The Importance Of Revenge Tragedy In Hamlet

Hamlet 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 …show more content…

The poem was written before the death of Hamlet’s father. Hamlet had no reason to lie about his feelings to Ophelia prior to his father’s death. This was a direct admission to Ophelia that Hamlet loved her. Hamlet changed his demeanor after his father’s death. Hamlet portrayed madness when Ophelia returned his love letters and gifts. The madness and mocking of Ophelia shows the reader that Hamlet had feelings for Ophelia that he was trying to hide. Cameron Hunt, who graduated from the University of South Florida with a Ph.D. in English, specializing in medieval and modern drama, has closely analyzed Hamlet’s love for Ophelia. Hunt believes that Shakespeare used wordplay to confuse the reader regarding Hamlet’s love for Ophelia. She also believes that Hamlet portrays the frustration that young virgins felt. “Scholars have long noted the presence of erotomania in the play, a disease that supposedly induced irrationality and distraction in virgins because of their lack of sexual intercourse. In short, they were made mad by being a maid. In Hamlet, both Hamlet and Ophelia, in one way or another, suffer from this love melancholy” (Hunt). Hamlet exposed evidence of an emotional attachment as well as a physical attraction to Ophelia. Wordplay in Hamlet shows the ambiguity between madness and sexuality is more than thematic; it is verbal as well. Hamlet verbalized his infinite love for Ophelia after she