The Ethical Issues in Hamlett by William Shakespeare

The purpose of revenge varies depending on the type of person you are, people find different reasons to exact revenge; however, most commonly, revenge is stimulated by an influx of conflicting emotions. As humans blindly take revenge believing it will require them to move forward, it unfortunately leaves us without closure causing us to further dwell on the situation. Playwright William Shakespeare in, Hamlet composes a tragedy compelled of overwhelming emotions pertaining to love and vengeance that creates the plot device known as revenge which becomes the backbone of multiple characters actions. In this tragic play, Hamlet is a representation of humanity, guided by the obsession of revenge which leads him down a path of evil. Inevitably, this path will shape him into a being of sadness and emptiness which ultimately leads to his demise and the deaths of others. Furthermore, Shakespeare includes other characters such as Laertes and Fortinbras to additionally strengthen the emotional aspect of the play as they both seek vengeance. While others may argue that the play focuses on inner struggles of various characters, the past relations between the fathers of Hamlet and Fortinbras cause young Fortinbras to endeavour in taking revenge, Hamlet’s father guides him to avenge his death, and the death of Laertes’ father forces him to respond which are all reasons as to why revenge is the backbone of the play.

      I would contend, in fact, that Hamlet is not a revenge tragedy at all, but a drama on self-discovery and the consequences of deception. In Hamlet, for the title character and others, death comes from being false to oneself and others. Nevertheless, this death is purely physical: at the same time he is moving towards death as the consequence of the deception of himself and others, Hamlet is moving away from it in his mind, from death towards life, or at least a mature acceptance of what life might bring. Revenge, or to be more precise the struggle over when and how to take revenge, deepens him and make him fully aware and appreciative of life, even as he is about to be deprived of it.

Revenge is a natural human instinct that many people seek in retribution for harmful behaviors that have caused them pain. Revenge is an emotion that causes people pain and forces them to make irrational decisions that they would otherwise not make. It can cause people to perform terrible tasks that can end in death, broken hearts, or physical and mental pain. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, revenge takes over Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras leading them to seek pain on the people that have caused them or their families an ounce of hurt. The pain and demise of the close family members of these men has caused emotions to surface that set the theme for the entire play. These men are consumed by revenge and it leads to the deaths of all but one man.

In the play, the reference of revenge keeps the audience involved. Hamlet’s role in the play is a crazy and depressed character. He has no care for his words or actions and talks to himself and seen as a delusional person. The audience are aware that he is keeping his true feelings inside of him and to take out his revenge on his uncle Claudius. During the literature, Hamlet depicts as a person who is shown to have his good actions gone. This dialogue, it is noticeable how that Hamlet develops such a deep understanding of how to act upon his plan for revenge. In addition, Hamlet demonstratrates a strong rage towards his mother (Gertrude) and his uncle (Claudius), and everyone else. “Hamlet Rightly to be great…” (Act four, scene 4, 54-59).

Hamlet has a strong desire to seek revenge for the death of his father. But his strong desire to seek revenge can also be driven by madness, from situations that recently occurred in such a short period of time. Hamlet's mother showed little remorse of her husbands death. Could it have been that she needed someone becuase she was lonely or was it that she was money driven and needed someone who could not only support her but a whole country. Hamlet is driven by his own emotions, for example, while sitting with Opehelia, he wants to engage in sexual intercorse, but another moment may not like her. Hamlet's desire for punishment inflicted on someone supports the theme of revenge.

In Hamlet, a play by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare gives us several key characters that at one time or another have the feeling or the need of revenge. At the very beginning of the play Hamlet's father, as a ghost, comes and speaks to Hamlet asking him to avenge his death. Hamlet then seeks revenge against Claudius for murdering his father and after a long ride of thinking through his plan Hamlet finds out that Claudius is indeed guilty of killing the king. Claudius seeks revenge on Hamlet once he finds out that Hamlet had tricked him by the play. Fortinbras seeks revenge on King Hamlet because his own father lost a fight with the king, which thus lost his territories. Laertes seeks vengeance against Hamlet once he learns Hamlet murdered his father which lead his sister to commit suicide. Shakespeare wrote this enticing story, containing revenge

Revenge is very prevalent in the play Hamlet and causes murder and shows the affect that revenge can have. Revenge can be a result of anger or other negative feelings and revenge can impact people in many different ways. There is the saying that “revenge is sweet,” but that is far from the truth. Revenge is very dangerous and can result in tragedy. Revenge can never result in any good and will always make matters worse. Forgiveness is always better than revenge, but it is the common response for a human to get revenge when they are angered. It has been scientifically proven that people will want to get revenge when given the opportunity and that can be very scary. As shown in the play Hamlet

Revenge is something most people seek when they are hurt by someone or a loved one of theirs is hurt. Revenge can be a physical or verbal action toward someone. In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the play has a major theme of revenge. Many of the characters in the play are seeking revenge, such as Hamlet, Claudius, and Laertes. Some of the characters are seeking revenge due to their father’s deaths, and others are encouraging someone to seek revenge. The theme revenge can lead to death is seen when Hamlet’s revenge led to Polonius’ death, Claudius’ revenge led to Gertrude’s death, and Laertes’ revenge led to Hamlet’s, Claudius’, and his own death.

William Shakespeare is known for writing plays and stories with universal meanings; Hamlet is no different. Shakespeare includes relevant problems such as the unknown nature beyond death, family feuds, societal corruption, and suicide. Readers can find many similarities between characters and public figures seen in the modern world. Although revenge is the overlying theme, Hamlet is also about a man's struggle with love and insanity within the public eye.

The traditional revenge tragedy approach is defined as an entire story is centered around the idea to right a wrong. In almost every revenge tragedy, there are the basic components of “a play within a play, mad scenes, a vengeful ghost, one or several gory scenes, and, most importantly, a central character who has a serious grievance against a formidable opponent” (Mabillard). This list is spot on including everything vital in creation of the play of Hamlet. The ghost of Hamlet’s father who exposed Claudius as a murderer is the motive for Hamlet’s madness and anger towards not only Claudius, but his mother who married him as well, growing throughout the play, therefore also increasing conflict inside of himself on how to seek revenge and when is the best time. In the third act, when Hamlet mistakes Polonius for the King behind a curtain and stabs him attempting revenge, a new source of revenge is now created as Laertes is vengeful of his father, and then his sister Ophelia’s death, after she drowned from going mad as a result Hamlet’s rejection. In the end, Laertes avenges the loss of his father and sister by fatally wounding Hamlet with a poisoned sword with Claudius’s help. However, before Hamlet’s death he realizes Claudius’s interaction and goes to kill him, finally getting revenge on his father's death - marking the end of this revenge tragedy.

Revenge is a dish best served cold. In the play, Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, the son of a recently murdered father, who was King Hamlet, is hell-bent on avenging him by killing the man who poisoned his father and wed his mother by hiding his revenge plot by using his depressed manor and his apparent insanity. Hamlet’s plot of revenge depending on depression and his apparent insanity that is portrayed throughout the play using imagery, irony, symbols, structure of the play, setting, characters, and character relationships.

Hamlet, a play written by the respected William Shakespeare covers a large array of themes with the theme of revenge being the most prevalent. The theme of Revenge stands out the most since various characters are motivated by it. Revenge of course is the act of inflicting harm upon someone because of a wrong doing they did to someone else. Revenge has the ability to give off a false beauty which causes characters such as Hamlet, Claudius, and Laertes to be motivated by it, believing it will give them satisfaction. Shakespeare uses the theme of revenge to show how even though revenge may appear to be desirable, it ultimately leads to horrible consequences.

In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the main character Hamlet is prompted to seek revenge by the ghost of his father for his murder. The target of his revenge is his uncle Claudius, who poured poison in King Hamlet’s ears. After he is implored to take action by him, Hamlet appears to go mad, having emotional outbursts, speaking nonsense, seeing the apparition of his father, however this is all part of a plot. Hamlet’s madness is not real, instead it’s simply a part of his intelligent plan for vengeance.

The Shakespearean drama, Hamlet, revolves around the theme of revenge. Throughout the play, several of the characters are overwhelmed by anger and pursue their enemy in the attempt of payback. Fortinbras, Laertes, and Hamlet all seek to avenge the deaths of their fathers. Revenge causes them to act blindly on emotion, rather than through reason. Later, each will come to find that revenge is a bitter and ineffective act that can not only destroy another being, but also oneself.

The play “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare follows Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, following the death of his father. Just months after his sudden death, his uncle Claudius has taken the throne that once belonged to his father and has married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude. It is when Hamlet meets his father’s ghost one night and discovers that his father was murdered by Claudius that he begins to take part in the main theme of the play: revenge. In order for there to be revenge, the act of punishing someone who has done something wrong in one’s eyes, three things are needed: a motive, the expression that he wants revenge, and the carrying out of the act. If each aspect is successfully fulfilled, then there is a theme of revenge.