How Does Shakespeare Present Injustice In Hamlet

William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet follows the Danish royal family’s cutthroat actions to gain individual power and success, Prince Hamlet is called upon by the ghost of his father to seek revenge upon his uncle, Claudius’ part in his murder; furthermore, Claudius marries Gertrude, Prince Hamlet’s mother a short time after the murder of his father. The injustices in the play correlate differently to the affected person. Shakespeare portrays how actions taken to resolve an injustice have potential impacts on self-respect and worth. Hamlet comes home from the University after receiving the news of his father’s demise. He is depressed by both the loss and the fact that his mother, remarries quickly following his father’s death. As a ghost, King …show more content…
For instance, she lacks the courage to challenge her father Polonius and brother Laertes when they tell her that Hamlet doesn’t love her. She is forced to return Hamlet’s love letters and gifts by his father and Claudius and they watch as she does this. She does this without questioning the motives or reasoning behind these actions; furthermore, she lacks self-confidence and therefore cannot fight for what she loves. Ophelia’s father tells her not to continue making connections with Hamlet and she gave in without fighting back. In a bid to obey her father, she miserably fails to honor her self-respect. However, Ophelia falls a victim of chauvinism from her own father and brother. Being the time period of the play, it was not seen appropriate for women to stand up rebel, as the men held the power and women were seen as lesser, for fear and respect. Polonius’ death tears Ophelia apart, ironically, Hamlet is the one who kills him for spying; however, Hamlet had been spying when Polonius had been instructing Ophelia on what she needs to do. She does not have anyone to console her at this difficult time. It is at this time that Ophelia loses her self-control for good. Due to her lack of expertise in handling injustices, she becomes insane. Her emotion completely masks her judgement, her sadness worsens to a point where she cannot take it anymore. Lack of self-respect leads to her taking her …show more content…
Being used to being respected and honored, he is disappointed by the fact that Hamlet refuses to accept him as the rightful king of Denmark; thus, causing Claudius to act out in spite toward Hamlet and attempting to have him executed multiple times which all cumulated in a final failsafe plan. Claudius, who is outraged by Hamlets escape from England, decides to plot against Hamlet in a bid to kill him. Laertes and Claudius devise a plan in which a fencing duel will take place with Laertes sword coated in a poison so powerful no medicine could save him. As a backup to the poison blade Claudius also had dropped a pearl which also had poison on it, into a wine for Hamlet to drink during the match. Unfortunately, Gertrude disobeys Claudius’ orders to not drink the wine, she insists to drink it; thus, ingesting the poison and dying. Though the plan was to get rid of the prince from the kingdom, he ended up killing the Queen. Unjust actions such as these is what ultimately led to the demise of the Danish hierarchy. Claudius not only displays a lack of self-respect in the downfall of Gertrude but also in achieving his goal of the Danish throne, he misused his power as part of the royal family to poison King Hamlet to have the throne for himself and remarrying his widowed