Revenge in Hamlet.
Kristin Bell Mrs. Stroh Honors Comm Skills 12 5 April, 2002 Revenge in Hamlet In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses revenge as a major theme present throughout the work. Revenge defined by Merrium-Webster is "to avenge (as oneself) usually by retaliating in kind or degree" (Merrium-Webster). Revenge plays a crucial role in the development of many characters in the play Hamlet. The three main characters that display revenge throughout the play are Fortinbras, the Prince of Norway, Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, and Laertes, the son of Polonius. All three men seek revenge for the murder of their fathers. It is said that revenge can be interpreted as a separate character in Hamlet (Bradley 115). Revenge is set to overcome anyone who seeks it. Initially, after each of the murders, every son had an inflexible course of action to obtain vengeance. In Hamlet's case, the choice was to seek no vengeance. As the play unfolds, each young man approaches the desire for revenge and chooses a different path towards gaining it based on the guidance of another character in the play. Fortinbras' good decisions and self-control, as well as, Hamlet and Laertes' bad decisions can be attributed to the outside guidance they receive (Hoy 84). Fortinbras, son of the slain King of Norway, is the first to seek revenge. Although King Hamlet, the now deceased King of Denmark, held sole responsibility for
Revenge in Hamlet
Revenge in Hamlet In modern times justice is virtually always served. Most crimes and wrong doings are reprimanded and punishments are given. Yes, there are the scarce few who go above and beyond the law to take matters into their own hands. But it is the co formality of the law and of justice that keep the world from becoming chaotic. Revenge is thought as being barbaric and adolescent; the opportunity to retaliate or gain satisfaction. Justice is fair and impartial behavior or treatment. In Shakespeare's Hamlet three characters go through a sudden death of a family member. The way that these characters deal with their problems display the rage and confusion that exists within the play. Hamlet, Laertes, and Claudius allow madness to poison their mind, disable the chance for justice and enable cold-blooded revenge to take over. With the unforeseen death of his father, Laertes is overwhelmed with misplaced anger and unanswered questions. Searching for answers he turns to Claudius. It well appears. But tell me Why you proceeded not against these feats, So crimeful in nature, As by your safety, wisdom, all things else, You mainly were stirred up. (Shakespeare 4.7:5-10) At this point Laertes is frustrated and susceptible to a cure for his pain; to find this, he turns to Claudius. Claudius introduces his plan for revenge. "No place , indeed, should murder
Revenge in Hamlet
Revenge in Hamlet Revenge causes one to act blindly through anger, rather than through reason. It is based on the principle of an eye for an eye, but this principle is not always an intelligent theory to live by. In the play "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare the theme of revenge is displayed by, Fortinbras, Laertes, and young Hamlet. There were three major families in the Tragedy of Hamlet. These were the family of King Fortinbras, the family of Polonius, and the family of King Hamlet. The heads of each of these families are all slaughtered within the play. Fortinbras, King of Norway, was killed by King Hamlet; slain by sword during a man-to-man battle. "...our valiant Hamlet-for so this side of our known world esteem'd him-did slay this Fortinbras." (p.13). This entitled King Hamlet to the land that was possessed by Fortinbras because it was written in a seal'd compact. Polonius was an advisor to the King, and father to Laertes and Ophelia. He was nosy and arrogant, and he did not trust his children. Young Hamlet killed him while he was eves dropping on a conversation between Hamlet and his mother. "How now! A rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead!" (p.171). King Hamlet was the King of Denmark, and Hamlet's father. He had killed King Fortinbras, only to be killed by his brother, Claudius. "...Murder most foul as in the best it is, but this most foul, strange, and unnatural." (p.57).
Why does Hamlet delay in his revenge?
Why does Hamlet delay in his revenge? Hamlet is a play about revenge. It is a tragedy and the play explores the flaws in Hamlet's character that lead up to his death. Hamlet is set in the state of Denmark, Denmark is seen as a rotten state at the time, 'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.' This makes the audience aware that evil and corruption rule in the state of Denmark and seeing as Hamlet is the hero of the play it is seen as his job to conquer this evil. Hamlet sees Denmark as a prison, 'Denmark's a prison.' Hamlet says this because he feels that the state of Denmark is a restricting place that fails to provide the intellectual needs of Hamlet, he also says this because Denmark is full of criminals. The play explores the corruption within the society, which spreads and eventually destroys itself. Hamlet starts of the play as innocent and moral; however, with the corruption of the people around him later on in the play Hamlet also becomes dishonest. Many people assume that the first line in Shakespeare's plays sets the scene for the rest of the play. The opening line of Hamlet is 'Who's there?' this tells the audience a lot about the play as it is a play about unanswered questions and people seeking these answers and there response. The first line also portrays the mistrust between the characters and within the state of Denmark. Act 1 really just sets the
Explore the presentation of revenge in 'Hamlet'.
Jose Cree Explore the presentation of revenge in 'Hamlet' Revenge is a key theme in Hamlet. It is not only essential to understanding Hamlet's character, it forms the structure for the whole play, supporting and overlapping other important themes that arise. Though it is Hamlets revenge that forms the basis for the story, tied into this is the vengeance of Laertes and Fortinbras, whose situations in many ways mirror Hamlets' own. By juxtaposing these avengers, Shakespeare draws attention to their different approaches to the problem of revenge and how they resolve these. The idea of revenge is first introduced by the appearance of the ghost in act 1 Scene 5, and linked to this is the theme of hell and the afterlife. At the end of this scene, Hamlet is irreversibly bound to revenge for the duration of the play, 'speak, I am bound to hear' 'So art thou to revenge'. The ghost appears with the sole aim of using his son to obtain revenge on his brother, and so every word he speaks is designed to enrage Hamlet and stir in him a desire for vengeance. He uses very emotive language to exaggerate the enormity of the crime, and he concentrates Hamlet's attention on the treachery of Claudius. His description of the murder itself demonises Claudius and contains many references to original sin, 'the serpent that did sting thy fathers life now wears his crown.' Hamlet, who has been
Examining the theme of revenge in Hamlet.
Josh Davies 10M. 30/06/02 Examining the theme of revenge in Hamlet. Shakespeare's play Hamlet has 5 acts like most plays of its time. There are 20 scenes in this play, which was first published in 1603. Hamlet is a revenge tragedy. This is a special form of tragedy, which concentrates on the protagonist's pursuit of vengeance against those who have done him wrong. These plays often concentrate on the moral confusion caused by the need to answer evil with evil. These plays often had a ghost who could not rest until their murderer was killed. Shakespeare uses soliloquy to show the audience the characters feelings, motives and decisions. Through soliloquy the theme of revenge and fate of the main characters can be charted. To explain the importance of revenge in the soliloquies I am going to write about the following: the Elizabethan convention of soliloquy and how it has evolved in today's performances, two versions of hamlet, one by Kenneth Branagh and one by Franco Zefferelli, and the way hamlets character is shown through the language of his soliloquies. I will also look at why Shakespeare stops using soliloquy after act 4. I will also make actors note on one of the soliloquies. We are shown through out the play what the characters are thinking by the use of soliloquy. This is a dramatic convention, which allows a character in a play to speak directly to
Explore the concept of revenge in Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Essay Title: Explore the concept of revenge in Shakespeare's Hamlet In the Elizabethan era revenge was an important issue; this was a popular theme in the theatre and a main plot of the day. Shakespeare's plays were in great demand by the public and had a great effect on the audiences who watched. Although most of the Elizabethan revenge plays were set in Italy or Spain the Elizabethan was still able to grasp the concept of the issues that were being raised in the play and was able to apply these issues to their daily living. Shakespeare was greatly influenced by the classical Roman dramatist Seneca; Shakespeare applied Seneca's ideas to his work. This is because the structure and the plot of Seneca's work were of such a high standard that Seneca became well known. Many revenge tragedies consists of a typical structure which, when analysed is found to be comprised of five parts which are as follows: Exposition - this is usually shown through the image of a ghost who motivates the character to take revenge. Anticipation - this is where a planning of the revenge takes place. Confrontation - This occurs between the avenger and the proposed victim. Delay - The avenger has doubts as to whether or not he or she should carry out the murder. Completion - this is the finale, which often concludes with the death
Why does Hamlet delay his revenge?
Why does Hamlet delay his revenge? The play Hamlet centres around the delay made by the central character in taking his revenge. Without this delay Shakespeare would simply not have had a play to write and Hamlet would not exist. It is therefore important that we understand the reasons why Hamlet did delay his revenge. These reasons do vary greatly but many centre around Hamlet's character as that of a thinker. Hamlet's reasons for delay differ from his own fear of death, and damnation due to his insecurity as to where the ghost has come from, to the theory of the Oedipus complex. Many of these reasons focus on the religious and is therefore representative of the period and the way in which the audience would be wrestling with two desires. To follow the basic need for revenge and the desire to follow the Church's teachings. Shakespeare's Hamlet is a typical revenge tragedy, involving the murder of a close relation, in this case Hamlet's own father, by a person who is considered to be out of the reach of common justice. In Hamlet the murderer is Hamlet's uncle, who is now the King of Denmark. The play centres on the difficulties that Hamlet faces as the avenger. Hamlet fulfils many of the conventions of a revenge tragedy. The victim is a close relation of Hamlet, the perpetrator is apparently 'untouchable' and the act of revenge finally results in the death of the hero:
Why does Hamlet delay his revenge?
Why does Hamlet delay his revenge? There have been many reasons put forth for Hamlet's apparent delay in seeking revenge. Many believe that Hamlet does not take immediate action because Hamlet's character is one of contemplation and melancholy; not action. Because of these traits, Hamlet needs evidence and assurance that Claudius really has killed Old Hamlet. Another argument is that subconsciously Hamlet may not want to kill Claudius because of the Oedipus complex. Others however have proposed a more practical explanation: Hamlet would like to make Claudius' death more painful and ruthless than Old Hamlet's. Shakespeare could have delayed Hamlet's revenge on purpose because by delaying the revenge, he is satisfying his Elizabethan audience and categorizing 'Hamlet' as a 'tragedy'. Similarly, Hamlet's delay could be seen as a flaw and like all tragic heroes Hamlet must have a fault in order to classify him as a 'tragic hero'. Hamlet's philosophical nature allows him to question the Ghost's existence and collect evidence before acting which delays Claudius' death. Hamlet's initial response is to trust the Ghost and act quickly when he says "Haste me to know't that I with wings as swift. May sweep to my revenge" in Act I scene vi. However by Act II scene ii he doubts the Ghost and thinks that "the spirit I may have seen may be a devil". Until Hamlet is certain of Claudius'
The Unpredictable Course Of Revenge In the play, Hamlet
The Unpredictable Course Of Revenge Ahmad T. Q. In the play, Hamlet, Shakespeare is depicting revenge as something that is inevitable and starts a chain of reaction that ends in self-destruction. In the process of revenge there are foreign agents that are also trapped as the revenge progresses. This is when the play is at its peak. The eventual result is death of everyone with the exception of minor character, which played key role in the main characters development. In this case it is Horatio, Hamlet's life long friend. The one common thing in the play is that the eldest son in each of the three families is avenging the death of their father. When Hamlet was in the process to take revenge of his father another action occurred, the killing of Polonious by Hamlet who is Laertes father. This shows how one revenge leads to another. Throughout the play Hamlet is slowed by many choices he has to make. One example is when he gets the chance to kill Claudius while he was in prayer he did not act. He did this because he wanted more than revenge that is he wanted Claudius to suffer eternally in hell. As Hamlet says, "Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; And now I'll do't. And so he goes to heaven; And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd: A villain kills my father; and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven" (Act 3, Scene 3) There are many
