Analysis of the theme of revenge in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet

Question

Hamlet

Write Down Essay Is On Hamlet And The Theme Of Revenge

Answer

Hamlet is one of the most famous plays composed by one of the great tragedies written by the famous playwright William Shakespeare. The play deals with the theory of the son’s revenge after the death of his father. However, it can be argued that seeking retribution at the right time will lead to the downfall of the individual seeking revenge or the cause of revenge. One could further argue that seeking revenge is not ideal for achieving equality, since a person can turn out to be as bad as anything he or she seeks revenge for. The following article attempts to analyze the theme of revenge in one of William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, Hamlet.

The main theme brought to light in the play Hamlet deals with the theme of revenge. The most important theme emphasized in this agreement deals with Prince Hamlet’s revenge when he learns that his father, the late King Claudius has been murdered by his own brother, Claudius, the prince’s uncle. As observed, the protagonist of the play, Prince Hamlet, is searching for various evidences and evidences that help him realize the fact that the late king Hamlet was murdered by Claudius, the current king. of Denmark (Hall 2016). Hamlet is informed of his father’s strange murder by none other than his own father’s ghost. Hamlet, therefore, is said to have sought means by which he could verify the veracity of the claims made by the ghost. However, he was unresponsive and waited to settle the matter for Claudius. The main character’s mental state is highlighted through the famous monologue

“To be or not to be, that is the question:

Let it be nobler in spirit to endure

Cable cars and arrows of outrageous luck,

Or take up arms against the sea of ​​trouble

And against them put an end to them.

It was observed that the revenge Hamlet sought eventually led to Hamlet’s death, the death of the only woman he loved, and the destruction of the Kingdom of Denmark (Simkin 2017).

The play also highlights the various subplots that are shown through the actions of different characters. One of the main characters showing revenge activity is the character Laertes (Bratchell 2019). Laertes has been seeking revenge on Prince Hamlet since learning the truth that Hamlet killed his father Polonius. Polonius’ death was the result of an accident when Hamlet stabbed his sword at Polonius, mistaking him for someone else. Revenge flares in Laertes’ mind when he receives news of the death of his beloved sister Ophelia and the death of his father, Polonius (Haque 2016). Prince of Denmark, Hamlet is considered the main cause of the deaths of Ophelia and Polonius. Ophelia committed suicide while Polonius was assassinated by the prince. This angered Laertes over the terms he had discussed with the current king of Denmark, Claudius, of ways in which he could avenge the deaths of his sister and father. This is evident in the following speech by Laertes.

Laertes

“And so I lost a noble father;

A sister pushed into desperate terms,

Whose worth, if praise can return,

Challengers standing on mounts of all ages

For his perfection: but my revenge will come.

It was also observed that the revenge carried out by Laertes also resulted in Laertes’ own death.
In the case of Fortinbras, we find that the young king also sought revenge for his father’s death. It is known that the King of Norway has sought revenge against the Danes since learning of his father’s death at the hands of the Danish army (Thomas 2018). By observation, Horatio has indicated that the current King of Norway, Fortinbras, is seeking revenge against Denmark.

“Now, sir, young Fortinbras,

Of raw metal, warm and full,

In Norwegian skirts, here and there

Shark`d a list of resolute anarchists,

For food and feed, for a business

Who likes the belly:”

It was observed that the revenge that Fortinbras sought prompted the young prince of Denmark, Hamlet, to fight and ultimately avenge the death of his father, King Hamlet (Wilson 2019). The revenge that Fortinbras sought led Hamlet to intensify his activities, which would eventually lead him to situations where he might have to face his father’s killer. The revenge sought by Fortinbras prompted Hamlet to reach a state of mind where he could understand the will required to seek proper revenge against the offender involved (Sarkar 2016). The play ends with Hamlet’s death and then the declaration of Fortinbras as the next king of Denmark.

Conclusion

Instead of the above discussion, one could say that seeking revenge for a crime committed may ultimately not lead to equality between the individuals involved. Revenge ultimately leads to the ultimate destruction of those who participated in the operation. It has been observed that Shakespeare, the famous playwright, demonstrated the fact that attempts at appropriate revenge for a wrongdoing often lead to the destruction and downfall of the person involved. . The individual who has sought appropriate punishment often fails to attain equal status with the wrongdoer and is therefore in a position that may offend the individual’s very existence.

References

Bratchell, D.F., 2019. Shakespearean tragedy. Routledge.

Hall, J.C., 2016. A Narrative Case Study of Hamlet and the Cultural Construction of Western Individualism, Diagnosis, and Madness. Journal of Systemic Therapies, 35(2), pp.1-13.

Haque, F., 2016. Revenge and Vengeance in Shakespeare’s Hamlet: A Study of Hamlet’s Pursuit and Procrastination Regarding Revenge. IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science, 21, pp.55-59.

Sarkar, S., 2016. Shakespeare’s Negative Attitude towards Women in Hamlet. The Millennium University Journal, 1(1), pp.64-67.

Shakespeare, W., 2003. Hamlet. Simon and Schuster.

Simkin, S., 2017. Revenge tragedy. Macmillan International Higher Education.

Thomas, A., 2018. Writing, Memory, and Revenge in Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Hamlet. In Shakespeare, Catholicism, and the Middle Ages (pp. 113-147). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Wilson, J., 2019. The Meaning of Death in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews, pp.1-5.