Hamlet Revenge Theme

Revenge’s consuming nature causes one to act recklessly through anger rather than reason. Revenge is a very dangerous emotion to acquire, and typically leads to ones downfall. Throughout Hamlet, revenge is a dominant theme. Not only does revenge underlie almost every scene, but it also has a major effect on the play as a whole. Two of the main revenge plots within the play are Hamlet 's aim to avenge his father’s death by killing his uncle, Claudius, and Laertes ' aim to avenge the murder of his father by killing Hamlet. These two revenge plots play a major role in presenting to the audience the theme of revenge. But, the audience may not realize that within the play, Hamlet’s quest for justice gets lost in his quest for revenge. The justice

Pray can I not, though inclination be as sharp as will. My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent … What if this cursed hand were thicker than itself with brother’s blood…” (III.iv.38-44). At this moment, Hamlet began to delay his revenge. This quote describes Hamlet coming across Claudius confessing the murder while trying to pray. If he were to kill Claudius while he was praying to God, he feared that Claudius would go to heaven, which would hardly be adequate revenge since Claudius killed Hamlet’s father. So, Hamlet decides to wait, resolving to kill Claudius when he is sinning. Soon after, Claudius admits that he has been unable to pray sincerely, “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below”

This is shown in Hamlet’s quote, “How I stand then, that I have a father kill’d, a mother stain’d, excitements of my reason and my blood, and let all sleep, while, to my shame, I see the imminent death of twenty thousand men, that, for a fantasy and trick of fame, go to their graves like beds…” (IV.iv.55-65). In this scene, Hamlet struggles with his guilt that he has not yet avenged his fathers death, while twenty thousand men have been killed over something as trivial as land that does not even have a profit, just a name. Hamlet will no longer delay the act of his purpose. This ultimately motivates Hamlet and reminds him of his purpose, to avenge his father’s