How far is Hamlet presented as a tragic figure of revenge?
‘Hamlet’ is a revenge tragedy. Within the play there are many aspects, which are particularly common within this genre. For example, in all revenge tragedies, there are scenes of madness, in some cases this is genuine, however, as in ‘Hamlet’, it is often an act. Another criteria of revenge tragedies that have been written into ‘Hamlet’ is a play within a play. The reason for Hamlet wishing to seek revenge is defined right at the start of the play. Hamlet learns of an act, which requires vengeance from a ghost who visits him.
The genre of the play emphasises the character of Hamlet. There are many events within the play that cause us to question whether Hamlet is a ‘tragic figure of revenge’. Although we are aware that he is seeking revenge, Hamlet seems to play with the idea, doubting his ability to commit murder. Hamlet hesitates considerably, avoiding the murder of Claudius for as long as possible. This raises moral issues within the play, the rhetorical techniques used in the play cause a will he or won’t he? scenario. Hamlet wishes to stay loyal to the ghost, who is claiming to be the king, however, he is far from being the stereotypical, hard-faced, violent character, capable of carrying out a revengeful act without feeling any remorse. Instead, he is a pure and honest man, who does not seem to posses the characteristics of a hero. Hamlets hesitation makes his character seem tragically torn between emotions. He wants to do what is right, but fails for a long time, to make his decision. This causes tension in the play, and, the time delay provides the reader with enough time to build an accurate image of Hamlets character, examining him in fine detail to determine his true mental state. Hamlet is most definitely a figure of revenge and to many would seem tragic, in order to establish the extent of this, it is necessary to discuss all the possible causes of his change in nature.
