Revenge In Two Literary Works

Of course, who could forget the famous ‘To be or not to be’ soliloquy, where Hamlet not only questions life and death, but many of life’s other uncertainties as well. Undoubtedly, the most essential theme in the development of Hamlet is revenge and question ‘Does revenge pay?’ Revenge is a frighteningly bloodthirsty emotion, which causes people to act blindly and without reason. Revenge is a theme that is cleverly built upon throughout the extent of the play; with it being the driving force behind two of the main characters in the play. The play is introduced by the appearance of the ghost of Hamlet’s father in the first scene, which automatically gives the impression that something is amiss. This is later clarified by the statement that “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (Act1 Scene 4 Line 90).

Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. Literarure: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Compact Seventh Edition. Boston: Wadsworth, 2011.

The first is that of Fortinbras Jr. who seeks vengeance against Hamlet Sr. for killing Fortinbras Sr. The second is that of Hamlet Jr. who seeks revenge against Claudius for the murder of Hamlet Sr. And the third is that of Laertes who seeks to avenge the death of his father Polonius at the hand of Hamlet Jr. Without these various plans for revenge, and the need to seek justice within the characters, there would be no story. However, the plot of this tragedy would be incomplete without the protagonist's hamartia. This characteristic flaw of tragic heroes is, "... an unwitting, even a necessa... ... middle of paper ... ...literary accomplishment.

Paul Lauter and Richard Yarborough. 6th ed. Vol. D. Boston: Wadsworth Cencage Learning, 2010. 1571.

29-31). Hamlet basically reveals that he is indeed ready to carry out revenge as soon as the ghost reveals the murderer’s identity. The ghost tells Hamlet his murderer was his uncle, Claudius. The ghost informs Hamlet “But thou howsoever thou purest this act, Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive Against thy mother aught. Leave her to heaven And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge To prick and sting her.” (Shakes... ... middle of paper ... ...y what he deserved.

7th ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. 509-15. Print. Kirszner, Laurie G., and Stephen T. Mandell.

Although this is deeply rooted in his character, his obsessive thoughts are a product of continuous grieving. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet learns from a ghost of his father’s brutal murder. Hamlet weeps and plans to take action but doesn’t deliver. Instead he plots his revenge and waits for the perfect moment to avenge King Hamlet. The ghost of Hamlet’s father influences Hamlet to seek revenge who would otherwise contemplate the subject to death, GHOST: Revenge his foul murder and most unnatural murder.

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.

His repeated insistence on postponing his highly confusing task emphasizes his uncertainty and kindles our own. Emotionally, Hamlet 's procrastination produces in him a growing rage that leads to his killing of Polonius in a fit of madness, an act that provokes Claudius to set in motion the incidents that lead to Hamlet 's exile and his escape from the Claudius’s execution plot. This awakens Hamlet from the captivation that he has with his own personal tragedy and prepares him to find the “divinity that shapes our

Macbeth’s old honourable self descends to damnation leaving only his hubris highlighted by the threatening tone “yet I will try the last..i throw my warlike shield”. Shakespeare provides to audiences of all time with the life lesson that Man’s inability to control desires will leads to their eventual downfall and damnation. Macbeth further explores how the unchecked passions and greed of Man can corrupt his rational thoughts and actions. This ultimately develops into a loss of moral conscience and rationalism leading to their eventual damnation. Through Macbeth, Shakespeare exposes the flawed nature of Man’s values and audiences’ timeless struggle to find moral highground when corrupted by their desires.