) showing that in the end, Laertes quest for revenge was for nothing because he forgave