William Shakespeare's Hamlet As A Traditional Revenge Tragedy

Hamlet is as much a story of emotional conflict, paranoia, and self-doubt as it is one of revenge and tragedy. The protagonist, Prince Hamlet of Denmark, is instructed by his slain father’s ghost to enact vengeance upon his uncle Claudius, whose treacherous murder of Hamlet’s father gave way to his rise to power. Overcome by anguish and obligation to avenge his father’s death, Hamlet ultimately commits a number of killings throughout the story. However, we are not to view the character Hamlet as a sick individual, but rather one who has been victimized by his own circumstances.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a tragic play about murder, betrayal, revenge, madness, and moral corruption. It touches upon philosophical ideas such as existentialism and relativism. Prince Hamlet frequently questions the meaning of life and the degrading of morals as he agonizes over his father’s murder, his mother’s incestuous infidelity, and what he should or shouldn’t do about it. At first, he is just depressed; still mourning the loss of his father as his mother marries his uncle. After he learns about the treachery of his uncle and the adultery of his mother, his already negative countenance declines further. He struggles with the task of killing Claudius, feeling burdened about having been asked to find a solution to a situation that was

Hamlet and the Issue of Revenge in William Shakespeare's Play The question of why Hamlet does not immediately avenge his father's death is perhaps one of the most perplexing problems faced by an audience. Each generation of viewers has come up with it's own explanation, and it has now become the most widely known critical problem in Shakespearean studies. A rather simplistic, yet valid standpoint to take on this problem is that it was essential to the tragedy's narrative progression. As Hanmer said "had he gone naturally to work, there would have been an end to our play!".

Hamlet has lived through plenty of ups and downs throughout his childhood. He has been lost and confused within himself, but knew he wanted one thing, which was revenge on his fathers killer, Claudius. His passion of hate developed for Claudius as he married Hamlets mother shortly after the king’s death. Hamlet could not decide on the perfect decision for himself, his mother and father as well as the best way to follow through with the best consequence for Claudius that would impress his father. His everyday life, along with his love life, left him with an empty heart, which slowed the process of the revenge down. Hamlet never expected to be captured and kidnapped by pirates, as he was sent overseas as a young man. His inside thoughts were attacking and overwhelming Him, leaving him depressed and anxious. Hamlet’s life has been leading him to negative thoughts that he cannot process or act accordingly to, due to the excessive amount of issues and options involved in his life at a young age, him being overwhelmed lead him to delaying the process of avenging his fathers killer.

When looking at Hamlet, one could say that William Shakespeare put the play together as a very cathartic tragedy. The emotional result of dealing with so many deaths brings on a plethora of emotions which are not usually felt in a typical play. Hamlet begins not with the normal prosperity and good fortune as do most tragedies, but with a more stifling and depressing sort of mood (Tekany 115). However, something else could be said about this play as well. The play centers on Hamlet and his existential characteristics, such as angst, isolation and his confrontations with nothingness. The exhibition of these characteristics proves Hamlet to be an existential character.

"The time is out of joint: O cursed spite, / That ever I was born to set it right!" (I.5). Shakespeare's Hamlet is an unwilling avenger. Despite his hatred of his uncle Claudius and his sense of the injustice perpetuated upon his father's memory, Hamlet seems unable to obey the will of his father's ghost. Ultimately, this is not shown to be a sign of weakness or cowardice upon Hamlet's part. Rather, the intellectual protagonist understands all too well the futility of attempting to use violence to enact justice. By attempting to become an avenger, Hamlet simply begets more violence.

Hamlet is a suspenseful play that introduces the topic of tragedy. Throughout the play, Hamlet displays anger, uncertainty, and obsession with death. Although Hamlet is unaware of it, these emotions cause the mishaps that occur throughout the play. These emotions combined with his unawareness are the leading basis for the tragic hero’s flaws. These flaws lead Hamlet not to be a bad man, but a regular form of imperfection that comes along with being human.

Hamlet as So Much More Than a Traditional Revenge Tragedy Although Shakespeare wrote Hamlet closely following the conventions of a traditional revenge tragedy, he goes far beyond this form in his development of Hamlet's character. Shakespeare's exploration of Hamlet's complex thoughts and emotions is perhaps more the focus of the play rather than that of revenge, thus in Hamlet Shakespeare greatly develops and enhances the form of the traditional revenge tragedy. The main source of Hamlet is Saxo Grammaticus' Historiae Danicae, a folk tale that has a similar plot to Hamlet; however, Shakespeare greatly transforms this story of revenge when creating Hamlet. Shakespeare also draws upon

The death of King Hamlet effected many individuals lives to the point where great changes were made. Especially in regards to his son, Hamlet, who took the death – murder- of his father personally in both mental and emotional ways. By doing so, Hamlet portrays and experiences the death and loss of his father by acting out in manners in which magnify his isolation and alienated actions. These would include excluding and distancing himself, turning on those closest, and taking on measures one would never do so when thinking rationally or clearly.

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is laden with tragedy from the start, and this adversity is reflected in the title character. Being informed of his father’s murder and the appalling circumstances surrounding the crime, Hamlet is given the emotionally taxing task of avenging his death. It is clear that having to complete this grim undertaking takes its toll on Hamlet emotionally. Beginning as a seemingly contemplative and sensitive character, we observe Hamlet grow increasingly depressed and deranged as the play wears on. Hamlet is so determined to make his father proud that he allows the job on hand to completely consume him. We realize that Hamlet has a tendency to mull and ponder excessively, which causes the notorious delays of action

The most common approach is revenge tragedy. Revenge tragedy is the act of a character feeling the need for revenge. The character does achieve the goal of revenge, but typically causes a tragedy by dying himself or causing other to die in the process. Hamlet goes through his own internal conflict and takes a long time to avenge his father’s murder. Glyn Austen provides a view that Hamlet’s revenge is “more orchestrated by his enemies than by himself.” (Glyn 1) This argument is supported through many parts of the play. Through Hamlet’s soliloquies, the audience can conclude that Hamlet is torn by his “mission.” Although he clearly wants Claudius dead, he is constantly hesitant about his future actions. Even when he has adequate proof that his uncle did murder his father, it’s almost as though Hamlet does not want to go through with it. Also presented is the notion that Hamlet avenged the actions against himself rather than the murder of his father. (Glyn 1) When Hamlet killed Claudius, Laertes had already poisoned him with the tip of his blade, and Gertrude was already poisoned by the wine as well. So, if anything, Hamlet avenged the actions against his mother and himself rather than the murder of his father.

William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon, is one of the most influential people in the history of English Literature. He wrote Hamlet sometime early in the seventeenth century, and it was first performed in the summer of 1602. The play Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s better-known plays if not his most well known plays of all time. The tragedy of Hamlet begins with Hamlet’s uncle murdering his father. It then goes on with his Father coming as a ghost begging for vengeance, which is then followed by Hamlet carrying out his revenge. Hamlet is scattered with William Shakespeare’s points of view about Traditional Revenge tragedy revealing how he believed one should be portrayed, and the language and, emotion necessary for a Traditional Revenge Tragedy. This play reveals some of Shakespeare’s Philosophical ideas and some traditional ideas of the time. Shakespeare’s approach to Freudian psychoanalytic ideas is heavily used in this play. Hamlet also includes many other things that allow for criticism including ideas on how the age old ideas of patriarchy are portrayed in this play, and the historical differences between the time when Hamlet and modern times.

William Shakespeare's Hamlet as a Revenge Tragedy Revenge Tragedy was a genre which lasted from 1590 until 1615. The genre appealed to the Elizabethan audience’s desire for blood and violence without emotional depth. = == ==

To begin with, the exploration of human strengths and frailties in Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ provides a strong understanding of the complex nature of revenge, because Hamlet is determined to kill Claudius, which is the main reason for his father’s death. This is the most pivotal moment at the end of Act 1 because it leads Hamlet into insanity because it’s his primary mode of interacting with other people later in the play. The idea is used by Shakespeare to further develop Hamlet’s character because the concept of sin must be returned with punishment because Claudius has committed a sin on his father. The quote “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder,” is used as a motif on the centre of honesty, as it explores the fact that Hamlet would do something for his father if they had a close relationship. He is rather keen to undertake this task so that he can get revenge on Claudius. “With wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love may sweep to my revenge,” uses a simile to express Hamlet’s determination

Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most well-known tragedies. At first glance, it holds all of the common occurrences in a revenge tragedy which include plotting, ghosts, and madness, but its complexity as a story far transcends its functionality as a revenge tragedy. Revenge tragedies are often closely tied to the real or feigned madness in the play. Hamlet is such a complex revenge tragedy because there truly is a question about the sanity of the main character Prince Hamlet. Interestingly enough, this deepens the psychology of his character and affects the way that the revenge tragedy takes place. An evaluation of Hamlet’s actions and words over the course of the play can be determined to see that his ‘outsider’ outlook on society,