Revenge in Shakespeare’s Hamlet
William Shakespeare 's, Hamlet, is one of the greatest tragedies ever written. Applying Aristotle 's view of a tragedy, Shakespeare creates an ideal tragic hero through his main character, Hamlet. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero must be of a high stature, possess a tragic flaw, and this flaw must ultimately lead to their own downfall. These characteristics of an Aristotelian tragic hero are all present within the protagonist, Hamlet. Hamlet is a prince, thus having a high position within society. Although Hamlet may be a highly renowned individual, he is very impulsive. This causes him to make rash decisions due to his constant hunger for vengeance, which he regrets later on in the play. However, because …show more content…
As Sir Francis Bacon once said, "A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well." The quotation above proves Sir Francis Bacon’s beliefs that if one is constantly fixated on achieving revenge, it will never heal your own pain and misery. Human misery often creates sadness and leaves one stranded looking for answers. Through Hamlet, revenge and human misery are a recurring and dominant theme. Shakespeare introduces the audience to the corrupting evil of revenge when King Fortinbras, who a great rival, was slaughtered by King Hamlet in a sword battle. According to a valid legal document, old King Fortinbras surrendered his life, and …show more content…
Having lost his father, Hamlet felt anguished and devastated with his mother’s hasty marriage to his uncle, Claudius. However, even with the disgust and hatred that he felt, it had never crossed his mind that his father’s death was a murder, committed by someone that he considered family. When Horatio, Bernardo and Marcellus explain to Hamlet their glimpse of the ghost of old King Hamlet, he decides that he wants to join the men and witness it for himself. That night, the ghost approaches Hamlet and beckons to speak alone. Hamlet follows, and after the eye-opening conversation with the soul of his father, he finds out that old King Hamlet was poisoned by Claudius. Hamlet was quick to understand that he was entitled to avenge his father’s death. This shows that many are frequently influenced by the voice in our head that tells us to do something even when we know we should not. Although Hamlet was convinced he must retaliate against his father’s death, he insisted on gaining proof before killing Claudius due to Horatio’s belief that the ghost was an evil spirit, “Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason / and draw you into madness? Think of it” (1.4.76-77). Hamlet did not want the people of Denmark to believe that he was so evil to be plotting to kill his stepdad with his proof coming from a dead soul. Hamlet attains an opportunity to prove that Claudius is
William Shakespeare 's, Hamlet, is one of the greatest tragedies ever written. Applying Aristotle 's view of a tragedy, Shakespeare creates an ideal tragic hero through his main character, Hamlet. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero must be of a high stature, possess a tragic flaw, and this flaw must ultimately lead to their own downfall. These characteristics of an Aristotelian tragic hero are all present within the protagonist, Hamlet. Hamlet is a prince, thus having a high position within society. Although Hamlet may be a highly renowned individual, he is very impulsive. This causes him to make rash decisions due to his constant hunger for vengeance, which he regrets later on in the play. However, because …show more content…
As Sir Francis Bacon once said, "A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well." The quotation above proves Sir Francis Bacon’s beliefs that if one is constantly fixated on achieving revenge, it will never heal your own pain and misery. Human misery often creates sadness and leaves one stranded looking for answers. Through Hamlet, revenge and human misery are a recurring and dominant theme. Shakespeare introduces the audience to the corrupting evil of revenge when King Fortinbras, who a great rival, was slaughtered by King Hamlet in a sword battle. According to a valid legal document, old King Fortinbras surrendered his life, and …show more content…
Having lost his father, Hamlet felt anguished and devastated with his mother’s hasty marriage to his uncle, Claudius. However, even with the disgust and hatred that he felt, it had never crossed his mind that his father’s death was a murder, committed by someone that he considered family. When Horatio, Bernardo and Marcellus explain to Hamlet their glimpse of the ghost of old King Hamlet, he decides that he wants to join the men and witness it for himself. That night, the ghost approaches Hamlet and beckons to speak alone. Hamlet follows, and after the eye-opening conversation with the soul of his father, he finds out that old King Hamlet was poisoned by Claudius. Hamlet was quick to understand that he was entitled to avenge his father’s death. This shows that many are frequently influenced by the voice in our head that tells us to do something even when we know we should not. Although Hamlet was convinced he must retaliate against his father’s death, he insisted on gaining proof before killing Claudius due to Horatio’s belief that the ghost was an evil spirit, “Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason / and draw you into madness? Think of it” (1.4.76-77). Hamlet did not want the people of Denmark to believe that he was so evil to be plotting to kill his stepdad with his proof coming from a dead soul. Hamlet attains an opportunity to prove that Claudius is