An Eye for an Eye
A life for a life is the type of mentality many characters possessed throughout the Shakespearian play, Hamlet. Revenge is the reaction one feels when they experience the need to punish others for a wrong done on them. Throughout the play, it is evident that many tragic events occur thus driving many characters to act out on their personal vendetta. The constant need to seek out vengeance consumes an entire person and one could even argue that it is detrimental to one’s character. When driven by the need to satisfy one’s hunger for revenge, one performs irrational acts to mask their feelings of grief. This however is not an appropriate way to handle the situation as it ultimately leads to one’s downfall. This is exemplified …show more content…
His grief motivated him to take action by formulating an elaborate plan to end the life of his uncle, now stepfather, Claudius. From the beginning of the play, it is evident that Hamlet took a disliking towards his uncle. Finding out that Claudius was the murderer of his father was all it took for Hamlet to get all riled about avenging his father’s death. Instead of taking immediate action, he decides to pretend to be insane in order to closely examine Claudius. The quote “As I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on” (I.v.172-173) shows how already, he is acting irrational. Filled with a lot of emotion, the grief that he felt consumed him as he felt the only way for him to be content again was to kill his uncle. He wanted to make people underestimate his true abilities however by doing so, he caused the death of many people. Acting insane caused Hamlet to eventually become mad. His mental state was the price he had to pay for acting out on his revenge. As the play progresses, Hamlet starts to realize that he must take action and when Hamlet realizes that he is about to die, he takes in full control as he realizes that this was his last and final chance to fulfill Old Hamlet’s desires. The quote “The point envenom’d too! Then, venom, to thy work” (V.ii.314-315) perfectly depicts Hamlet’s irrational behaviour. Hamlet’s first instinct after being stabbed by …show more content…
This event was a motivating force for him to try to take back the land that the country was lost to Old Fortinbras had died many years before by the hands of Old Hamlet. Young Fortinbras had many years to grief yet he still chose to secretly plan an attack on Denmark despite what his uncle promised about Fortinbras being under control. The quote “That so his sickness, age and impotence Was falsely borne in hand, sends out arrests On Fortinbras; which he, in brief, obeys;” (II.ii.67-68), exemplifies the fact that Fortinbras will do whatever it takes to regain honour even if it meant going against his uncle’s wishes. This shows that his actions were rash because he went against his own family’s back to try to seek out revenge. He disregarded what was said to him and he wanted to take out his own personal vendetta on Denmark anyway. He was not thinking about if it were a wise decision. He was driven by his hunger to satisfy his needs to seek out revenge. Luckily his last warning was a wake up call to him as he no longer felt the desire to attack Denmark. Instead, he peacefully wanted to cross Denmark to get to Poland. Fortinbras himself stated “Tell him that, by his licence, Fortinbras Craves the conveyance of a promised march Over his kingdom. You know the rendezvous. If that his majesty would aught with us, We shall express our duty in his eye; And let him know so.” (IV.iv.2-6).
A life for a life is the type of mentality many characters possessed throughout the Shakespearian play, Hamlet. Revenge is the reaction one feels when they experience the need to punish others for a wrong done on them. Throughout the play, it is evident that many tragic events occur thus driving many characters to act out on their personal vendetta. The constant need to seek out vengeance consumes an entire person and one could even argue that it is detrimental to one’s character. When driven by the need to satisfy one’s hunger for revenge, one performs irrational acts to mask their feelings of grief. This however is not an appropriate way to handle the situation as it ultimately leads to one’s downfall. This is exemplified …show more content…
His grief motivated him to take action by formulating an elaborate plan to end the life of his uncle, now stepfather, Claudius. From the beginning of the play, it is evident that Hamlet took a disliking towards his uncle. Finding out that Claudius was the murderer of his father was all it took for Hamlet to get all riled about avenging his father’s death. Instead of taking immediate action, he decides to pretend to be insane in order to closely examine Claudius. The quote “As I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on” (I.v.172-173) shows how already, he is acting irrational. Filled with a lot of emotion, the grief that he felt consumed him as he felt the only way for him to be content again was to kill his uncle. He wanted to make people underestimate his true abilities however by doing so, he caused the death of many people. Acting insane caused Hamlet to eventually become mad. His mental state was the price he had to pay for acting out on his revenge. As the play progresses, Hamlet starts to realize that he must take action and when Hamlet realizes that he is about to die, he takes in full control as he realizes that this was his last and final chance to fulfill Old Hamlet’s desires. The quote “The point envenom’d too! Then, venom, to thy work” (V.ii.314-315) perfectly depicts Hamlet’s irrational behaviour. Hamlet’s first instinct after being stabbed by …show more content…
This event was a motivating force for him to try to take back the land that the country was lost to Old Fortinbras had died many years before by the hands of Old Hamlet. Young Fortinbras had many years to grief yet he still chose to secretly plan an attack on Denmark despite what his uncle promised about Fortinbras being under control. The quote “That so his sickness, age and impotence Was falsely borne in hand, sends out arrests On Fortinbras; which he, in brief, obeys;” (II.ii.67-68), exemplifies the fact that Fortinbras will do whatever it takes to regain honour even if it meant going against his uncle’s wishes. This shows that his actions were rash because he went against his own family’s back to try to seek out revenge. He disregarded what was said to him and he wanted to take out his own personal vendetta on Denmark anyway. He was not thinking about if it were a wise decision. He was driven by his hunger to satisfy his needs to seek out revenge. Luckily his last warning was a wake up call to him as he no longer felt the desire to attack Denmark. Instead, he peacefully wanted to cross Denmark to get to Poland. Fortinbras himself stated “Tell him that, by his licence, Fortinbras Craves the conveyance of a promised march Over his kingdom. You know the rendezvous. If that his majesty would aught with us, We shall express our duty in his eye; And let him know so.” (IV.iv.2-6).