Revenge in William Shakespeare´s Hamlet
analytical Essay
1049 words
Most of the plays of Shakespeare are said to be written based on the desires of his contemporary audience, especially the revenge tragedies. Revenge creates anger and compels a man to take actions without considering any logic. In historical revenge plays, revenge does not only mean punishing the person(s) liable for a past incident, but it is also aimed to capture the throne. From this point of view, Hamlet is not completely a revenge tragedy. The play is not only about Hamlet’s vengeance. Hamlet, Laertes and young Fortinbras as the eldest sons of their respective families individually have objectives to avenge the murders of their fathers. According the course of the play, both Hamlet and Laertes are able to kill the assassins of their fathers but they fail to be the king of Denmark. Rather they are killed by each other in a swordfight. Only Fortinbras manages to capture the power of Denmark ultimately (though he does not have to kill Claudius).
So the success of revenge depends on the fact that person taking revenge needs to survive to enjoy the results of his actions. The main character Hamlet fails to do that. The ghost of old Hamlet asks him to take revenge of his (old Hamlet) death and to leave Gertrude’s fortune on heaven’s hand. Hamlet is not successful over performing all of these orders properly; rather his speculative attitude causes three deaths in the play that seem to be needless for him.
Moreover, generally in a revenge tragedy, the process of vengeance begins almost immediately after the event responsible for it. But the main character Hamlet takes a long time to take an action after meeting the ghost of old Hamlet. He procrastinates the retaliation process till the end of the play despite being ordered by the g...
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...rsed hearts,
Finally Hamlet killing Claudius cannot avenge the old Hamlet convincingly because Hamlet also dies right after Claudius’ death. Previously the ghost orders Hamlet not to act insane and to find ways to kill Claudius. But Hamlet decides to pretend to be mad and simultaneously procrastinates to implement the order. He is killed by Laertes by a poisoned sword. Claudius’ murder in the last scene happens just by chance, since the swordfight is arranged instantly by the king and till that time Hamlet is not even able to find a way to kill Claudius. Hamlet confesses,
The insanity or pretended insanity of Hamlet causes him to struggle to kill Claudius, which may take longer period of time if Claudius would not arrange the swordfight himself. He may not avenge his father’s death completely, but he sacrifices his life to save Denmark and its people from rotting.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that in a revenge tragedy, the process of vengeance begins almost immediately after the event responsible for it. hamlet procrastinates the retaliation process until the end of the play despite being ordered to kill claudius.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's plays are written based on the desires of his contemporary audience, especially the revenge tragedies.
- Analyzes how hamlet's procrastination of revenge is to prove the authenticity of the ghost, which makes him confused about his prospective actions about the revenge.
- Analyzes how hamlet's procrastination is linked with the theme of the play itself.
Related
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- 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 Importance Of Revenge Tragedy In Hamletanalytical essayHamlet is a revenge tragedy, written by William Shakespeare, in which the storyline’s primary motive is revenge. The story is complex and thought provoking. Hamlet provides a look at death, disease, murder, suicide, graves, and betrayal. Revenge tragedies offer no promise of eventual justice or happiness for the good people. In Hamlet, the highest levels of social figures were uneasy and plotting controversies. Hamlet was betrayed by his own mother and uncle. Hamlet’s uncle (Claudius) murdered Hamlet’s father. Claudius married Hamlet’s mother (Gertrude) in less than two months after the murder. Hamlet was made aware of the murder by a visit from his father’s ghost. The Ghost told Hamlet to revenge his death. Hamlet was shaken by this
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hamlet is a revenge tragedy, written by william shakespeare, in which the storyline's primary motive is revenge.
- Analyzes how hamlet proclaimed his love for ophelia through poems, letters, an emotional graveside confession, verbal statements, and acts of protection.
- Opines that ophelia is ill at these numbers. they have not art to reckon their groans, but that they love thee best.
- Analyzes how shakespeare used wordplay to confuse the reader regarding hamlet’s love for ophelia and the frustration that young virgins felt.
- Analyzes how the tragic death of ophelia caused hamlet to stop his madness and express his endless love for her.
- Opines that you should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it.
- Analyzes how hamlet's love for ophelia played a role in keeping him from committing suicide.
- Analyzes how hamlet wanted to protect ophelia's innocence by telling her to go to a nunnery. chikako kumamoto is an honor professor of english at the college of dupage.
- Analyzes how hamlet proved his love for ophelia through written text, emotional graveside acclamation, verbal admissions, and demands of isolation.
- Analyzes how hamlet's love for ophelia was dubious due to claudius' murder. he wanted polonius to know that he knew.
- Analyzes how hamlet used his soliloquy "to be or not to be" to express his feelings to ophelia in 3.1.
2176 wordsRead More - Theme Of Seeking Revenge In Hamletanalytical essayRevenge is never the Answer Seeking revenge is never the answer to any problem. In Romans 12:19 it states, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, “It is mine to avenge, I will repay,” says the Lord.” In Shakespeare play Hamlet, there are plenty of examples of the domino effect of revenge seeking. The first example is the rage and revenge expressed by Hamlet, which drives him mad.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that revenge is never the answer to any problem. in romans 12:19, it states, "do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for god's wrath."
- Analyzes how hamlet's father is killed, and his uncle is a traitor and murderer. he rages against his mother and uncle, which leads him to madness.
- Analyzes how polonius' death leads to the insanity of ophelia and the revenge of laertes.
- Analyzes how hamlet, claudius, laertes, and even gertrude were guilty of revenge and acting on rage. each player had a price to pay and they all paid up eventually.
- Analyzes how the theme of hamlet can unmistakably be determined. revenge, rage, and tragedy circulate throughout the play.
674 wordsRead More - Hamlet theme paperanalytical essayWhile reading and analyzing the play of Hamlet it is very clear all of the different themes and lessons Shakespeare is trying to develop. Throughout the story many themes stand out but the biggest one is that revengeful actions never have the best outcome. Shakespeare builds and works on that theme for the duration of the play and that makes this play a revenge tragedy. It is a revenge tragedy because revenge is the most established theme in Hamlet and most of the characters are involved with some type of revenge. Shakespeare enforces this idea by having Hamlet deal with three different revenge stories, all having to do with a son avenging his father. First there is hamlet wanting revenge on Claudius, then Laertes wants revenge on hamlet and last Fortinbras wants revenge on all of Denmark. These three stories all develop and produce the major theme of revengeful actions never having the best outcomes.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the themes and lessons shakespeare is trying to develop in hamlet. the main theme is that revengeful actions never have the best outcome.
- Analyzes how shakespeare begins the idea of revenge early in the story when the ghost comes and tells hamlet of what his uncle killed the king.
- Analyzes how shakespeare shows how revenge is something that you may really want but it can be a hard thing to accomplish because of specific situations.
- Analyzes how shakespeare shows the soft side of revenge by showing how hamlet wants claudius to experience hardship and suffering for the villainous crimes he committed.
- Analyzes how shakespeare illustrates the theme that revenge has bad outcomes through hamlet and through secondary characters like laertes and fortinbras, who both desire to take revenge on the ones who killed their fathers.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's play is just a couple of people trying to get revenge for their dead fathers and get back at the people who killed them.
1081 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 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 - 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 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 - 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 - 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