Revenge and Vengeance in Shakespeare's Hamlet - Revenge
opinion Essay
652 words
Hamlet: Revenge
Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, is a tragic play consisting of numerous
deaths. The deaths that took place played a very important role in the
unfolding of the play. In reading this play the reader can almost guess who was
going to die.
A prince named Hamlet is the main character. Hamlet is a college
student who one day planned to take over the throne in Denmark, but treachery
would spoil all of Hamlet's plans. The King, Hamlet's father, was found dead in
an orchard where he spent much of his time. All of the King's subjects,
including Hamlet, thought his majesty died because of a snake bite. Hamlet was
devastated when he learned of his father's death, but what made him more uneasy
was the fact that Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, remarried so quickly to the brother
of the dead King. The brother would be the one who would betray Hamlet.
Horatio, a loyal friend to Hamlet, was on night watch outside the castle,
he told the prince of an incident when they saw an apparition who resembled
King Hamlet. Hamlet came out the next night hoping to see the ghost. Sure
enough, the ghost appeared and called to Hamlet, wanting to speak with him. The
spirit talked about how Claudius poisoned the King while he was sleeping, "Tis
given out that, sleeping in my orchard,/ a serpent stung me² (1.5, 36) but it
was not a snake that the ghost is referring to. The spirit wanted the prince to
avenge his murder.
All was quiet in the kingdom until the start of Hamlet's supposed
insanity. The Prince was with his mother talking when the prince noticed
someone in the room. Hamlet thought it was Claudius, "How now? A rat? Dead
for a ducat, dead! " (3.4,25) Indeed Hamlet killed someone; but it was not
Claudius, twas Polonius who was slain.
Time had gone by and supposedly Hamlet was getting worse, so Claudius
decided to send Hamlet to an asylum in England. Hamlet escaped and returned to
Denmark and hid. While Hamlet was away, Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, was
acting strangely.
Although it was never admitted, Ophelia had become insane. It was her
insanity that.
As Hamlet was hiding in the graveyard, a funeral procession approached
him, but he did not know whose funeral it was. Hamlet finally found that it was
Ophelia who had died. Even though Hamlet was hurt emotionally, Laertes was the
one who was hurt the worst. Laertes had these worlds to say, "O treble woe/
Fall ten times treble on that cursed head/ Whose wicked deed thy most ingenious
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the unfolding of the play and the reader's ability to guess who was involved.
- Narrates how hamlet didn't know whose funeral it was, but he finally found it.
- Opines that laertes had these worlds to say, "o treble woe/
- Narrates how horatio asked him to tell people what happened and give the last word.
- Opines that the ghost is referring to a serpent that stung them while sleeping in their orchard. the spirit wanted the prince to.
Related
- analytical
- opinion
- Hamletanalytical essayking or Hamlets father who they believed had died of a snake bite. This is the showing of the first
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare's hamlet is a play full of sorrow, excitement, gore and incest. claudius, the king and hamlets uncle, is cold-hearted, hateful, and cowardly.
- Analyzes how the play starts off with a tense setting, as the guards have seen the ghost that looks like the oldking or hamlets father. claudius is the reason that kinghamlet dies
- Analyzes how the ghost's quote tells hamlet that claudius killed him when he was asleep and took his crown and his queen.
- Analyzes how claudius storms out of the stages and prays to heaven for forgiveness of his sins, knowing that hamlet has figured out what he has done.
- Analyzes how claudius prays for forgiveness but doesn't want to be sent to hell, since his words remain below, or on earth.
- Analyzes how claudius plans to send hamlet away to england with a note for the king of england to have him killed.
- Analyzes how laertes, the son of polonius, wants hamlet dead badly and tells him that they will have a jousting match.
- Opines that claudius' ruthless personality will have laertes venom his sword if he doesn't get hamlet. the end of the play is when gertrude, hamlets mother, drinks the poison instead of dying.
- Analyzes how hamlet picks up laertes’s sword and hits him with it. claudius' cold-heartedness is the reason why all this tragedy happened.
693 wordsRead More - Going Beyond Revenge in Hamlet The simplest and superficially the most appealing way to understand Shakespeare’s Hamlet is to see it as a revenge tragedy. This genre was well established and quite popular in Shakespeare’s time, but it was precisely part of his genius that he could take old forms and renew them by a creative violation of their standards. As this essay will explore, Hamlet stands the conventional revenge tragedy on its head, and uses the tensions created by this reversal of type to add depth to its characters and story.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare's hamlet stands the conventional revenge tragedy on its head and uses the tensions created by this reversal of type to add depth to its characters and story.
- Analyzes the gruesome revenge tragedy of shakespeare's age, exemplified in productions like the spanish tragedy by thomas kyd and the tragey of hoffman by henry chettle. the original religious symbolism of death imagery is perverted into little more than eye-catching tokens
- Analyzes how the classic revenge tragedy is a simple affair followed by bloody and protracted revenge, but shakespeare in the person of hamlet undermines this structure.
- Argues that hamlet is a drama on self-discovery and the consequences of deception.
- Analyzes how hamlet meets the ghost of his father, who commands him to kill his uncle and stepfather, but not to harm his mother.
- Analyzes how hamlet pretends madness to gain the time and freedom that he needs to form a plan. it is also his original sin, in that it attracts to him more attention than before.
- Analyzes how hamlet consciously gives up a direct chance at revenge, and then rationalizes his restraint, showing he is already past the mechanical tit-for-tat of the standard revenge tragedy.
- Analyzes how hamlet stabs and kills polonius, the father of ophelia and laertes, in the next scene.
- Analyzes how the ghost of hamlet's father appears to him during the exchange with his mother, to repeat the message it had given before: revenge on the king but mercy for the queen.
- Analyzes how laertes arrives at the danish court, only to discover his father polonius murdered and his sister ophelia insane, both seemingly due to his malice.
- Analyzes how hamlet's mature reflections on life and death show how much progress he has made since beginning the play.
- Analyzes the special providence in the fall of a sparrow. the readiness is all, since no man has aught of what he leaves, what isn't to leave early?
- Analyzes how hamlet has moved from a frustrated desire to anticipate fate, the suicidal mood in which he opened the play, to an acceptance of whatever fate might bring.
- Analyzes how the final duel, and the deaths of nearly all concerned, has often been criticized as a bit of directorial tidying-up on the part of shakespeare.
- Analyzes how hamlet stands the conventional revenge melodrama on its head to achieve something deeper. instead of glorying in the torture of his enemies, he attempts to evade the final attempt to kill them.
- Describes the works of william shakespeare, including the introduction to hamlet, and the ideology of memento mori.
1838 wordsRead More - Revenge in Shakespeare´s Play Hamletanalytical essayHamlet and Laertes both contribute to the play main theme, revenge. Both characters dearly loved their fathers, thats the reason for revenge. But, their love has been distorted and all they feel now is a need for revenge for their fathers’ deaths. But they cope with it differently. Hamlet knows who killed his father, but does not take immediate action. Laertes is a little unclear on who is responsible for his fathers death, but he takes immediate action to avenge him. "To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation: to this point I stand, that both worlds I give to negligence, let come what comes; only I'll be revenged most thoroughly for my father." Laertes Act 4 Scene 5. Both Hamlet and Laertes love their father and seek revenge, but they have different responses to their fathers death.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hamlet and laertes contribute to the play's main theme, revenge. both characters love their fathers and seek revenge, but they have different responses.
- Analyzes how hamlet and laertes have different responses to their father's death. both love their family, and will go to all cost to protect them.
- Analyzes how hamlet and laertes both have feelings for ophelia.
- Compares hamlet and laertes' personalities. both men loved their fathers and held them in high regard, but their "fathers" did not trust them.
- Analyzes how hamlet's uncle sent rosencrantz and guildenstern to spy on him. both men had spies sent for them from their "fathers".
- Analyzes how claudius doesn't allow hamlet to go back to wittenberg because he wants to keep a close eye on him. polonius sends reynaldo to spy on laertes.
- Analyzes the similarities between hamlet and laertes. both men loved their father and held them in high regard.
- Analyzes how both hamlet and laertes die because they want to prove they are honorable and their want for revenge.
684 wordsRead More - Revenge in William Shakespeare´s Hamletanalytical essayOne trait that haunts many humans throughout every time period is revenge. In Hamlet, revenge is a main motive in almost every part of the play and has an overall affect on how the play takes place. When someone seeks revenge, they stop for no obstacles till this retribution has been reached. Once the retribution is fuelled by anger, it drives the seeker of revenge to a degree of no boundaries and might usually be the response of deceit or betrayal. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy-play “Hamlet”, this concept of revenge is sent to be terribly apparent, that to the current day reflects an unchanged response of anger and deceitful actions.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how revenge is a trait that haunts many humans throughout every time period. in shakespeare's tragedy-play "hamlet", this concept is sent to be terribly apparent.
- Analyzes the three major families in the tragedy of hamlet. fortinbras, polonius, and king hamlets' sons were all killed at different points of the play.
- Narrates how laertes confronts the king and accuses him of the murder of his father. claudius and hamlet plan to kill him with a poison sword.
- Analyzes how hamlet and the renaissance go hand in hand. the renaissance brought back classical greek and latin ideas and humanism was a huge part of this movement.
545 wordsRead More - Revenge in Hamletanalytical essayShakespeare’s plays, among other classic works of literature, tend to be forged with the tension of human emotion. The archetypical parallel of love and hatred polarizes characters and emphasizes the stark details of the plot. More specifically, the compelling force of revenge is behind most of the motives of Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet. The play opens with the return of Hamlet’s father, a surprising encounter, which ended in his son learning that his father’s death was the result of foul play. By emphasizing this scene as the beginning of the story to be told, Shakespeare clearly implies that the plot itself will be based around the theme of revenge. Through three different instances of behavior fueled entirely by vengeance, Shakespeare creates an image in the reader’s mind, which foreshadows the future of the story and provides insight into the plot line. Even so, despite the theme of revenge being the overarching concern of the plot, the parallels drawn between characters truly strengthen the thematic depth of the piece overall, making the play easily one of Shakespeare’s most infamous and historically valuable works.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the archetypical parallel of love and hatred polarizes characters and emphasizes the stark details of the plot in shakespeare's tragedy hamlet.
- Analyzes how the setting of hamlet is one of turmoil, a direct result of festering vengeances, which dominates the majority of the play.
- Analyzes how king claudius is guilty of regicide, killing his brother to usurp the throne, and becomes obsessed with proving his guilt in the murder of his father.
- Analyzes how shakespeare confirms the absolute pettiness of a thirst for vengeance and highlights the potential ramifications of becoming obsessed with revenge.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's use of plot devices allows the story to develop in a riveting manner. the presence of vengeance represents the deceitful, suspicious nature of the characters.
1005 wordsRead More - The Effects Of Revenge In Hamletanalytical essayIn the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the actions done by Hamlet are driven on revenge. After his father’s murder the ghost of his father comes to Hamlet with a request. The ghost wants Hamlet to murder Claudius because he is responsible for his father’s death. Hamlet is clueless to the affects of revenge. He never stops to think about how revenge will not only himself but also those around him. Even without any knowledge of what revenge can do to a person Hamlet obliges to the ghost’s request. The outcome of Hamlet’s journey left me wondering does revenge do any good for either sides?
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hamlet's actions are driven on revenge. the ghost wants him to murder claudius because he is responsible for his father’s death.
- Narrates how their brother and i learned that revenge doesn't do any good for either side and ends negatively for both sides.
- Opines that hamlet's quest for revenge had consequences for him and those around him that will last a lifetime.
- Analyzes how hamlet's actions that were done for revenge caused more consequences than rewards. he was so consumed with revenge that he didn't think twice about putting his childhood friends to death.
- Opines that revenge is a double-edged sword that does no good for either side.
- Analyzes how hamlet's revenge caused almost all his relationships to go south. his revenge was a murder and involved multiple people.
1162 wordsRead More - Revenge Tragedy In Hamletanalytical essay“While seeking revenge, dig two graves - one for yourself” (Douglas Horton). This quote by Horton relates to Hamlet because it speaks of revenge, and Hamlet is a revenge play. The main character, Hamlet, while seeking revenge seals his own fate, and like the quote says while trying to kill someone else ends his own life in the process. Hamlet is a traditional revenge play, it focuses on the plot of revenge but also has subplots that distract the main character from the larger point of the story. Shakespeare was one of the first to expand the revenge tragedy, using what he and everyone knew and intensifying it. He did this by giving his main character many different sides, not just making him two dimensional. These many sides to Hamlet distract
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare expanded the revenge tragedy by giving his main character many different sides, not just making him two-dimensional. hamlet's subplots distract him from completing what he needs to do.
- Analyzes how the different subplots throughout hamlet serve as distractions for the main purpose.
- Analyzes how the subplots, this one in particular, extends the revenge play into having not one but many actions of revenge.
- Analyzes how hamlet's revenge plot starts when the ghost of his father visits him from the dead. he questions the integrity of the ghost, which gives him depth and thought.
- Analyzes how hamlet is smarter than most characters in a revenge play. he deceives the rest of the characters to get them to believe he is mad.
- Analyzes how hamlet's christianity separates him from many other avengers. he contemplates whether his actions will lead him to be saved or damned.
- Analyzes how hamlet's belief in christianity sets him apart from anyone else in his quest for revenge.
- Analyzes how shakespeare based his play on revenge but added his own spin to it. he adds depth and struggles to create a much more dynamic play.
1988 wordsRead More - Provoking Revenge In Hamletanalytical essayStorming into the palace and throwing accusations at Claudius, Laertes reveals he is impulsive. Laertes anger is due to the dishonor that has been inflicted on his family by Polonius’s murder. Claudius takes advantage of the sudden appearance of Laertes, by provoking Laertes into assisting him in plotting Hamlet’s murder. Shakespeare uses Laertes not only as a catalyst in the story, but as a contrast to the pensive Hamlet.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how laertes' anger is due to the dishonor that has been inflicted on his family by polonius' murder. claudius takes advantage of his sudden appearance by provoking him to assist him in plotting hamlet's murder
- Analyzes how laertes acts on anger without thinking, but hamlet waits, debating the consequence of committing murder. claudius manipulates to his advantage.
- Analyzes how laertes wants immediate action so that his'revenge will come' contrasts hamlet's turmoil over killing claudius.
- Analyzes how laertes is driven by his anger and can see no other option than to kill hamlet.
- Analyzes how shakespeare uses laertes' reckless abandon as a way of showing how hamlet contemplation is not procrastination but intelligence.
488 wordsRead More - How Does Shakespeare Use Revenge In Hamletanalytical essayRevenge of The Ghost ‘’The memory be green’’ (1.2.0-5). It has not been much time since Hamlet Sr. died, his memory stays fresh, but his brother, Claudius, has already married his wife and taken his kingdom. Claudius says he does it for the good of the Denmark, in The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare. In addition; Hamlet cannot stop his hatred and anger toward his mother and uncle. He gets devastated and goes in grief by the loss of his father.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hamlet's brother, claudius, has already married his wife and taken his kingdom. he cannot stop his hatred and anger toward his mother and uncle.
- Analyzes how hamlet's anger and grief increases as he thinks about how quickly his uncle marries his mother.
- Analyzes how hamlet's anger pushes him to revenge after he learns the truth about his uncle poisoning his father.
- Analyzes how hamlet decides to kill claudius after he sees fortinbrass and his army go to death willingly, but the one behind the curtain turns out to be polonius.
786 wordsRead More - Revenge in Hamletopinion essayThroughout the play of Hamlet by William Shakespeare it becomes apparent that revenge isn’t really worthwhile if you die in achieving it. Hamlet Sr. was murdered by his brother, Claudius, who then became king of Denmark and married his sister-in-law, Hamlet Sr.’s queen. Upon Hamlet’s discovery of the act of treachery he wants his revenge. In trying to accomplish it he kills an innocent man, Polonius. In result, the daughter of Polonius and former lover of Hamlet, goes mad and kills herself. The deaths of the innocent father and daughter cause another to seek revenge, Laertes. Laertes wants to avenge the deaths of his father and sister. The man who started it all is worried about being found out. In order to keep his actions covered up he teams up with Laertes to kill Hamlet. Claudius doesn’t know that hamlet’s friend, Heratio, also knows the truth about the death of the king. In the scene where everything is supposed to go as planned to kill Hamlet, Queen Gertrude drinks out of a poisoned cup intended for Hamlet and dies. Hamlet is wounded by an unblunted fencing sword with a poisone...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hamlet sr. was murdered by his brother claudius, who became king of denmark and married his sister-in-law.
- Opines that hamlet's motivation to avenge his father’s death was truly honourable, or was he just jealous of claudius?
- Opines that hamlet overthought every little thing and was unable to kill claudius when the many opportunities arose. but when it came to killing polonius, he acted on impulse.
555 wordsRead More