Sebastian Sittenfeld Molina
10* Grade
Prof.Tanya Rojas Perez
Revange(As the man theme of the play)
Hamlet Revenge And Honor
Hamlet is a revenge play. At this time, Shakespeare wrote Hamlet,
this was a very common genre. It had certain conventions: a villain
commits a murder; the son of the murdered man insists revenge; he
carries out his duty and pledge, but in so doing destroys himself. In
Hamlet, the entire action of the play is centered on the task assigned
by the ghost to Hamlet to avenge his father's murder but Hamlet has
to answer four questions: Is the ghost real? Is revenge good or evil?
Is Claudius guilty? These questions, complicates Hamlet's decision
and his reflective, intellectual nature and the revenge obligations of
Laertes and Fortinbras that parallel the main plot.
Hamlet is tasked with avenging his father's horrible and unhumman
murder. However, he faces a dilemma: should he believe in the
honesty of the ghost? The ghost might be a devil. By nature a think
and truth-seeker, his first step is to evaluate the truth of the ghost's
command, but this self-examination causes delay.however his
extreme depression at his mother's detestable remarriage, and the
fact that Claudius was climb to the throne, has served to make him
sarcastic . A chain of circumstances sprovides a series of obstacles
that Hamlet first has to overcome in order to achieve his revenge.
This however, affects Hamlet on a mental level, as he accepts that
both good and evil exist in the world, and that there is a obstacle in
performing his duty of revenge. His nobility and balance is at
constant war with each other from the beginning to the end of the
play. The ethical concerns Hamlet has for Claudius and Gertrude are
plain to see, at the time, the church considered marriage in ethical
way is not see very well for the kingdom. Hamlet's ethical concerns
surrounding his mother's sudden remarriage is overtly expressed
when Gertrude asks Hamlet at her wedding, "If it be, why seems it
so particular with thee?" Hamlet disputes Gertrude's charge that he
is being hypocritical, "Seems, madam? no, it is, I know not
'seems.For him, she is the one who has shown hypocrisy and he does
not agree with her ‘seems’ other way, Hamlet's social conce for
Denmark is transparency centered around the king and the influence
he might have on the rest of the kingdom. Hamlet makeas use of an
ambiguous pun that depicts his dislike towards Claudius's insincerity
and Claudius's attempt to polish over what has happened. Hamlet
displays clear hostility, "A little more than kin, and less than kinds",
(Hamlet)Hamlet is more than close in relationship to Claudius (an
uncle and a 'father'), but He resents him and has no feelings of
dining and kinship for Claudius.
Another Cryptic pun Hamlet makes use of is in his illustration of the
resentment he holds towards Claudius, Hamlet resents Claudius
calling him my son, "Not so, my lord, I am too much i'th' sun."
(Hamlet) Hamlet implies that his been deprived of succession to the
throne and refuses to take on the role of Claudius's son. Hamlet
faces enormous obstacles in carrying out his revenge. Both his
character and circumstances conspire to put him into a state of
paralyzed inactivity. His mind is too complex. His keen sense of
morality makes him realize that wrosng should not lead to further
wrong. Moreover, he wrestles with the extremes in his character,
which only harmoni when his task is no longer a burden. Then
character and circumstance combine to enable his revenge.
(Shakespeare)
The appearance of the ghost exemplifies the theme of appearance
versus reality. The king appears to be at prayer, and Hamlet decides
not to kill his uncle whiled he is in the state of grace. Hamlet wants
his revenge to be not just for the punishment his life on earth but for
eternity. Furthermore, if he does kill him in his state of purity, " do
this same villain send to heaven. O, this is hirei and salary, not
revenge" (, for Claudius's dreadful offense. The reality is that
Claudius cannot repent, as he is unwilling to give up his crowns or
his queen. When Laertes declares that – "the king is to blame",
reality and appearance finally meet. On a social level, Hamlet is
depressed and melancholy because he believes he can see the evil
realiti behind the appearance of good in Denmark. The state should
be fair, but it is rotten. Men should be noble, made in the image of
God, but to Hamlet, life is dust. Women essentially pure and
innocent are unfaithful and infected and Love supposedly faithful
and honest, is dishonest and unfaithful.
The play shows the strain of knowing the truth about people, living
in a world of appearances. Fundamentally, Hamlet expresses the
dilemma of living in that world. Marcellus' remark "Something is
rotten in the state of Denmark" (Hamlet ), reveals the corruption that
is found on all levels in the state. As a result, there are frequent
references to, and images of, corruption. Claudius is irredeeamably
corrupt, guilty of fratricide (the murder of a brother) and regicide
(the murder of a king). Hamlet refers to Claudius as "a Canker in our
nature" (Hamlet ). The relationship between Claudius and Gertrude,
which starts with adultery, is immoral, but this is glossed over. The
corruption Claudius embodies taints everything: Polonius, Laertes,
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern all lose their moral sense under
Claudius's manipulation. The penalty they pay is the loss of their
lives. There is an explicit link between the moral legitimacy of a
ruler and the health of the nation. If this is flawed, the state, "the
body" (Hamlet), is sick, so Denmark is frequoently referred to as a
body made ill by corruption. Laertes ironically says to Hamlet
(Hamlet) "that on his choice depends/ the sanity and health of this
whole state." Unknowingly, he has hit upon Hamlet's task in the
play- to restore soundness and morality to Denmark. The
consequences of murder for Claudius .Laertes in his hour of need.
However, Claudius abuses his position as King and in many ways
manipulates Laertes. Just as Claudius had poured poison into Late
King Hamlet's ear, so too is he pouring poison into Laertes's ears,
which is evident in their conversation when Claudius asks Laertes,
"Will you do this?"(Hamlet ). Claudius uses his fury and resentment
to his advantage. Claudius misuses the control and power that he has
in the kingdom in order to make himself look like the victim in all of
this.
Claudius repeatedly blackens Hamlet in his cconversation with
Laertes and subtly compares his acts to Hamlet's sinful and
unacceptable behavior that has progressively led to Polonius and
Ophelia's death. Claudius's revenge is like a disease without a cure,
it festers and becomes an ugly sore, incurable and irrepressible, and
his bloodthirsty hunger for taking Hamlet's life is all he wants and
even if it is to the detriment of the current state of Denmark.
However, there is a touch of irony in the relationship that Hamlet
and Laertes share. Hamlet seeks to avenge his father's death,
receives messages from a ghost that is meant to represent his late
father and based on this, Hamlet, in the heat of the moment,
accidentally kills Polonius, hoping that he has killed Claudius.
Laertes now switches places with Hamlet, harbors the very same
hatred that Hamlet holds towards Claudius only now everything
Hamlet went through is happening to Laertes. This sudden reversal
of roles adds tremendously to the revenge and murder theme
Hamlet. Shakespeare often compares characters similar pictures so
that the audience may make a decisive decision on whether its
message is real, natural and unintentionally created in order to set
the scene. One example of this is the similarity of madness that
Ophelia and Hamlet share, however, Ophelia's madness is real
unlike the pretended madness that Hamlet seems to be, a reminder of
the real power of grief and the chaotic emotions that Hamlet must
have felt.
On a spiritual level of the play, and by close examination of the text,
Claudius kills the late king Hamlet on a somatic, fleshly and bodily
platform. However, the murder of the king haunts Claudius on a
spiritual level; his guilt is what leads him into going to the church
and confessing to his atrocious crime. Claudius, 'the serpent'(Hamlet
1) "poured poison in his brother's ear and now he speaks to Laertes
on a metaphorical level and, in turn, pours poison into Laertes's
ears", "Laertes, was your father dear to you?.Or are you like the
painting of a sorrow, . A face without a heart?" (Hamlet ). His
sudden concern leans towards the manipulative, conceited and
unscrupulous characteristics of "a serpent" (Hamlet) portraying
devious and cunning acts upon his prey, in order to take full
advantage of any situation he may find himself in.(Hamlet)
Laertes, however, thinks of double treason; unlike Hamlet, whose
aim is primarily to avenge his Father's death but thinks about the
right and wrong in all his decisions. He ponders constantly over
himself, attaches meaning to the essence of life, death and the
meaning of existence. Laertes not only seeks to avenge his father's
death, but also wants Hamlet to suffer by taking his life and
punishing him in his afterlife. He shows deliberate, planned and
premeditated murder when he speaks to Claudius and shows no
remorse. Laertes says to Claudius that he will "cut his throat i'th'
church" (Hamlet )and the significance of murdering somebody in a
holy place as the khurch, suggests Laertes's hatred runs much deeper
and the punishment that Hamlet deserves should not only last for
now but forever.
Claudius and Laertes both share commonalties in the sense that both
are power hungry. Laertes, flattered by Claudius's constant praise,
falls into his trap and gives Claudius the impression that he is just as
vengeful, frustrated and determined in taking revenge on Polonius's
and Ophelia's death for his sincere concern for Laertes. Claudius
takes full advantage of the fact that Laertes is so open to explaining
himself to him, being the master of manipulation, unprincipled and
unscrupulous uses Laertes's anger, resentment and rage to get
Hamlet killedd, ultimately getting exactly what he wanted.
(Claudios)
In conclusion, the various levels of the play culminate into one
direction that ultimately leads to the disintegration of the kingdom
and the fall of king of Denmark. On a social level, Claudius abuses
his power in order to gain the trust he needs to claim his position in
the social realm of the power hungry group. In addition to this,
Claudius hopes to occupy the realm of king and to get Hamlet out of
the picture entirely. On a spiritual level, the representation of the
ghost is seen as either Claudius's conscience pricking him, the guilt
that clouds his mind or it is to indicate to the audience that although
Claudius has killed Late King Hamlet in his physical, he has not
necessarily killed him in his spiritual form. His soul still lingers in
the hope that justice is served and Claudius is brought to task for his
sinful acts.
Lastly, on an ethical level, the play does, however, have a slight
principled and virtuous hint to it, instances wherein right and wrong
are differentiated between, for example, the struggle Hamlet has
within himself and the anger he wants to express against Claudius in
search of his revenge. Completely leading himself, Laertes, Gertrude
and Claudius deaths.
Farhana Haque, M.A (Sep. 2016) Department of English and
Humanities University Mohakhali, Dhaka Bangladesh,Journal Of
Humanities And Social Science .http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosrjhss/papers/Vol.%2021%20Issue9/Version-9/I2109095559.pdf
Kiernan Ryan /15 Mar 2016)Hamlet and revenge
https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/hamlet-and-revenge
ALAN URQUHART .(04/10/2010) SYDNEY STUDIES, Hamlet and
Revenge Tragedy: A Reappraisal
https://openjournals.library.sydney.edu.au/index.php/SSE/article
viewFile/512/484
Harold Skulsky (04/02/2011 18:38) Modern Language Association Honor,
and Conscience in "Hamlet"
http://hamletguide.com/pdf/skuly01.pdf