Essay on Revenge in Hamlet - 892 Words

Revenge in Hamlet It is natural human instinct for a son to feel offended over the death of his father. So is the instance of the two young princes, both spurned by the sudden death of King Hamlet toward destinies of avenging fallen fathers, which emerge to permit comparisons in Shakespeares great tragedy Hamlet. In the first act of the play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, and Fortinbras, Prince of Norway, both are fatherless heirs whose uncles occupy the throne of their respected countries. Both princes seek revenge for the events relating to the death of their fathers while their uncles and kings oppose their nephews, plotting to accomplish their own objectives. However, by what is learned in the brief sidelined accounts of†¦show more content†¦Whereas Fortinbras directs his vengeance toward a target outside his family and country, Hamlets enemy is exposed within the very core of Denmark, his own family. As a ghost from the grave, King Hamlet returns to reveal to his son that Claudius, the kings very brother caused his death by pouring poison into his ear while he slept. This earth quaking news is compounded with the recent marriage of now King Claudius to Hamlets short mourning mother, Gertrude. If the offenses of treason, parricide murder, and adultery were not enough to incite Hamlet to avenge his father, the ghost gives a fourth reason. This unexpected death was most untimely for King Hamlet because he had not repented for the sins he had accumulated throughout his life; thus, a sentence of suffering in purgatory withholds his entrance to heaven. Unlike Prince Fortinbrass goal of seeking retribution by recovering what was lost upon his fathers death, the ghost of King Hamlet calls his son to avenge him for deeds and responsibilities that remained even after his life left his body. For this most foul, strange, and unnatural(1.5.29) murder Prince Hamlet pledges to avenge his father by killing his uncle, king, and mothers husband, Claudius, without harming the Queen. By gathering a list of lawless resolutes for food and diet to some enterprise that hath a stomach in t, which is no other... Fortinbras sought to accomplishShow MoreRelatedRevenge in Hamlet1070 Words   |  5 Pagesmost tragic story lines of Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet is definitely one of them. In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Fortinbras, Hamlet and Laertes each demonstrate the ways revenge leads to tragedy when they are unable to cope with the loss of a loved one. Young Fortinbras has intentions of honoring his father’s loss by gaining the territory that was rightfully theirs. The lengths he is willing to go compare to Hamlet’s determination to seek revenge upon his uncle, and father’s murderer, ClaudiusRead MoreEssay on Revenge in Hamlet912 Words   |  4 Pageslanguage. Shakespeare wrote hundreds of pieces, from sonnets to plays. Hamlet is one of his most well-known plays. There isn’t any shortage of revenge in Hamlet, and so that is the theme we’ll be discussing. Hamlet and Laertes are the most obvious character with revenge in their minds, and that’s who we’ll be focusing on throughout the essay. Two months before the beginning of the play, the King Hamlet dies. The King shows himself to two guards, Barnardo and Francisco, atRead MoreTheme Of Revenge In Hamlet1763 Words   |  8 PagesRevenge is one of the deepest instincts common to humanity. Different people emit different purposes of revenge and are most likely filled with an internal confliction of emotions. Once that individual gets his/her revenge, a feeling of justice is established in the mind. Unfortunately, many people blindly take revenge without thinking of their actions or the consequences and believe that they will be able to move on after they take revenge. Revenge is ultimately placed in the hands of the impatientRead MoreRevenge Themes in Hamlet1077 Words   |  5 PagesIn the play ‘Hamlet written by William Shakespeare in Elizabethan times, the theme of revenge is a constant throughout the plot. Not only does it underlie almost every scene, but it also has a major effect on the story as a whole. Two of the main revenge plots within the play are Hamlets aim to avenge his father by killing his uncle, the king Claudius, and Laertes aim to avenge the murder of his father by killing Hamlet. These two revenge plots play a major role in presenting to the audience theRead MoreRevenge In Hamlet Essay1900 Words   |  8 PagesHamlet is visited by his father’s ghost who ultimately gives him the task of enacting revenge upon Claudius, but because of his suppressed resentment he clashes with the idea of achieving retribution for his father. In addition â€Å"Sigmund Freud, in a letter to Wilhelm Fliess, announced that he had found in his own development all the symptoms of the Oedipus complex and that he was coming to consider â€Å"love of the mother and jealousy of the father† (Faber pg. 79). Hamlets impulsive actions seem to beRead MoreTheme Of Revenge In Hamlet792 Words   |  4 PagesRevenge is something most people seek when they are hurt by someone or a loved one of theirs is hurt. Revenge can be a physical or verbal action toward someone. In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the play has a major theme of revenge. Many of the characters in the play are seeking revenge, such as Hamlet, Claudius, and Laertes. Some of the characters are seeking revenge due to their father’s deaths, and others are encouraging someone to seek revenge. The theme revenge can lead to death is seenRead More Revenge In Hamlet Essay1109 Words   |  5 Pages Hamlet nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Hamlet is a classic example of a tragedy as Hamlet suffers while trying to avenge his fathers death and eventually dies at the end while attempting to do so. Hamlet feels empty without resolution to his fatheramp;#8217;s death and since there is no justice system that is going to reveal the truth about his fatheramp;#8217;s death, he must take it into his own hands. Hamlet delays killing Claudius for a long time after the ghost appears. Hamlet delays hisRead MoreRevenge And Justice In Hamlet968 Words   |  4 Pagessaid, â€Å"Revenge is the act of passion, vengeance is an act of justice.† Many people seek revenge and try to disguise it as justice. Revenge can either be justifiable or unjustifiable based on the circumstances of the offense. Someone’s vengeance can be the establishment of justice, but revenge is not always justice. Revenge is defined as the action of inflicting hurt or harm on someone for an injury or wrong suffered at their han ds (Webster Dictionary). Justice is based on actions while revenge is basedRead MoreRevenge in Hamlet Essay1152 Words   |  5 PagesIn his play Hamlet, William Shakespeare frequently utilizes the word â€Å"revenge† and images associated with this word in order to illustrate the idea that the pursuit of revenge has caused the downfall of many people. He builds up the idea that revenge causes people to act recklessly through anger rather than reason. In Hamlet, Fortinbras, Laertes and Hamlet all seek to avenge the deaths of their fathers. Hamlet and Laertes manage to avenge their father’s deaths and in doing so, both rely more on theirRead MoreEssay On Revenge In Hamlet723 Words   |  3 Pages Hamlet essay â€Å"An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth† is a widely known statement referring to revenge, though many don’t know the origins of the saying. The thing is, however, is it truly that simple? Or does revenge cause more problems than it solves? In the case of the play Hamlet, written by Shakespeare in the sixteenth century, it could be argued that it changes the way that people would look at revenge and put a spotlight on its complexities. In Hamlets quest for revenge for his father’s