Revenge in Hamlet.

his father lost…” (1.1.105-108).   Horatio is saying Fortinbras plans to forcefully regain the land King Hamlet took from King Fortinbras. Luckily, Claudius steps in and contacts Prince Fortinbras’s uncle, the new King of Norway.  Upon hearing the message, Fortinbras’ uncle refuses Fortinbras’ plan to wage war on Denmark. However, he encourages Fortinbras “to employ his anger, against the Polack” in order to vent his rage (2.2.74-75). After taking the advice of his uncle, Fortinbras additionally “makes vow before his uncle never more to have th’ assay of arms against your majesty,” (2.2.70-71). This intervention could be what saves Fortinbras’ life. With the counseling of his uncle, Fortinbras is able to put aside his longing to settle the score for his father’s murder. In the end, he is greatly rewarded (Bradley 125).            Because of his persistent doubt of whether Claudius did kill his father, Hamlet procrastinates in making plans to act out his revenge. Hamlet is the hardest of the three sons to be convinced to act vengefully. Although Hamlet was upset by his father’s death, he did not consider revenge as an option until he meets with the ghost of his father one night. The ghost tells Hamlet King Claudius, his own brother murdered him. The ghost then tells Hamlet “to revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (1.5.26). Although murder was an acceptable form of revenge in Hamlet’s time he is uncertain about killing Claudius. However, upon his father’s command, Hamlet reluctantly swears to retaliate against Claudius. Hamlet does this not because he wants to, but because his father makes it clear that it is his duty as a son. Hamlet promises to prove his love and duty by killing Claudius (Farley-Hill 267).             Hamlet did not follow what his father told him without questioning why he should take the advice. As time passes, Hamlet has not acted out the revenge he promised his father. Out of disgust for his irreverence for his father he says, “why, what an ass am I! This is most brave, that I, the son of a dear father murdered, prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, must like a whore, unpack my heart with words and fall a-cursing like a very drab” (2.2.591-595). This statement leads one to believe Hamlet has been convinced by his father’s words to act, but does not want to do so carelessly. Hamlet questions the validity of his revenge by devising a plan to provide evidence of King Claudius’ guilt. Hamlet took advantage of his position at the local theater by instructing his actors to perform a play within a play, which reenacts a murder similar to his father’s. Then based on Claudius’ response to the play, Hamlet would conclude his guilt or innocence. Hamlet says, “I’ll have these players play something like the murder of my father before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks, I’ll tent him to the quick” (2.2.603-606). After seeing Claudius’ response to the play, Hamlet affirms the King’s guilt and proceeds with his plan to kill him (Wilson 57).            Hamlet had a stronger conscience than Fortinbras or Laertes, and because of this, he gave the most thought to his strategy of revenge. Even after Hamlet decides to kill Claudius, he continues to question how his revenge will affect himself, as well as, the King. In Hamlet’s “to be, or not to be” soliloquy, he says, “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all” (3.1.84). By conscience, Hamlet is referring to looking into his mind and feelings.  Hamlet is saying his conscience is in turmoil; his world is falling apart. Although he fears the consequences of murdering Claudius it seems like he feels obligated by guilt to continue with his plan (Hoy 96).Because of the responsibility his father placed upon him, Hamlet is overcome with rage. Now, he not only wants to kill Claudius, but he wants to ensure that Claudius will go to hell when he is killed. This is shown when Hamlet passes up the chance to kill Claudius, but does not because Claudius is in church.  Hamlet fears that if he kills Claudius then that he would go to heaven and not face what he deserves.  In a vain attempt to slay King Claudius, Hamlet inadvertently kills Polonius who was hiding behind the tapestry. Even after all the careful consideration Hamlet gave to planning his revenge he makes that deadly mistake (Hoy 99).              Laertes puts the least amount of thought into his revenge and is the most easily influenced of the three men. He confronts Claudius at once after hearing about his father, Polonius’, death. Claudius tells Laertes that Hamlet slew his father, and Laertes vows to kill Hamlet by saying, “Let come what comes, only I’ll be revenged most thoroughly for my father,” (4.5.140-141). When King Claudius asks how Laertes plans to kill Hamlet, Laertes tells him that he intends “to cut his throat I’ the’ church!” (4.7.129). The king advises Laertes to wait until Hamlet returns home to kill him. Claudius wants to invite Frenchmen to bet on the duel between Hamlet and Claudius. King Claudius claims Hamlet will not want to fight and guarantees Laertes’s victory. The king’s plan was to kill Hamlet was supposedly foolproof although it was not. Laertes would fight with a poison-tipped sword and Hamlet’s wine would include a pearl of poison in case the sword did not work ( Farley-Hills 349).            When Laertes confronts Hamlet he is blinded by his rage and  refuses to consider Hamlet’s apology. Laertes proceeds to fight Hamlet with his poisoned sword, and during the sword fight, both men are wounded. Laertes’ plan to seek revenge on Hamlet was successful, but it cost him his own life. Laertes was firm in his desire for revenge. It is certain that he would have sought revenge regardless of advice from anyone, and the same is true with Hamlet and Fortinbras.   However, he may not have died if it had not been for King Claudius’ recommendation. In Hamlet’s dying moment he attacks Claudius and forces him to drink the poison, which Claudius had intended to kill Hamlet with. Through all of this, Hamlet did manage to avenge his father’s death. Unfortunately, he was dying of the wound inflicted by Laertes and was unable to relish the moment, as he should have. As Hamlet is dying he wills his father’s land and crown to Fortinbras. Due to the guidance of King Claudius, young Fortinbras regained his father’s land without the use of violence, or death to himself ( Wilson 98-119).              The chain of events leading to the success of Fortinbras and the failure of Hamlet and Laertes was initiated by a command from someone close to them. King Claudius had an ulterior motive of saving his land, yet by telling Fortinbras’ uncle of Fortinbras’ plan to attack Denmark his uncle was able to deflect his nephew’s anger. By choosing not to attack Denmark,  Fortinbras was able to avoid death. The ghost of Hamlet’s father caused Hamlet’s death by advising Hamlet to seek revenge.  This makes King Hamlet appear as a goblin damned as opposed to a good ghost.   Before his encounter with his father Hamlet did not want any part in the act of revenge. In attempt to pursue his father’s wishes, Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius, which causes his death and essentially Ophelia’s death.  When Laertes listens to King Claudius he brings death upon both of them. Laertes did not think his own sword would be used against him. In the end, the men’s fate was determined not only by their own feelings, but by the actions advised by the command of another person. For Hamlet and Laertes successful revenge led them to death. The guidance he received, as well as, inner strength overcame Fortinbras’ need for revenge and led him to happiness (Hoy 162).         In Shakespeare’s times, revenging the death of a loved one was accepted, and in the case of Hamlet, Fortinbras, and Laertes, revenge was justifiable.  I believe that the revenge of each of these men’s father’s death was inevitable.  I do believe that their death could have been avoided, but if it were, this would have not been a tragedy.   Works Cited Bradley, A.C. Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and MacBeth.