William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, written four hundred years ago, is still used today with its characters and plot to describe and display a variety of aspects associated with human beings. One of these aspects, if not the most important, is the human nature to seek out vengeance and the outcomes that different reactions to this impulse can result in. This is all done through the actions of the characters Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras, each of whom seek revenge for the murder of their individual father. While they each seek revenge for the same reason, how they act upon this emotion is very different in the respect that Laertes and Hamlet play polar opposites and Fortinbras is displayed as being rather in the middle.
Shakespeare shows in the action of Hamlet, the prince of Denmark that when taking revenge, to act with excessive contemplation will not result in the desired outcome as effectively as possible. For example, Hamlet doesn’t even know if the ghost of his father was real and doesn’t know if his plan for revenge is justified. So, in order to prove the ghost is true, he vows to feign madness in order to act in secrecy. When Hamlet says, “As I …show more content…
While Claudius is praying, Hamlet has the chance to exact revenge but rather reconsiders and “[Ups his] sword; and know thou a more horrid hent: then he is drunk asleep, or in his rage….” (3.3) Once again, this shows how Hamlet finally has the chance to kill Claudius but hesitates, for thinking that to kill Claudius during prayer is as bad as how Claudius killed his own father. By making up an excuse such as this, Hamlet prolongs his revenge and this allows for the meeting with Gertrude to take place and Polonius’ death to occur as if Hamlet knew Claudius was dead, it’s possible he may not stab the curtain, knowing it isn’t Claudius hiding behind
Shakespeare shows in the action of Hamlet, the prince of Denmark that when taking revenge, to act with excessive contemplation will not result in the desired outcome as effectively as possible. For example, Hamlet doesn’t even know if the ghost of his father was real and doesn’t know if his plan for revenge is justified. So, in order to prove the ghost is true, he vows to feign madness in order to act in secrecy. When Hamlet says, “As I …show more content…
While Claudius is praying, Hamlet has the chance to exact revenge but rather reconsiders and “[Ups his] sword; and know thou a more horrid hent: then he is drunk asleep, or in his rage….” (3.3) Once again, this shows how Hamlet finally has the chance to kill Claudius but hesitates, for thinking that to kill Claudius during prayer is as bad as how Claudius killed his own father. By making up an excuse such as this, Hamlet prolongs his revenge and this allows for the meeting with Gertrude to take place and Polonius’ death to occur as if Hamlet knew Claudius was dead, it’s possible he may not stab the curtain, knowing it isn’t Claudius hiding behind