Hamlet And Fortinbras

Revenge is one’s desire to retaliate and seek punishment onto those who have wronged them. Its consuming nature causes one to act recklessly with anger rather than reason, and is an emotion that is easily rationalized. However, this instinct has a tendency to lead to many serious consequences. Throughout William Shakespeare’s tragedy “Hamlet,” vengeance is shown to be a dominant aspect portrayed not only through the main character, Hamlet, but also by other minor characters as well. The play explores this theme of revenge, revealing how human complexity can affect the outcome through the characters of Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras. Each express how their aspiration to avenge their fathers’ deaths unavoidably leads to the downfall and demise …show more content…
Both characters must deal with the loss of their father, resulting in seeking revenge to do right by them. Fortinbras states during the play, "Rightly to be great/Is not to stir without great argument, But greatly to find quarrel in a straw/When honour's at the stake" (4.4.53-56). Also, even though Hamlet insists that Fortinbras does not have good reasons for leading an army against Poland, it can be inferred that “his words show a sympathetic feeling for the ambitious Fortinbras, perhaps even an envy of his forthrightly activist personality” (Stabler). In other words, Hamlet secretly admires Fortinbras for his devotion to preserve his family’s honor. However, Fortinbras continues to retaliate by attempting to reclaim the territories of Norway, the land his father has lost. Compared to Hamlet, he spends his time with trying to conquer lands rather than distract himself with overthinking his plans. Therefore, he takes immediate action by leading an army to set an attack on Denmark and seeking revenge on Hamlet. Nevertheless his vengeance is still not perceived as violent compared to both Hamlet and …show more content…
Each character acts upon their own anger and pain, revealing the true complexity of human emotions. Towards the end of the play, Hamlet stabs Laertes with a poisoned blade while dueling. Instantly, the poison enters his bloodstream and kills him. Hamlet eventually succeeds in killing his ultimate target Claudius, but immediately dies after doing so, leaving Fortinbras to take the throne. Hamlet is therefore responsible for his own death, as he completes his transformation from a troubled young man to an obsessed killer (Gibińska). Evidently, his madness makes him more of a victim of revenge rather than its enforcer. This proves that within a revenge tragedy such as this one, one’s desire to retaliate and seek punishment onto those who have wronged them will only bring about his or her own demise and consequences for those around