theme of revenge hamlet essay

Revenge is the Overarching Theme of the Play Hamlet

This essay will analyze the theme of revenge in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” It will explore how the pursuit of vengeance drives the plot and shapes the characters, particularly Hamlet, Claudius, and Laertes. The piece will discuss how Shakespeare presents revenge as a complex and morally ambiguous force, examining its impact on the characters’ psyche and the overall tragedy. It will also consider how the theme of revenge in “Hamlet” reflects Elizabethan attitudes and contributes to the play’s enduring relevance and dramatic power. Also at PapersOwl you can find more free essay examples related to Hamlet.

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Revenge is a strange idea. It has been around since the dawn of time. An Eye for an eye, right? If someone hits you, you hit them back harder. In the play, Hamlet, William Shakespeare, Revenge is the overarching theme of the play. It shows what revenge can do to a person. Hamlet views revenge as a good deed: something that he must complete to avenge his dad. Revenge is binary, meaning it isn't only the act of revenge, there are many layers to it for example, who it hurts or who it benefits. Need a custom essay on the same topic? Give us your paper requirements, choose a writer and we’ll deliver the highest-quality essay! Order now

The play has several critical turning points where revenge is apparent and shows what revenge can do to people, especially Hamlet. Revenge is necessary to preserve honor, according to Hamlet, therefore, Hamlet's actions to choose revenge were justified. Hamlet seeks revenge due to his existentialism if we examine his views on life we see he rejects the role of regular society to dictate morality and its role in the process of morality choices. Hamlets existentialism allows his decisions to be amplified and elevated and ultimately he justifies his behavior.the first point of emphasis on revenge occurs when Hamlet speaks to his father, Old Hamlet.

In Act 1 scene 1, Hamlet talks to his dad in the form of a ghost, and learns his father was murdered, by Claudius, Hamlet's uncle and his father's brother, Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.(1.5, 25) This quote is the beginning of Hamlet's existential crisis. He is ordered from his father to murder his killer which Hamlet was ready to take revenge for his horrible murder. Hamlet believes that he will feel alleviated, relieved, and internally motivated due to avenging his father, Haste me to know 't, that I, with wings as swift As meditation or the thoughts of love, May sweep to my revenge.(1.5, 30) This quote reveals that Hamlet isn't afraid to kill anyone, and is happy too. It shows that revenge is evident in the play, and that is will be a major factor in what the characters desire. But it isn't that simple. Murder is against Hamlets morals, And so he goes to heaven. And so am I revenged. That would be scanned. A villain kills my father, and, for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven.(3.3,75-80) Here is yet another reason Hamlet should be justified in his quest for revenge. If Hamlet is going to kill Claudius, then he wants him to suffer for the rest of eternity for what he did to Hamlet's father.

He doesn't want to give Claudius the satisfaction of going to heaven and having a good afterlife because he was killed in prayer. Hamlet wants him to pay. Hamlet throughout the play does not act on the murder that he promised his father. In Act Two, scene two Hamlet expresses that he hasn't done anything 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, A scullion! Fie upon 't, foh! (2.2, 545) Hamlet is only able to act through his emotions and words. He pours out his heart in his soliloquy at the end of this scene. He acknowledges his inadequacy in what his father had asked him to do. Hamlet regards to himself as an, ass and is conflicted, O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right! Nay, come, let's go together.(1.5,190) Murder is still against Hamlet's morals, but that is in opposition of what Hamlet is asked by his father. In addition, the way that he viewed his father is important to understand why there is a controversy in the first place. He viewed his father as a powerful, fair, and noble King, So excellent a King, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr. So loving to my mother(1.2, 140) which is why Hamlet was so dire for revenge.

In an ongoing battle between overcoming morality and his morals, Hamlet comes to the realization that all actions in one's lifetime are meaningless. That, Alexander [the Great] was buried, Alexander returneth to dust, the dust is earth, of earth we make loam(5.1,190) That even the Conqueror and King of Macedonia is dead. He is now dirt that is useless, unless you are stopping up a hole. He is accepting the fact that there is no heaven or hell, or any afterlife for that matter. If your dead, your dead. This point in time is where hamlet rejects his morals and will continue with his plot to kill the King. Hamlet over the course of the play, develops depression as a result of his inadequacy.

In Hamlet's most famous silique can reveal a lot about the character that he developed into: To be, or not to be? That is the question Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them? To die, to sleep No more and by a sleep to say we end (3.1, 57-63) Due to Hamlet's duty bound revenge that was consequently forced upon Hamlet, he considers how easy it would be to kill himself and end all of his troubles. Hamlet toys with the idea: although a sin, is suicide another option for not getting revenge? Hamlet's motifs to inflict harm on someone for a wrong suffered at their hands is due to the fact that Hamlet feels like nobody is on his side. His mother betrayed his father and then tells Hamlet, Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted color off, And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark... All that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity.(1.2, 70) Hamlet is told by his own mother that death happens, she has no sympathy for Hamlet who just lost his father, even worse he was murdered. When the ghost of King Hamlet says, "That incestuous, that adulterate beast" (1.5,49) he is implying that she never loved him, cheated on him when he was alive, and used him for the power and wealth. Gertrude then makes Hamlet feel as if he is in the wrong for mourning his father's death, Why seems it so particular with thee?(1.2, 75) asking why is this so particular or important to you? He feels that his own mother doesn't even care about him or his dead father.

Hamlet feels attacked by both Gertrude and Claudius, Claudius tells Hamlet, To do obsequious sorrow. But to persevere In obstinate condolement is a course Of impious stubbornness. 'Tis unmanly grief.(1.2, 90) Claudius is telling Hamlet to stop being a coward and face reality, that everyone dies, and to just get over it. Claudius wants Hamlet to now see himself as his father figure and King. Hamlet is justified in his revenge on Claudius due to many reasons, one being the fact that he asked god for forgiveness but asked- May one be pardoned and retain th' offense? (3.3, 55) No, one cannot be pardoned, because if one is asking for forgiveness but is unable to take any responsibility they don't deserve forgiveness, and in Claudius' case, he deserves his fate.

The King and Queen send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet to see why he is going crazy. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were Hamlets old friends, which Hamlet hadn't seen for a while. And instantly, Hamlet realizes why they have came, in the beaten way of friendship, what make you at Elsinore? To visit you, my lord, no other occasion.(2.2, 259) Hamlet knows that they are lying and believes that potentially they could be betraying his friendship and working for the King and queen. After the death of Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were asked by the King and Queen to take Hamlet to England, with a letter instructing Hamlet's death. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern deny that they are working for the King, when in reality they are. Hamlet gets crossed by his two friends, and changes the letter to have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern sent to their deaths. This highlights revenge and how once Hamlet rejected his morals, his views on others is diminished. Their deaths highlight negative effects of revenge because they are in a situation between the King and Queen, who at the time had total power, and could have anyone executed, at any time, and Hamlet who is their friend.

Shakespeare's use of the two side characters played a big roll in how Hamlet's conscience changed over the course of the play Unlike Hamlet, delaying executing revenge, Laertes does the opposite, That both the worlds I give to negligence. Let come what comes, only I'll be revenged Most thoroughly for my father.(4.5, 108) Laertes, who at the time of his father's death was in France, immediately came back to Denmark. Laertes like Hamlet was mournful of his father and sister, but unlike Hamlet Laertes promises that, But my revenge will come.(4.7, 29) He promises revenge, because contrasted to Hamlet, Laertes doesn't have the same morals that he must overcome for vengeance. He already had bad blood with Hamlet, being that he and Laertes sister, Ophilia were in a romantic relationship. Laertes father Polonius was, a noble father and his sister, Stood challenger on mount of all the age For her perfections he praised them and now that they're gone, Laertes needs to feel compensated for his loss, and the only way he can fill this empty void is through revenge.

William Shakespeare uses these characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as interesting characters in the play. Hamlet tries to blame his suffering on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern because they betrayed Hamlet. Hamlet is alienated by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern because once he was crossed by his uncle and mother he couldn't trust that anyone. And due to his existentialism, and lack of morality, Hamlet acted in the manner he did, rather than realizing that they would have been executed by the King and Queen if they would have told Hamlet they were sent to spy on him. Revenge as a whole shapes the play, Hamlet.

A lot can be learned and taken away from the theme such as why people think revenge is necessary or what are its consequences, both good and bad. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the only thing that was achieved was revenge. Although it can be justified, the play comes to the conclusion that revenge is negative. Revenge isn't just a theme in the play or an action that the characters take over the course of the play, but it serves as a greater role in understanding both Shakespeare's writing styles, and the struggle one makes to obey their morals. Shakespeare's creativity and knowledge allowed his plays to have the deep character archetypes that have complexity to them.

For example, Hamlet had a lot going on in his life: His girlfriend ended their relationship, his dad was murdered by his uncle and remarried to Hamlets mother. And this allows for more broad understanding of why Hamlet delayed so much in his revenge, rather than just, Hamlet wanted to kill Claudius because he did him wrong. In a sense that is correct, but that isn't the full extent of theme in Hamlet.

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PRINCE HAMLET   →

“I shall win at the odds.”

KING CLAUDIUS   →

“He is justly served … a poison tempered by himself”

QUEEN GERTRUDE   →

“What devil was’t … That thus hath cozened you at hoodman-blind?”

OPHELIA   →

“Of ladies most deject and wretched … I cannot choose but weep.”

HAMLET AND THE GHOST   →

“Remember me … Rest, rest, perturbed spirit!”

HAMLET AND CLAUDIUS   →

“Thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane.”

HAMLET AND GERTRUDE   →

“Go not to mine uncle’s bed.”

HAMLET AND OPHELIA   →

“The canker galls the infants of the spring.”

HAMLET AND HORATIO   →

“Those friends thou hast …”

CLAUDIUS AND GERTRUDE   →

“My uncle-father and aunt-mother.”

THE MAIN THEMES OF HAMLET    →

“Purposes mistook / Fallen on th’inventor’s heads.”

THEME OF REVENGE   →

“Show yourself in deed your father’s son.”

THEME OF APPEARANCE VERSUS REALITY   →

“Who’s there? … Stand and unfold yourself.”

THEME OF MADNESS   →

“Howsoever thou pursuest this act, / Taint not thy mind.”

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  Characters

• #1: Prince Hamlet
• #2: King Claudius
• #3: Queen Gertrude
• #4: Ophelia

  Relationships

• #5: Hamlet and the Ghost
• #6: Hamlet and Claudius
• #7: Hamlet and Gertrude
• #8: Hamlet and Ophelia
• #9: Hamlet and Horatio
• #10: Claudius and Gertrude

  Themes

• #11: Main Themes
• #12: Revenge
• #13: Appearance Versus Reality
• #14: Madness

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The Theme of Revenge in Hamlet

Free sample critical essay.

Hamlet and Laertes journey from revenge, through obsession and anger, to forgiveness. And the revenge sought by the Ghost on Claudius becomes the revenge of Old King Fortinbras on Old King Hamlet.

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Essay introduction /  thesis statement, “where is thy father”.

Hamlet contains two revenge stories, the second triggered by the first halfway through. At the play’s end, an accidental swapping of swords between the two duellers Laertes and Hamlet is followed by a genuine exchange of forgiveness.

Their deadly fencing match reverses the outcome of another duel fought thirty years before, as Young Fortinbras from the rival kingdom of Norway succeeds to Denmark’s vacant throne.

Hamlet is a warning both against revenge and against revenge plays. For the cycle of vengeance begins with the title character staging a play about revenge ( “a knavish piece of work … writ in choice Italian” , 3.2) that so enrages him with blind fury he kills the wrong man ( “Dead for a ducat” , 3.4). In so doing, Prince Hamlet succeeded only in creating another revenge-obsessed son, Laertes, like himself.

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#Hamlet dies naming as king a prince who is more like his father King Hamlet than he ever was.

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SOME KEY ESSAY TOPICS

• Hamlet the play is driven by three subplots centered on the legacies of three dead fathers to their sons.
• Young Fortinbras’ legacy was gambled and lost by his father to Prince Hamlet’s father, on the day the prince was born.
• Hamlet’s legacy is stolen by his uncle King Claudius’ secret murder of Old King Hamlet.
• Laertes’ legacy is jeopardized by his father Polonius’ unrecorded ( “hugger-mugger” , 4.5) death and burial.
• Denmark’s crown passes to a figure Old King Hamlet would have admired: a reckless territory-grabber who would risk his and other’s lives over “a little patch of ground / That hath in it no profit but the name” (4.4).

Key Supporting Quotes

Hamlet and his ghost-father, “thy dread command”.

We, the audience, hear Claudius’ confession ( “O heavy burden!” , 3.1). But what if, like Hamlet, we had not? What would we do? Lacking certain knowledge, no amount of “thinking too precisely on th’ event” (4.4) helps Hamlet, a man of reason, to reason his way to a solution. He “cudgels” his “brains” (5.1) in vain.

More generally, Hamlet’s dilemma is between acceptance and action : should we endure our world of “slings and arrows” as it is ( “To be” ). Or risk everything including our lives by taking on “a sea of troubles” and seek to change the world for the better? ( “not to be” , 3.1).

For Christians, vengeance belongs only to God, but as Hamlet later asks Horatio , might a Christian not also “in perfect conscience!” take a life to prevent “further evil!” (5.2)?

#Hamlet: The prince swears an oath only to "remember" his father's Ghost, not to avenge him.

• Hamlet does not promise to avenge the Ghost, only never to forget him: “Now to my word. / It is ’Adieu, adieu. Remember me.’ / I have sworn’t” (1.5).
• “Where is thy father?” (2.2). Had Ophelia asked the same question of Hamlet as he does of her, would his answer have been any less dishonest?
• Trapped between feelings of inadequacy in this world ( “Am I a coward” , 2.2) and fear of damnation in the next, the tormented Hamlet is “from himself be ta’en away” (5.2).
• Hamlet takes refuge in a put-on “antic disposition” (1.5) that reflects Claudius’ false act of kingship, and that both hides and expresses the prince’s inner turmoil.

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Hamlet and his aunt-mother

“up, sword … my mother stays”.

It is not Claudius’ guilt but Hamlet’s secret knowledge of his father’s death and the threat he poses to the king that is revealed by The Mousetrap with its murderous figure of Lucianus, “nephew to the king” (3.2).

In the chapel and closet scenes, Hamlet’s aim becomes clear: to reunite in the afterlife his fractured family of mother and father. Hence his desire to rescue Gertrude’s soul ( “Confess yourself to heaven” , 3.4) before he condemns his uncle’s ( “as damned and black / As hell, whereto it goes” , 3.3).

Ironically, Hamlet’s wish to damn Claudius’ soul saves the life of the apparently praying king. And his blind stabbing of Polonius only creates a second vengeful son. Like Laertes in the final scene ( “as a woodcock to mine own springe” , 5.2), Hamlet is caught in his own ‘Mousetrap’.

King Claudius is haunted by the murder he has committed. Prince #Hamlet by the murder he hasn't.

• Claudius is too good an actor to be exposed by the Players’ performance. It is Hamlet’s antic banter and threat on his life ( “nephew to the king” , 3.3) that sends him fleeing the play.
• King Claudius gained and holds his throne through deception. Now a rare moment of authenticity, of genuine repentence-seeking in his private chapel, saves his life: “Help, angels” (3.3).
• The Ghost who appears minutes later in Gertrude’s closet to Hamlet ( “to whet thy almost blunted purpose” , 3.4) does not show himself in the chapel, suggesting he is indeed a “goblin damned” (1.4).

Laertes: the impulsive avenger

“i’ll be your foil”.

The Ghost’s revelations sent Hamlet retreating inward into untrusting isolation. Polonius’ bereaved son instead reaches outward to lead a rebellious, castle-storming mob against the king.

However, the contrast between Laertes and Hamlet is not between action and delay but between reason and passion. The prince evaded Claudius’ offer to “think of us / As of a father” (1.2). In his unthinking rage, Laertes submits to the king’s invitation: “Will you be ruled by me?” (4.7).

Hamlet reflected that “conscience does make cowards of us all” (3.1). Laertes consigns conscience “to the profoundest pit” (4.5). Hamlet knows how a man may tremble in “the dread of something after death” (3.1). Laertes dares “damnation” (4.5).

Laertes, the avenger #Hamlet created, is also the man who pardons the prince.

• Laertes’ words of “a noble father lost, / A sister driven into desperate terms” (4.7) echo Hamlet’s appraisal of his own situation: “a father killed, a mother stained” (4.4).
• “Was your father dear to you?” (4.7). Claudius’ question of a grieving Laertes is just as manipulative as Old King Hamlet’s emotional blackmailing of his son: “If thou didst ever thy dear father love …” (1.5).
• Laertes too is delayed: first by Gertrude ( “But not by him.” , 4.5); then by Claudius ( “I pray you, go with me.” , 4.5); and later, at his sister’s funeral, by the king, queen, Horatio and the prince himself ( “Hold off thy hand” , 5.1).
• Cunningly, Claudius sets the two sons of murdered fathers against each other in the rigged fencing match of the final scene.

Young Fortinbras: the patient opportunist

“lands lost by his father”.

No one delays longer than Fortinbras. Thirty years lapse before he makes his move against Denmark, and then when his father’s killer is himself dead.

Elsinore’s guards unhesitatingly swear an oath with Hamlet on the prince’s sword before departing in a soldier-like band of brothers: “come, let's go together” (1.5). Laertes’ inspiring passion is capable of moving an unarmed crowd to rebellion.

In contrast, Fortinbras’ only followers are hired mercenaries ( “lawless resolutes” , 1.2) and, later, soldiers directed to do by his uncle. His Polish adventure one of his own captains dismisses as a purposeless quest for “a little patch of ground” (4.4).

Fortinbras’ good fortune was to be in the right place and time when Denmark’s royal family of Hamlet self-destructed.

In #Hamlet, no one delays longer than the land-grabbing opportunist, Young Fortinbras.

• Both Hamlet and Young Fortinbras share their dead fathers’ names and are princes in countries ruled by their uncle kings. But their motivations could not be more different.
• Fortinbras never speaks of revenge; nor does any other character describe him as an avenger.
• Fortinbras is an opportunist who is stirred to action by the death of Hamlet’s father rather than his own, suspecting Denmark “to be disjoint and out of frame” (1.2).
• That his uncle can so easily bribe him into attacking Poland is proof that what drives Fortinbras is the prospect of land and military glory.

Essay conclusion / Summary

“exchange forgiveness with me”.

Despite the nobles’ cry of “Treason” (5.2), the prince strikes his villainous uncle: with the poisoned sword (for his own death) and poisoned wine goblet (for this mother’s). It is more public execution than private vengeance. The ending brings not just comeuppance but forgiveness too: Laertes, the avenger Hamlet’s desire for revenge created, is also the man who pardons the prince.

As for Old King Hamlet ( “Alas, poor Ghost” , 1.5), by surrendering Denmark to his rival’s son perhaps the prince has granted his “dear father” (2.2) something more than revenge: forgiveness for his land-grabbing, “Extorted treasure in the womb of earth” (1.1) sins committed “in his days of nature” (1.5)—and with it escape from his suffering in the “sulfurous and tormenting flames” (1.5) of purgatory.

#Hamlet grants his father not the revenge he demanded but the atonement his suffering soul needed more.

• Laertes exposes Claudius’ villainy ( “The king’s to blame” , 5.2) and his offered exchange of forgiveness finally ends the cycle of vengeful violence.
• Old King Fortinbras’ son does more than recover lands lost by his father three decades before; he succeeds to Denmark’s throne.
• Prince Hamlet ends the play as Old King Hamlet began it: as a ghost, neither dead nor alive, fearing his life will be forgotten and story untold: “Remember me” (1.5), asked the father; “Report me and my cause aright” (5.2), says the son.
• Has villainy been “justly served” by “providence” (5.2), or has the ending been just another turn of the “wheel” of “fortune” (2.2) of which the Players spoke?

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The most helpful book ever for students and teachers of Shakespeare’s Hamlet .

42 x 1,500-word model essays

Chapter-by-chapter guide to Hamlet Model Essays

IN THIS BOOK ARE THREE 1,500-WORD SAMPLE ESSAYS ON EACH ONE OF THE FOLLOWING 14 CHARACTERS, RELATIONSHIPS, AND THEMES. THAT’S 42 SAMPLE ESSAYS IN TOTAL.

#1: The Character of Hamlet

Born a prince, parented by a jester, haunted by a ghost, destined to be killed for killing a king, and remembered as the title character of a play he did not want to be in. If at the cost of his life, Hamlet does in the end “win at the odds. ”

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#2: The Character of Claudius

His “ambition ” for Denmark’s crown leads him to commit one murder only to find that he must plot a second to cover up the first. When this plan fails, his next scheme leads to the death of the woman he loves followed by his own.

#3: The Character of Gertrude

“Have you eyes? ”, Prince Hamlet demands of his mother. Gertrude‘s “o’erhasty marriage ” dooms her life and the lives of everyone around her when her wished-for, happy-ever-after fairytale ends in a bloodbath.

#4: The Character of Ophelia

As she struggles to respond to the self-serving purposes of others, Ophelia’s sanity collapses in Elsinore’s “unweeded garden ” of falsity and betrayal. Her “self-slaughter” is her revenge for her silencing and humiliation.

#5: Relationship of Hamlet and the Ghost

By surrendering Denmark to his rival’s son, Hamlet grants to the angry Ghost of his “dear father murdered ” the forgiveness his suffering soul needed more than the revenge he demanded.

Hamlet grants the Ghost the atonement his suffering soul needed more than the revenge he demanded: he surrenders Denmark to the son of the man murdered by his father on the day of the prince’s birth.

#6: Relationship of Hamlet and Claudius

Uncle and nephew are two men at war with each other—and themselves. Claudius is haunted by the murder he has committed ( “O heavy burden!” ); Hamlet by the one he hasn’t yet ( “Am I a coward?” ).

#7: Relationship of Hamlet and Gertrude

A haunted-by-the-past Hamlet seeks the truth about his father’s death ( “Do you see nothing there?” ). A live-in-the-present Gertrude seeks to protect her second husband and crown ( “No, nothing but ourselves” ).

#8: Relationship of Hamlet and Ophelia

Their relationship begins in uncertainty, descends into mutual deceit and rejection, and ends with their double surrender to death: Ophelia, to the water; Hamlet, to Claudius’ rigged fencing duel.

#9: Relationship of Hamlet and Horatio

“Those friends thou hast … Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel.” Horatio is Hamlet’s trusted confidant in life and vows to remain the keeper of his memory after the prince’s death.

#10: Relationship of Claudius and Gertrude

A marriage of mutual self-interest: Claudius wanted to become king; Gertrude wanted to remain queen. In the end, both die by the same poison her second husband used to murder her first.

#11: Main Themes of Hamlet

A king murdered, an inheritance stolen, a family divided: Elsinore’s older generation destroys its younger when two brothers—one living, one undead—battle in a “cursed spite” over a crown and a queen.

#12: The Theme of Revenge

Hamlet and Laertes journey from revenge, through obsession and anger, to forgiveness. And the revenge sought by the Ghost on King Claudius becomes the revenge of Old King Fortinbras on Old King Hamlet.

#13: Deception and Appearance versus Reality

“Who’s there?” The characters struggle to distinguish between truth and falsehood in a play-long triple pun on the verb ‘to act’: to take action, to behave deceitfully, and to perform in theater.

#14: The Theme of Madness

“Your noble son is mad” , Polonius tells Denmark’s king and queen. But is Hamlet ever really insane? If not, why is he pretending to be? And is the prince’s “antic disposition” the cause of Ophelia’s traumatic breakdown?

The Theme of Revenge in Shakespeare’s Hamlet Research Paper

Introduction, theme of revenge, works cited.

There is hardly a single play in the world that is as well-known and popular as Hamlet. One might enjoy it or hate it, but either way, one will definitely find something strangely attractive about it. Perhaps, the given effect owes much to the palette of emotions that Shakespeare uses in his play; it has something for everyone, starting with the pain of losing a father to the dilemma between betraying a friend and being killed, which Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have to deal with.

The most powerful emotion that makes the play work, however, is the desire of taking revenge. Viewed from several perspectives in Hamlet , it was and still is one of the most complicated feelings to deal with. Exploring the many ways of how revenge shapes the lead characters’ lives, Shakespeare offers a unique journey into the troubled mind of the protagonist, showing how tragic and at the same enthralling vengeance can be.

The idea of revenge has always been controversial, allowing both to feel sorry for the leading character and at the same way to see him/her as an outsider crossing the line between good and evil. As a wise man, Shakespeare knows it and uses the given idea not only as a plot device, but also as a perfect foil for the character development.

Therefore, Shakespeare allows for viewing revenge as both the drastic measure that signifies Hamlet’s gradual descent into madness and as dispensed justice. Therefore, the double-sidedness of the argument adds controversy to the leading character, bringing the torture that Hamlet goes through into the light.

The plot of the play is known worldwide; a power-hungry brother of the monarch of Denmark kills the latter, marries the widow and plots to kill the monarch’s only son, Hamlet. The latter, after seeing his father’s ghost and learning the truth, feels that he is taken over by revenge and sets up a performance that copies Claudius’s, the murderer’s, plan and results in a tragic denouement and the untimely death of Hamlet and the rest of the characters.

Therefore, the story is basic enough; however, one more element at times seems to be on par with the leading characters of the play. To be more exact, the emotion of revenge that seizes Hamlet nearly becomes an independent being. Setting the theme for the entire story, it turns Hamlet into a three-dimensional character and creates a moral dilemma mentioned above, i.e., the explanation – though not a moral justification – for Hamlet’s actions.

The revenge theme gets the plot of the story off the ground, helping the readers view Hamlet as both a victim and a villain, bringing the XXII-century audience to the prehistoric eye-for-an-eye idea of justice: “Hamlet, in fact, is not represented at this point as a virtuous character” (Gottschalk 156). In fact, Kastan points out that Hamlet “is never quite as ‘apt’ as a revenger” (Kastan 112).

Shakespeare seemed to have conducted research on personality and how it influences human behavior at various levels. This play has focused mainly on the theme of death that has been propagated by the desire to seek revenge by different characters.

It is necessary to state that while reading this book an audience may be persuaded to think that the main theme is death but this is not the case. This play has focused on death through its major cause and not in its entirety. Therefore, this book presents death as an effect and not a cause as some readers may believe.

The story begins with the scene of a Ghost that speaks to Hamlet and informs him that the present king killed it. Apparently, this Ghost is the spirit of Hamlet’s father who was the previous king of this land before he was killed. It reveals to Hamlet that Claudius was responsible for its death and thus he should seek revenge to fulfill his father’s wish. Old Hamlet is very angry because his brother killed him to become the King of Elsinore.

Therefore, it can be concluded that Hamlet’s revenge mission is motivated by the need to seek justice and expose the evil deeds of his mother, as well as bring back the honor to his father’s name (Skulsky 78). Naturally, it is expected that when a husband or wife dies the other partner should at least wait for sometime before getting married. However, in this case the opposite happens when Gertrude rushes to marry Claudius even before the burial ceremony is over.

On the other hand, it cannot be denied that the idea of revenge that seizes Hamlet’s mind is self-destructive. Even though the audience would probably be happy to see the main antagonists of the play, i.e., Claudius and Gertrude, being punished and finally getting what they deserved, the ending does feel devastating, which must signify the fact that vengeance is a pointless end in itself; once it has been achieved, there is nothing left to live for.

It is necessary to state that Hamlet is seeking revenge just to prove that he is not a coward. His emotions betray him and he does not see why he should kill Claudius apart from the fact that he killed and took his late father’s wife (Shakespeare). However, after the First Player expresses his concern about Queen Hecuba’s misfortune Hamlet is convinced that this character is more concerned about his father’s death than he ought to be (Riley, McAllister and Symons). This challenges him to evaluate whether or not he should kill Claudius.

On the other hand, King Claudius uses underhand ways to seek revenge against his enemies. He convinces Laertes that Hamlet is to blame for his sister’s madness and that he should seek immediate revenge (Shakespeare). However, Laertes is not convinced that Hamlet deserves to die even though he is later persuaded to kill him. His anger is not sufficient to warrant his vengeance against Hamlet and he finally tells him about his plans. However, Hamlet manages to persuade him to stop his plans and together they plan to kill the king.

Revenge has other effects on the characters apart from causing death and suffering to victims. First, it changes their perception towards life and other people (Gottschalk). Gertrude learns that all men are ruthless due to what she witnesses in her surrounding and vows never to get married again. Secondly, Hamlet is not persuaded to kill King Claudius but since this will be a show of brevity and loyalty he decides to do it just to make his father happy and prove that he is not a coward.

Gottschalk, Paul. “Hamlet and the Scanning of Revenge.” Shakespeare Quarterly 24.2 (1973): 155–170. Print.

Kastan, David Scott. “’His Semblable in His Mirror’: Hamlet and the Imitation of Revenge.” Shakespeare Studies 19.14 (1987): 111–124. Print.

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark . n. d. Web. < http://shakespeare.mit.edu/hamlet/full.html >.

Skulsky, Harold. “Revenge, Honor and Conscience in ‘Hamlet’.” PMLA 85.1 (1970): 78–87.

Riley, Dick, Pam McAllister and Julian Symons. “Hamlet. Young Prince Takes Revenge on Murderous Uncle.” The Bedside, Bathtub and Armchair Companion to Shakespeare . London, UK: Continuum, 2001. 255–259. Print.

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Justice And Revenge In Hamlet

Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. The story revolves around Hamlet’s quest for revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who murdered Hamlet’s father in order to take the throne. Hamlet is a tragedy, and as such, it raises questions about the nature of revenge and justice.

On the one hand, Hamlet is motivated by a desire for revenge. He wants to kill Claudius in order to avenge his father’s death. This desire for revenge is what drives Hamlet to commit murder himself. On the other hand, Hamlet also feels that it is his duty to bring Claudius to justice. He wants to make sure that Claudius pays for his crime, and he does not want anyone else to suffer because of Claudius’s actions.

Hamlet is torn between these two impulses, and he struggles to decide what is the right thing to do. In the end, Hamlet chooses revenge over justice, and he kills Claudius. However, this choice comes at a great cost. Hamlet dies in the process, and his death brings about the downfall of Denmark.

So, what can we learn from Hamlet? Perhaps Shakespeare is trying to tell us that revenge is not always the best course of action. Or maybe he is trying to say that while revenge may be satisfying, it ultimately leads to more pain and suffering. Either way, Hamlet provides us with a complex portrait of the human condition, and raises important questions about the nature of justice and revenge.

Hamlet’s aims fluctuate between revenge and justice throughout the play, with this interior debate determining how events unfold. Revenge motivates Hamlet as his initial aim in his quest for vindication of his father’s death. Later, Hamlet’s torn sensibility and concern for justice are revealed in Soliloquy. Hamlet’s ability to act against Claudius is hampered as a result of this internal conflict. Only when Hamlet faces his own procrastination does inaction cease.

Hamlet swings towards his newfound realization that in order for justice to be carried out, Claudius’ wrongs must be righted through Hamlet’s own death. In the end, Hamlet chooses justice over revenge and both he and Claudius die.

Revenge is Hamlet’s dominant motive throughout much of the play. From the very beginning of the play, Hamlet is marked by his desire to avenge his father’s murder. Hamlet is unable to act on this feeling, however, because he is uncertain of Claudius’ guilt. Hamlet delay’s his revenge until he has absolute certainty that Claudius killed his father which leads him into a downward spiral as he attempts to Hamlet’s delay in revenge is caused by his uncertainty of Claudius’ guilt.

Hamlet’s soliloquies reveal his Hamlet’s thoughts and feelings to the audience, providing insight that would otherwise be unavailable. In Hamlet’s second soliloquy, Hamlet bemoans his inaction, cursing himself as a “dull and muddy-mettled rascal” (II.ii.560). Hamlet recognizes his own faults and weakness, yet he is still unable to take action against Claudius. Hamlet is again torn between his desire for revenge and his uncertainty of Claudius’ guilt, caught in a limbo between the two emotions.

However, Hamlet’s inaction is not simply caused by his uncertainty of Claudius’ guilt. Hamlet is also motivated by a desire for justice. Hamlet does not want to kill Claudius without just cause, as that would make Hamlet no better than a murderer himself. Hamlet wants Claudius to be punished for his crimes, but he also wants Claudius to suffer the same type of pain and anguish that he has been feeling since his father’s death.

Hamlet’s soliloquies make it clear that he is struggling with this internal conflict. In Hamlet’s fourth soliloquy, he contemplates suicide as a way to escape the pain and suffering that he has been experiencing. Hamlet is not sure whether death is the answer, but he recognizes that death may be preferable to the life that he is currently living. Hamlet is still motivated by his desire for revenge, but he is also motivated by his sense of justice.

Hamlet does not fully realize it until later in the play, but his desire for revenge and justice are actually two sides of the same coin. Hamlet wants Claudius to be punished for his crimes, and he wants Claudius to suffer as much as he has suffered.

Hamlet’s ultimate goal is to see that justice is done. Hamlet finally realizes this near the end of the play, when he decides to take action against Claudius even though he knows that it will lead to his own death. Hamlet’s decision to kill Claudius is motivated by his desire for justice, not revenge. Hamlet knows that he will die in the process, but he also knows that it is the only way to ensure that Claudius is punished for his crimes. Hamlet’s final act is one of justice, not revenge.

While Hamlet’s initial motivation is revenge, he eventually realizes that justice is more important. Hamlet’s journey from revenge to justice is a long and difficult one, but it is ultimately a successful one. Hamlet chooses to sacrifi ce himself in order to ensure that Claudius is punished for his crimes. In doing so, Hamlet ensures that justice is done. Hamlet’s story is a reminder that justice is more important than revenge.

Hamlet triumphs over his internal debate by combining opposed forces and justifying vengeance from the inside out. Hamlet’s will isn’t initially strong enough to act only on revenge. Even though Hamlet promised he would be “swift” and “sweep to my revenge,” he admits in the “rogue and peasant slave” soliloquy that he has been “unpregnant of my cause.” It is not until Hamlet grows weary of his own passivity that he begins to question Claudius’ culpability.

Hamlet’s procrastination is due to his conscience, which reminds Hamlet that murder is a sin. Hamlet must find a way to take revenge without becoming a sinner himself. Hamlet then decides that it is better to kill Claudius in public and suffer the consequences than to privately damning Claudius, who would go unpunished in the eyes of God.

Hamlet also justifies taking revenge as a form of justice as he believes that Claudius deserves to die for murdering Hamlet’s father and marrying Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet’s internal struggle between doing what is morally right and satisfying his thirst for revenge ultimately leads him to commit murder.

Revenge is often seen as an act that is motivated by anger and hatred. Hamlet is no different as he wants to revenge his father’s murder. However, Hamlet is also motivated by a sense of justice as he believes that Claudius deserves to be punished for his crimes. Hamlet’s inner struggle culminates in him committing murder, which can be seen as both an act of revenge and an act of justice.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Hamlet — An Analysis of the Theme of Revenge in the Play Hamlet by William Shakespeare

An Analysis of The Theme of Revenge in The Play Hamlet by William Shakespeare

• Categories: Hamlet Hamlet Revenge Revenge

About this sample

Words: 1126 |

Published: Aug 23, 2018

Words: 1126 | Pages: 2 | 6 min read

Works Cited

• Bloom, H. (2003). Hamlet: Poem Unlimited. Riverhead Books.
• Boyce, C. (2019). Revenge and Gender in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Routledge.
• Coddon, K. (2010). Shakespeare, Violence, and the Early Modern Stage. Oxford University Press.
• Dusinberre, J. (2007). Shakespeare and the Nature of Man. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Garber, M. (2013). Shakespeare and Modern Culture. Anchor Books.
• Greenblatt, S. (2010). Hamlet in Purgatory. Princeton University Press.
• Kastan, D. S. (2002). Shakespeare after Theory. Routledge.
• Mowat, B. A., & Werstine, P. (Eds.). (2006). Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Folger Shakespeare Library.
• Smith, E. (2012). Hamlet and Revenge. Edinburgh University Press.
• Wells, S. (2003). Hamlet: A Reader's Guide to Essential Criticism. Palgrave Macmillan.

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