Revenge Tragedy In Hamlet By William Shakespeare

In this revenge tragedy, “Hamlet”, by William Shakespeare, Hamlet is the prince of Denmark who faces internal combat continuously. Hamlet is the tragic hero of the play, who faces much grief after his father’s death, but even more anguish after knowing about the deeds of his mother, Gertrude, and his uncle, Claudius. “She married. O! Most wicked speed, to post/ With such dexterity to incestous sheets./ It is not nor it cannot come to good;/ But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue” (Ham. I. II. 156-159). Hamlet is not content with the decision his mother made, as it broke his heart to see her joyful when she should be mourning over his father’s death. In his attempts to figure out what caused the death of his father, and he comes upon …show more content…
A shocked and appalled Hamlet cannot believe his eyes, making him question himself whether the ghost is realistic or not until he hears his father’s ghost tell him, “the serpent that did sting thy father’s life/ Now wears his crown” (Ham. I. V. 39-40). Upon hearing that, he is stunned, but he vows to take revenge from Claudius, making that his one goal. He even makes a statement about his state of mind by saying, “I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records, all saws of books, all forms, all pressures past/ That youth and observation copied there;/ And thy commitment all alone shall live/ Within the book and volume of my brain” (Ham. I. V. 100-104). Hamlet has clear intentions towards his revenge towards Claudius, while making that bold statement. He knows what he has to do in his mind, without making it appeal to anyone else, not even his closest friend, Horatio. While Act I shows Hamlet’s definite purpose, the acts that are portrayed afterwards show the obvious weaknesses of Hamlet. So, after getting to know the true identity of his uncle, Claudius, Hamlet decides to act upon the Ghost’s word and kill him, but there was no guarantee he’d be able to fulfill it or …show more content…
The amount of sorrow that Hamlet built upon himself was understandable, and it became even more visible with his father’s ghost appearing. Once he knew his father’s culprit through the Ghost, he vowed to take revenge at any cost and time, but somewhere he was still unsure, as he let his perfect opportunity slip away so easily. To some it may seem like a reasonable gesture of his to not kill him during his prayers, because it wouldn’t consider to be a revenge according to Hamlet, but if he had made up his mind to execute him at any point, he shouldn’t have let that one chance slip by so easily. Besides Claudius, there was also the poor Ophelia, who endured so much for Hamlet, yet he seemed incredibly uncertain towards his feelings for her. In an instant, a tragedy of Ophelia’s death, changed his mind, and made him confess his love for her. Hamlet’s uncertainty towards Ophelia seemed visible throughout the play, but him confessing his love for her at her grave brought on questions that were left unanswered. Hamlet’s perplexity was divulged to his loved ones, which brought on a tragic event, yet leaving behind his tentative