William Shakespeare is history’s most greatest, influential, and philosophical playwright. His most acclaimed work, Hamlet, is extensively studied and analyzed as it confronts and speaks openly about many moral, ethical, emotional truths and dilemmas. Hamlet is a revenge tragedy, in which the indecisive and contemplative protagonist is driven to avenge his father’s death, yet the act of his revenge is necessarily delayed in order to highlight Hamlet’s emotional and psychological complexity. The theme of revenge in the play is undoubtedly the most significant as it underlies every scene and introduces retributive justice for the bereaved characters within the play. This is demonstrated as the act of revenge causes Hamlet to be inundated with
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Hamlet becomes tormented and inundated with resistance towards performing the role of a murder, which exhibits a justified rejection of the way of life and an obsession with death and the afterlife. Through his soliloquies, Hamlet’s paradoxical relationship with words is displayed, ironically, in his lengthy ruminations, he admonishes himself for being paralyzed with inaction and emboldens himself to swiftly take action, yet fails to due to his principles and propensity with words. Hamlet feigning madness accentuates his inner turmoil and conduces needless procrastination, along with being the catalyst for the demise of many characters. He implies that he will put on an “antic disposition” to divert suspicion and bewilder those around …show more content…
Laertes is displayed as the foil to Hamlet, his grief exhibits a vociferous and impetuous desire for revenge which directly contradicts and highlights Hamlet’s excessive contemplation, trepidation and procrastination. This is demonstrated when Laertes declares that he would be willing to kill Hamlet in a church. “To cut his throat i’ the church.” (iv.vii.127). While Hamlet is unable to kill Claudius while he is in a church, to forbid his attaining of salvation, Laertes is more than willing to and does not ponder upon any sort of spiritual or moral uncertainty. Laertes’ irreverence to spiritual and moral considerations is antithetical in contradistinction to Hamlet’s desire for a moral and spiritual quixotic act of revenge. Later, as Hamlet’s “madness” results in the death of both Laertes’ father and sister, he is driven to a passionate and callous course of action, and along with Claudius, devises covert mechanisms in which to ensure Hamlet’s death. Meanwhile, Hamlet’s duty to his father and thrall to words drive him to passionate inaction. Fortinbras is seen as a rational and sensible man, who follows a judicious course of action to avenge his father and reclaim lost lands, which highlights the excessive contemplation of Hamlet and Laertes’
Hamlet becomes tormented and inundated with resistance towards performing the role of a murder, which exhibits a justified rejection of the way of life and an obsession with death and the afterlife. Through his soliloquies, Hamlet’s paradoxical relationship with words is displayed, ironically, in his lengthy ruminations, he admonishes himself for being paralyzed with inaction and emboldens himself to swiftly take action, yet fails to due to his principles and propensity with words. Hamlet feigning madness accentuates his inner turmoil and conduces needless procrastination, along with being the catalyst for the demise of many characters. He implies that he will put on an “antic disposition” to divert suspicion and bewilder those around …show more content…
Laertes is displayed as the foil to Hamlet, his grief exhibits a vociferous and impetuous desire for revenge which directly contradicts and highlights Hamlet’s excessive contemplation, trepidation and procrastination. This is demonstrated when Laertes declares that he would be willing to kill Hamlet in a church. “To cut his throat i’ the church.” (iv.vii.127). While Hamlet is unable to kill Claudius while he is in a church, to forbid his attaining of salvation, Laertes is more than willing to and does not ponder upon any sort of spiritual or moral uncertainty. Laertes’ irreverence to spiritual and moral considerations is antithetical in contradistinction to Hamlet’s desire for a moral and spiritual quixotic act of revenge. Later, as Hamlet’s “madness” results in the death of both Laertes’ father and sister, he is driven to a passionate and callous course of action, and along with Claudius, devises covert mechanisms in which to ensure Hamlet’s death. Meanwhile, Hamlet’s duty to his father and thrall to words drive him to passionate inaction. Fortinbras is seen as a rational and sensible man, who follows a judicious course of action to avenge his father and reclaim lost lands, which highlights the excessive contemplation of Hamlet and Laertes’