Explore how Shakespeare examines the theme of revenge in Hamlet.

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Explore how Shakespeare examines the theme of revenge in Hamlet.

By Nicola Carruthers

The theme of revenge is consistent throughout Hamlet. The play is specifically a revenge tragedy and it became extremely popular during the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. A dictionary definition of Revenge is defined as ‘Retaliation for an injury or wrong’ or ‘the desire to inflict such retaliation’. In the case of Hamlet, the protagonist attempts to inflict revenge upon the antagonist Claudius, his uncle who murders Hamlet’s father the king for the throne, through many attempts he takes it upon himself to avenge the death of his father but continually puts it off until he has reassurance to the obvious ‘planned’ death throughout the play. Not only is revenge seen in the title character but it is shown in the characters of Fortinbras and Laertes, who like Hamlet, were all looking to avenge the deaths of their fathers.

Aspects of the Revenge tragedy are also linked to the Roman Senecan model. Senecan tragedy originated from the roman stoic philosopher and politician L. Annaeus Senecan who wrote 8 of the 10 dramas. They are usually about a secret murder. Following the theme of revenge upon the murder of someone of high class such as a member of the royal family by a ‘bad guy’ the antagonist of the play. The model also involves a ghostly visitation of the victim to a younger member of the member, usually a son. A number of other factors such as periods of madness of a main character, general violence resulting in many deaths and ultimately the avengers through many long soliloquies and bad deeds are also part of the Senecan model. “Hamlet is certainly not much like any play of Seneca’s one can name, but Seneca is undoubtedly one of the effective ingredients in the emotional charge of Hamlet. Hamlet without Seneca is inconceivable.”

Revenge tragedy during the times of Elizabethan theatre became increasing popular and the theme was one of the most common at the times. Revenge tragedy is always focused on that of a sinful act committed by a secondary character, laws and conflict aside, the main character must find a way to avenge the perpetrator for this bad deed through a series of attempts on their lonesome, either by death or a punishment that is equivalent in the suffering that was brought upon this act. This becomes the main focus of the play. Like in Hamlet, the title character must take revenge upon his uncle Claudius for murdering his father after the ghostly visitation of the victim persuades him, although Hamlet constantly stalls and begins to questions his own sanity and this accusation of murder. To place certainty he plans a theatre act to re-enact the story of how he ‘imagines’ Claudius to have killed him via poison, he does this to see how Claudius would react. This takes all doubt away from Hamlets mind as he sets the motion in action to murder him. Another aspect in revenge tragedy is the isolation of the protagonist from the other characters and his place in society as a prince, like hamlet himself, his abnormally strange actions and outburst of soliloquies often appears as if he is going through a period of insanity as viewed by the other characters and the audience. The question of madness is another main theme highlighted throughout Hamlet. At the end of the play, many of the corpses of the characters are a result of the acts taken to seal the revenge, another thing to thing about is how this could have been prevented if Hamlet had acted on a whim and killed Claudius, when he first had a chance. Thus ending in a tragedy.

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Revenge takes its course throughout the play as a whole. It is clearly illustrated in several key scenes such as: Act I scenes iv and v in which the ghostly counter-part of Hamlet’s father, the king, makes a visit to the castle grounds is the real beginning of the quest for revenge as the ghost persuades Hamlet that his death was no accident but a murder. By his very own brother Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle and the now king of Denmark who has romanced Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet is disgusted at the behaviour of both Claudius and his mother, Gertrude and ...

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This essay shows a clear understanding of the plot of 'Hamlet'; however it does not provide a high enough level of analysis. The whole essay should be peppered with textual references that are used to enhance and support analysis.