the theme of revenge in hamlet essay

Explain the Theme of Revenge in Hamlet

Back to: Hamlet by William Shakespeare

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Introduction

Revenge is an action taken in return for an injury. In “The Tragedy of Hamlet”, Shakespeare deeply explores the theme of revenge. In the play, before the ghost reveals itself to those sentinels, Hamlet seems inactive. The knowledge of betrayal fills him with actions. The same goes for Laertes and Fortinbras.

These three characters are developed under their insuppressible urge for vengeance. Hamlet is a philosophical observer who in the beginning is crushed by the fact that after the death of his father, his mother is married to his uncle now but he is yet to be revengeful.

Only when the ghost reveals the betrayal which resulted in the death of Hamlet’s father and asks to “ revenge his foul and most unnatural murder ”, Hamlet gains a completely new way to channel his earlier disgust and mourning. In front of the ghost he swears that “ the time is out of joint ” but he “ was born to set it right! ”.

Hamlet shows us the moral thoughts and principles of existence which goes behind the choices he makes. Hamlet fights within. In him, revenge is first exercised in words. Inaction drains him. He cries out, “ what an a-ss am I!… prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, must like a wh-ore, unpack my heart with words and fall a-cursing like a very drab .”

Laertes and Hamlet

Laertes is enraged by this news. Under Claudius’ provocation, he swears revenge which is doubled after knowing that Ophelia has drowned herself. His way to seek revenge is an active way when Hamlet’s revenge is first worked out in his thoughts.

Fortinbras since the beginning of the play is determined to get the lands back from the kingdom of Denmark. He wants to avenge what Hamlet’s father did when he was the king. In a cunning way, he gets his army closer to the capital.

Different Dimensions of Revenge

Claudius manages to get Laertes and Hamlet in a fencing match but the fate worked differently and Gertrude is killed by mistake when she sips wine supposedly poisoned for Hamlet. Laertes dies in the fight but he amends with Hamlet right before dying.

Revengefulness can also have a consoling end. But it is Hamlet in whom revenge works out in an entirely different way. He can’t simply kill Claudius without questioning the morals of the time and place i.e. he didn’t kill Claudius when he saw him in a praying position. Revenge and its various implications is one of the prime thematic concerns of the whole play.

Hamlet and Revenge

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What is arguably Shakespeare 's greatest play, "Hamlet," is often understood to be a revenge tragedy, but it is quite an odd one at that. It is a play driven by a protagonist who spends most of the play contemplating revenge rather than exacting it.

Hamlet’s inability to avenge the murder of his father drives the plot and leads to the deaths of most of the major characters , including Polonius, Laertes, Ophelia, Gertrude, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. And Hamlet himself is tortured by his indecision and his inability to kill his father's murderer, Claudius, throughout the play.

When he finally does exact his revenge and kills Claudius, it is too late for him to derive any satisfaction from it; Laertes has struck him with a poisoned foil and Hamlet dies shortly after. Take a closer look at the theme of revenge in Hamlet.

Action and Inaction in Hamlet

To highlight Hamlet’s inability to take action, Shakespeare includes other characters capable of taking resolute and headstrong revenge as required. Fortinbras travels many miles to take his revenge and ultimately succeeds in conquering Denmark; Laertes plots to kill Hamlet to avenge the death of his father, Polonius.

Compared to these characters, Hamlet’s revenge is ineffectual. Once he decides to take action, he delays any action until the end of the play. It should be noted that this delay is not uncommon in Elizabethan revenge tragedies. What makes "Hamlet" different from other contemporary works is the way in which Shakespeare uses the delay to build Hamlet’s emotional and psychological complexity. The revenge itself ends up being almost an afterthought, and in many ways, is anticlimactic.

Indeed, the famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy is Hamlet's debate with himself about what to do and whether it will matter. Though the piece begins with his pondering suicide, Hamlet's desire to avenge his father becomes clearer as this speech continues. It's worth considering this soliloquy in its entirety.

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 The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. To die- to sleep. To sleep- perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub! For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. There's the respect That makes calamity of so long life. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th' unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? Who would these fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death- The undiscover'd country, from whose bourn No traveler returns- puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pith and moment With this regard their currents turn awry And lose the name of action.- Soft you now! The fair Ophelia!- Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins rememb'red.

Over the course of this eloquent musing on the nature of self and death and what actions he should take, Hamlet remains paralyzed by indecision.

How Hamlet's Revenge is Delayed

Hamlet’s revenge is delayed in three significant ways. First, he must establish Claudius’ guilt, which he does in Act 3, Scene 2 by presenting the murder of his father in a play. When Claudius storms out during the performance, Hamlet becomes convinced of his guilt.

Hamlet then considers his revenge at length, in contrast to the rash actions of Fortinbras and Laertes. For example, Hamlet has the opportunity to kill Claudius in Act 3, Scene 3. He draws his sword but is concerned that Claudius will go to heaven if killed while praying.

After killing Polonius, Hamlet is sent to England making it impossible for him to gain access to Claudius and carry out his revenge. During his trip, becomes more headstrong in his desire for revenge.

Although he does ultimately kill Claudius in the final scene of the play , it's not due to any scheme or plan by Hamlet, rather, it is Claudius’ plan to kill Hamlet that backfires.

Hamlet Plot Summary
Hamlet Themes
'Hamlet' Themes and Literary Devices
'Hamlet' Overview
Death as a Theme in Hamlet
'Hamlet' Summary
A Scene-by-Scene Breakdown of 'Hamlet'
'Hamlet' Characters: Descriptions and Analysis
Hamlet Character Analysis
'Hamlet' Quotes Explained
The Prevalent Social and Emotional Themes in the Play "Hamlet"
A Study Guide for William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet,' Act 3
'Hamlet' Act 1 Summary, Scene by Scene
What Is a Soliloquy? Literary Definition and Examples
'To Be, or Not to Be:' Exploring Shakespeare's Legendary Quote
Tragic Flaw: Literary Definition and Examples

William Shakespeare

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Theme Analysis . Read our .

Every society is defined by its codes of conduct—its rules about how to act and behave. In Hamlet , the codes of conduct are largely defined by religion and an aristocratic code that demands honor—and revenge if honor has been soiled. As the play unfolds and Hamlet (in keeping with his country’s spoken and unspoken) rules) seeks revenge for his father’s murder, he begins to realize just how complicated vengeance, justice, and honor all truly are. As Hamlet plunges deeper and deeper into existential musings, he also begins to wonder about the true meaning of honor—and Shakespeare ultimately suggests that the codes of conduct by which any given society operates are, more often than not, muddy, contradictory, and confused.

As Hamlet begins considering what it would mean to actually get revenge—to actually commit murder—he begins waffling and languishing in indecision and inaction. His inability to act, however, is not necessarily a mark of cowardice or fear—rather, as the play progresses, Hamlet is forced to reckon very seriously with what retribution and violence in the name of retroactively reclaiming “honor” or glory actually accomplishes. This conundrum is felt most profoundly in the middle of Act 3, when Hamlet comes upon Claudius totally alone for the first time in the play. It is the perfect opportunity to kill the man uninterrupted and unseen—but Claudius is on his knees, praying. Hamlet worries that killing Claudius while he prays will mean that Claudius’s soul will go to heaven. Hamlet is ignorant of the fact that Claudius, just moments before, was lamenting that his prayers for absolution are empty because he will not take action to actually repent for the violence he’s done and the pain he’s caused. Hamlet is paralyzed in this moment, unable to reconcile religion with the things he’s been taught about goodness, honor, duty, and vengeance. This moment represents a serious, profound turning point in the play—once Hamlet chooses not to kill Claudius for fear of unwittingly sending his father’s murderer to heaven, thus failing at the concept of revenge entirely, he begins to think differently about the codes, institutions, and social structures which demand unthinking vengeance and religious piety in the same breath. Because the idea of a revenge killing runs counter to the very tenets of Christian goodness and charity at the core of Hamlet’s upbringing—regardless of whether or not he believes them on a personal level—he begins to see the artifice upon which all social codes are built.

The second half of the play charts Hamlet’s descent into a new worldview—one which is very similar to nihilism in its surrender to the randomness of the universe and the difficulty of living within the confines of so many rules and standards at one time. As Hamlet gets even more deeply existential about life and death, appearances versus reality, and even the common courtesies and decencies which define society, he exposes the many hypocrisies which define life for common people and nobility alike. Hamlet resolves to pursue revenge, claiming that his thoughts will be worth nothing if they are anything but “bloody,” but at the same time is exacting and calculating in the vengeances he does secure. He dispatches with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern , charged with bringing him to England for execution, by craftily outwitting them and sending them on to their own deaths. He laments to Horatio that all men, whether they be Alexander the Great or a common court jester, end up in the same ground. Finally, he warns off Horatio’s warning about dueling Laertes by claiming that he wants to leave his fate to God. Hamlet’s devil-may-care attitude and his increasingly reckless choices are the result of realizing that the social and moral codes he’s clung to for so long are inapplicable to his current circumstances—and perhaps more broadly irrelevant.

Hamlet is a deeply subversive text—one that asks hard, uncomfortable questions about the value of human life, the indifference of the universe, and the construction of society, culture, and common decency. As Hamlet pursues his society’s ingrained ideals of honor, he discovers that perhaps honor means something very different than what he’s been raised to believe it does—and confronts the full weight of society’s arbitrary, outdated expectations and demands.

Religion, Honor, and Revenge ThemeTracker

Religion, Honor, and Revenge Quotes in Hamlet

Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral baked meats Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.

This above all—to thine own self be true; And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

O, villain, villain, smiling, damnèd villain!

O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams.

What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form, in moving how express and admirable; in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god: the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals—and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?

The play’s the thing, Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.

My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; Words without thoughts never to heaven go.

We defy augury. There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ’tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come. The readiness is all.

Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

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.

How it works

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.

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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Ilustration of a skull with a crown on its head

by William Shakespeare

Discussion Topic

Examples of the theme of revenge and its problematic nature in Shakespeare's Hamlet

In Hamlet , the theme of revenge and its problematic nature is exemplified through Hamlet's pursuit of vengeance against Claudius, which leads to his own downfall. Hamlet's obsession with avenging his father's murder results in a cycle of violence, causing the deaths of Polonius, Ophelia, Laertes, Gertrude, and ultimately himself, highlighting the destructive consequences of revenge.

characters: Hamlet

themes: Revenge

plot: Act 5, Scene 2

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What examples of the theme of revenge can be found in Shakespeare's Hamlet?

While the words of King Hamlet to his son are to revenge his death, the play Hamlet is not simply a revenge play, for the revenge of the ghost to which Hamlet has sworn is enacted only in the final act. Rather, Hamlet is a "dialectical revenge play" as one critic terms it. For, the resolution of the revenge plot is mired in veils of illusion and conflict that demonstrate the incommensurability of revenge.

While the death of King Hamlet disrupts the realm of the Danish court, it is not the king's death which effects the action; instead it is the dialectic that Hamlet has with death and life that moves the tragedy because justice calls for his life. Shakespeare's longest play is an existential one: "To be, or not to be" is, indeed, the question at the crux of the drama.

That the play is dialectical is evident in the seven soliloquies of Hamlet that direct the movement of the play; for, most of these soliloquies are reflective of Hamlet's great self-debate about avenging his father's murder.

In his first soliloquy , for example, Hamlet expresses his anger against his mother for so quickly marrying after the death of her husband. And, in his second soliloquy, after seeing King Hamlet's ghost, he rails further against his mother, calling her a "damned villain" while he promises to avenge his father's death, "I have sworn't." Yet, Hamlet does not proceed with this revenge until the final act. While he delays this action, he recriminates himself for not doing something when a player in fictional The Murder of Gonzago displays so much more emotion than he,

Had he the motive and the cue for passion That I have? He would drown the stage with tears, And cleave the general ear with horrid speech, Make mad the guilty.... Why, what an ass am I!... Must...unpack my heart with words....(2.2.537-540)

But, in his next soliloquy, Hamlet is still passive, reflecting on existence and how it would be better to "sleep, to say we end," but "conscience doth make cowards of us all"(23.1.83). Finally, after he observes Fortinbras , a "delicate and tender prince," who fights for a parcel of land that has been taken from his father, Hamlet is shamed into action, declaring, "This is I,/ Hamlet the Dane" (5.1.227-228)

With Ophelia , Hamlet is, perhaps, more verbally vengeful than with any other character because he knows that their conversation is being overheard and he feels betrayed. He acts as though he no longer loves her, "I did love you once"; he insults her with lewd words as they wait on the play's beginning. But, he continues his dialogue with revenge as inadequate after she dies and he declares his love for her to Gertrude in the graveyard scene.

Likewise, his veiled illusions with his former friends result in their revenge deaths as do Hamlet's angry words with Polonius , as well as his words with Gertrude that result finally with her death--her sacrifice, perhaps, for her son as she drinks from the cup intended for Hamlet. Certainly, this death, too, is incommensurable for Hamlet as is that of Laertes , who tells Hamlet, "The foul practice/Hath turned itself on me" (5.2.296-297).

The final act of revenge is the only one that is satisfying to Hamlet-

Here, thou incestuous, murd'rous, damned Dane, Drink off this potion. Is thy union here? Follow my mother. (5.2.303-305)

As he dies Hamlet concludes his dialectic, giving Fortinbras his "dying voice."

Cite this page as follows:

"Examples of the theme of revenge and its problematic nature in Shakespeare's Hamlet" edited by eNotes Editorial, 24 July 2013, https://www.enotes.com/topics/hamlet/questions/examples-of-the-theme-of-revenge-and-its-3127581.

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Provide several references to the theme of revenge in Shakespeare's Hamlet.

In Shakespeare's Hamlet , there are many references to revenge, for this is a revenge play , a form of drama particularly popular during Shakespeare's time.

This kind of play includes the murder of someone important—generally by someone evil; the ghost of the murdered person walking and speaking to a "younger kinsman;" subterfuge existing between the murderer and the avenger; the presence of madness or pretended insanity; the play closes amid extensive violence; and, devastation is visited upon the main characters in the drama.

This is a perfect description of Hamlet .

The first reference to revenge is found in Act One. Hamlet speaks to the ghost of his dead father, who charges his son to avenge his murder at the hands of Claudius :

If thou didst ever thy dear father love—

… Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. (I.v.27, 29)

Young Fortinbras of Norway is (as the play begins) attacking Denmark because he (erroneously) believes his father was killed—and land taken—dishonorably. The inference is that Fortinbras is determined to avenge his father's death. He...

...Hath in the skirts of Norway here and there, Shark'd up a list of lawless resolutes, For food and diet to some enterprise That hath a stomach in't; which is no other— As it doth well appear unto our state— But to recover of us, by strong hand And terms compulsatory, those foresaid lands So by his father lost. (I.i.110, 112-118)

Only when ordered by his uncle, now the King of Norway, does Fortinbras stop—for the terms of the battle were negotiated beforehand. Fortinbras acts immediately; Hamlet hesitates.

In Act IV, scene four, Hamlet passes Fortinbras' army—ready to sacrifice all for a small plot of land. Hamlet is amazed at the willingness of these men to die for so little. Hamlet has much more reason to fight, but still he has not killed Claudius. Starting now he will take action:

How stand I then, That have a father kill'd, a mother stain'd, Excitements of my reason and my blood,(60) And let all sleep... ...O, from this time forth, My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth! (58-61, 67-68)

In Act Four, scene seven, Laertes has returned to Elsinore. He blames Hamlet: he wants to avenge his father's death at Hamlet's hands, as well as his sister's mental deterioration. He tells Claudius:

And so have I a noble father lost; A sister driven into desperate terms... But my revenge will come. (27-28, 31)

We might assume that Hamlet wreaks revenge on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as he arranges for them to be executed in his place. These two men are foolish and seem harmless, but they have turned their back on their friend for personal gain.

Finally, even as Laertes fights Hamlet intended to avenge both father and sister at the sword-fighting event, Claudius allows Gertrude to drink poisonous wine meant for him. By now Hamlet is ready to send Claudius to his death for his murder of Old Hamlet, so he avenges his father's death and his mother's recent demise:

Laertes informs Hamlet... Thy mother's poison'd... ...The King, the King's to blame. (V.ii.327-328)

Again we hear Hamlet address himself to revenge as he kills Claudius:

Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane, Drink off this potion!... Follow my mother. (332-334)

This prevalent theme of revenge is found throughout the play. It drives Hamlet's actions, but his failure to act sooner costs the lives of everyone at court except Horatio .

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Metcalf, Lisa. "Examples of the theme of revenge and its problematic nature in Shakespeare's Hamlet" edited by eNotes Editorial, 5 Jan. 2011, https://www.enotes.com/topics/hamlet/questions/examples-of-the-theme-of-revenge-and-its-3127581.

The Theme of Revenge in Shakespeare’s Hamlet Research Paper

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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.

Summary & Analysis
Genre & Literary Analysis
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
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Ghosts and Revenge in Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”: Hamlet as a Masculine Character
Trifles: A Play in One Act
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The Theme Of Revenge In Hamlet, By William Shakespeare

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1 Works Cited

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The Theme of Revenge in Hamlet

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Explain the Theme of Revenge in Hamlet

Introduction

Laertes and Hamlet

Different Dimensions of Revenge

Hamlet and Revenge

Action and Inaction in Hamlet

How Hamlet's Revenge is Delayed

William Shakespeare

Religion, Honor, and Revenge ThemeTracker

Religion, Honor, and Revenge Quotes in Hamlet

Revenge is the Overarching Theme of the Play Hamlet

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