There is a very fine line between justice and revenge, which is best represented by Hamlet in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Throughout the play, Hamlet’s “search for justice” is completed on what he believes is correct and the ghost’s authority; however, his actions to his “righteous revenge” backfire as he is unsuccessful and realizes through certain events in the play that his actions had dire consequences. Hamlet embodies the belief that justice will be achieved through the death of Claudius. He not only believes that he is justified in killing Claudius, for the death of his father, but also has the moral responsibility to stop his evil from spreading. His knowledge and authority for this justice comes from a questionable source, the ghost of
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He continues to ponder the cost of justice, which eventually leads him to have both spiritual and physical consequences. Hamlet in his search for justice is unsuccessful because he loses his sense of morality, which leads other characters, such as Laertes with the help of Claudius, to create a plan for his death. He does not want to condemn himself for killing the king, and thus, results in similar activities as the king, such as spying. Consequently, Hamlet stabs Polonius assuming it is Claudius. He treats his mother roughly, and in turn drives away someone that he could trust if he had given her a chance to explain herself. His determination of his revenge led to the insanity and eventual death of Ophelia, a woman that was trying to show him love and could have guided his morals. The irony is that given he is the prince of Denmark he could have used the law to give his father justice and keep the kingdom in the family line. Additionally, his idea of getting rid of the evil costs him his country, as Fortinbras is successful due to operating on real and lawful authority. Hamlet does in act his revenge by killing his uncle, but at the expense of his own death. He forges a letter to his two best friends, which leads them to their deaths. His actions have consequences that he wasn’t alive to fix, and in a
He continues to ponder the cost of justice, which eventually leads him to have both spiritual and physical consequences. Hamlet in his search for justice is unsuccessful because he loses his sense of morality, which leads other characters, such as Laertes with the help of Claudius, to create a plan for his death. He does not want to condemn himself for killing the king, and thus, results in similar activities as the king, such as spying. Consequently, Hamlet stabs Polonius assuming it is Claudius. He treats his mother roughly, and in turn drives away someone that he could trust if he had given her a chance to explain herself. His determination of his revenge led to the insanity and eventual death of Ophelia, a woman that was trying to show him love and could have guided his morals. The irony is that given he is the prince of Denmark he could have used the law to give his father justice and keep the kingdom in the family line. Additionally, his idea of getting rid of the evil costs him his country, as Fortinbras is successful due to operating on real and lawful authority. Hamlet does in act his revenge by killing his uncle, but at the expense of his own death. He forges a letter to his two best friends, which leads them to their deaths. His actions have consequences that he wasn’t alive to fix, and in a