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Hamlet Search For Revenge

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Is Hamlet’s central plot the search for revenge? Revenge has been the downfall of many throughout the course of time and fiction. Revenge is a powerful emotion that can drive even the strongest individuals mad, forcing them to act with their emotion as opposed to their rations and morals. Hamlet is a play in which one of the main themes throughout is the pursuit of revenge. Upon realizing what his Uncle Claudius has done Hamlet goes on an endless quest for vengeance at his father’s ghost’s request that serves as the catalyst for most of the madness and despair that occurs throughout the play. For this reason, Hamlet’s central theme is the pursuit of revenge as every major event in the play occurs as a result of Hamlet’s quest. The …show more content…


(1.5.31-37)
In this moment Hamlet’s journey for revenge begins and with it the sanity of the entire royal family and perhaps even the kingdom. The pursuit of revenge becomes the main motivation of the play as Hamlet seeks to end the life his uncle. One of the most important events that points to Hamlet’s search for revenge is the death of Ophelia’s father Polonius. Hamlet kills Polonius in a blind rage where he had no thought of his actions. Instead of thinking with reason Hamlet acts with sheer emotions and grief by stabbing the curtain unaware of whom was behind it. By Hamlets acts and dialogue it can be assumed that Hamlet though that it was his uncle behind the curtains, but despite not knowing for sure Hamlet makes a rash decision and ends up killing Polonius instead. “A bloody deed? Almost as bad, good mother, as kill a king and marry with his brother.”(Act 3 Scene 4 page 3). This quote immediately following killing Polonius shows the madness that has consumed Hamlet with the events prior. Hamlet is taking drastic measures to secure revenge in whatever ways he can, and in doing so he negatively affects the rest of the …show more content…

In a final attempt to get the revenge he believes he deserves Hamlet allows himself to become the victim of yet another murder within the royal family dying to the same poison responsible for killing his father in the beginning of the play. After spending some time practicing his sword play Hamlet believes he will finally have his opportunity to get his revenge. “Don’t you think it’s my duty now to kill him with this weapon? This man who killed my king, made my mother a whore, took the throne that I hoped for, and set a trap to kill me. Isn’t it completely moral to kill him now with this sword—and an easy conscience? And wouldn’t I be damned if I let this monster live to do more harm?” (Act 5 Scene 2). This quote serves the reader as a reminder of what Hamlets intentions have been all along. Hamlet seeks to gain revenge against the man who killed his father and took his mother for his own. This final message to the audience confirms what was already known and asserts Hamlet as tragic revenge story that ends in spectacular fashion with the death of the very man whom has sought death throughout the entire

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