In using the conventions of the revenge tragedy genre, expectations are created for an audience who understand the conflict that looms under Claudius’s leadership unless Hamlet revenges his father’s ‘most foul and unnatural murder’. Yet Hamlet is conflicted over the moral dilemma that confronts him, expressing this through his Judeo Christian perspective of ‘O cursed spite that ever I was born to set it right’. His powerful use of soliloquy throughout the play explores the paradigm shift between Renaissance and Judeo-Christian ideas on life and life after death. ‘To be or not to be...’ asks Hamlet, reflecting the philosophical existential concerns of this context and supporting the plays longevity for these paramount concerns remain relevant to every context. Here Shakespeare has successfully mirrored the ferment and change in his society, whilst modern directors mirror theirs in ways that reflect their values and beliefs. It is for this reason that Shakespeare’s work is described as ‘not of an age, but for all time’ (Ben Johnson).…
In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the theme of revenge is very palpable as the reader examines the characters of Hamlet himself, as well as Laertes, son of Polonius, and Fortinbras, prince of Norway and son of the late King Fortinbras. Each of these young characters felt the need to avenge the deaths of their fathers who they felt were untimely killed at the bloody hands of their murderers. However, the way each chose to go about this varies greatly and gives insight into their characters and how they progress throughout the play.…
Time and time again, we as a complex society have recognized in many pieces of great literature the idea of man and revenge. Throughout history, the idea of vengeance has destroyed large communities, populations and entire civilizations. The problem with man and revenge is that one may be side-tracted of why or whom he is avenging. This similar idea is conveyed in the theme of Shakespear's Hamlet , "Vengeance can confuse a man's mind and soul to the point where he may not be sure of whom he is really avenging." Shakespear uses foils in this play to allow us readers to understand Hamlet as a man and why and whom he is really avenging, and Laertes and the ghost are foils for Hamlet in this play which help us readers understand his character and his actions.…
Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Hamlet explores humanities complex processes and the condition of which we live. In this play, the concept of revenge is studied cohesively with the ability of humans to make judgments over their actions and human’s curiosity toward seeking answers. Shakespeare, having written this play in the 17th century, creates the protagonist Hamlet as a forward thinking character with a philosophical quality and moral understanding regarding his ability to reason. These traits conflict against the crude revenge task at hand in the play. Through Hamlet’s complexity, Shakespeare makes direct opinions about the human condition and what it is to be human.…
Modern democracy is rooted in ancient Greek culture. Without accountability, mankind would be corrupt and chaotic. Before the creation of the court system, vengeance served as the primary basis of justice. Justice and revenge were at one time nearly synonymous, but this is no longer the case. Justice is now synonymous with integrity and authority. Aeschylus portrays this shift from blood-lust vengeance to equity through his trilogy, The Oresteia. The three plays, Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides outline how the way of life in the ancient Greek culture was being molded.…
William Shakespeare, regarded as one of the greatest English playwrights of all time, crafted Hamlet, a masterpiece that unravels a corrupt royal family. As the play opens with the death of the Denmark king, the audience is thrown into a world of power and betrayal. Prince Hamlet’s discovery of his father’s murder sets the stage for a creative and engaging story delving into the intricacies of revenge. In Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses the motif of revenge to convey the complexities of human nature rooted in internal conflicts, demonstrating the dangers of revenge. Hamlet’s journey for revenge leads him down an emotionally and internally difficult path swamped in moral dilemmas as he faces the consequences of revenge and the inevitability…
Like many tragedies, Shakespeare’s Hamlet does not fail to provide readers with tales of fervent, bloody revenge which satisfies the primal impulses of characters in the play, wrought on by unjust murder and a desire for vengeance. With a temperamental demeanor and mercurial mood, Laertes is portrayed in many instances as a brash, near irrational son whose desire to avenge his father’s death leads to both verbal and physical conflict. Even Hamlet himself enjoys his own moments of frustration, slandering his duplicitous and incestuous uncle in private scenes and soliloquies. Unlike many traditional revenge tales, however, Hamlet also illuminates the question of the morality of revenge itself: whether or not the adage of “an eye for an eye” may…
The act of taking revenge on someone for past wrong doings is known to never truly repair the damage that person has done. Seeking vengeance will consume one’s life and as a result when the goal is achieved the avenger is often left feeling empty. To achieve revenge sacrifices must be made and casualties are an inevitable outcome. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet there are many instances where revenge leads to sacrifice and death. A journey for revenge will often lead to ones own death, both physically and otherwise. Vengeance will lead to the deterioration of past connections and relationships. An avenger’s journey frequently results in the death of loved ones. To avenge one death will inevitably…
In Shakespeare’s famous Hamlet, Hamlet is driven by a singular goal; to exact revenge on his uncle for his father’s murder, and by achieving this goal, to set his broken world right again. His revenge is slow, meticulous, and well thought through. If his revenge is not done at the right moment, Hamlet will not be able to achieve his goal: Not only wants to make Claudius pay for his father’s murder, but he wants to punish him in the worst way he knows: eternal damnation. He wants Claudius to suffer in the worst way he knows, and in the same way his father was forced to suffer. Hamlet’s extravagant plan on vengeance is an attempt to right the wrong that Claudius has set on him.…
Shakespeare’s revenge tragedy Hamlet was composed in the early 17th century Elizabethan Era, reflecting this society’s preoccupation with retribution and vengeance. It explores key concerns and concepts of everlasting relevance to audiences of all ages. The tragic hero Hamlet is intensely human and his struggles are familiar to all audiences. He educates the audience via vicarious learning, sharing his experiences as he explores fundamental issues of morality and mortality through his intense interactions with the lead female characters. Key concerns that are the driving forces in Hamlet include: deception and revenge. These overarching concerns help the audience to understand the prevarications and motivations of Hamlet, along with the multifaceted relationships between Hamlet, Ophelia, Gertrude and Claudius.…
Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is the first play of great tragedies. Because of Hamlet’s father’s death, Hamlet is faced with life’s most difficult question about the nature of good and evil. Love, grief, anger, or despair can bring about dramatic action but by taking the life of a human needs only the nerve of a common man. Revenge however, calls for wisdom and discipline.…
The aphorism that revenge is a ‘dish best served cold’ expresses the act of revenge as being most satisfying when pursued in a state of emotional impartiality, being idyllically a well-considered process. This type of imperturbable demeanor is portrayed through both Shakespeare and Scott’s central characters, Hamlet and Creasy. Over time Hamlet transfigures from a highly emotional state to a temperament which is extremely methodical and emotionally stale. This mentality leads to a course of self-imposed blockades that ultimately result in the deferment of his revenge. Creasy, contrastingly, begins in an emotionless and detached state, a façade consolidated through his apparent want to die. However, this icy stature is chiseled away by Peta when he is assigned as her bodyguard. Upon Peta’s kidnapping Creasy is enraged, with reason exchanged for an intense and tremendously emotional approach for revenge.…
In Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, The main character, Hamlet, is motivated by the revenge against King Claudius, his father’s murderer. This plot against Claudius is blazed forward by the ghost of King Hamlet, Hamlet’s father. Leading to the turning point of the play, we see how the revenge drives Hamlet to commit atrocity in order to fulfil his father’s quest.…
Hamlet is a play written by Shakespeare in the early 1600’s. The play is a tragedy based around Hamlet’s life and all of the troubles he undergoes after having an encounter with his deceased father. When Hamlet’s father does encounter him, he tells him that he has been betrayed and killed by his own brother. Soon after being told this, Hamlet goes mad thinking about how he will get revenge on his uncle Claudius. Hamlet soon becomes obsessed with the thought of revenge on his uncle Claudius. Hamlet’s strong desire for it guides the play along and just so happens to relate to our society’s obsession with revenge today.…
In the play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare, several characters attempt to lure their foes into their death as payback for any wrongdoing. This highlights the main theme of revenge in the play. Revenge is a constant theme throughout the plot. Not only does it underlie almost every scene, but it also has a major effect on the story as a whole. Three of the main revenge plots within the play are Hamlet's aim to avenge his father by killing his uncle, Laertes' target to avenge the murder of his father by killing Hamlet, and Prince Fortinbras’ wish to reclaim his father’s land. These three revenge plots play a major role in presenting to the audience the theme of revenge through a series of developed plans to trick one another.…