The Dangers Of Revenge In William Shakespeares Hamlet

The Dangers of Revenge As represented in many examples throughout literature, revenge is a dangerous desire. Revenge will bring out the worst in people, often causing them to neglect their responsibilities and moral duties. Hamlet, in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, allows his personal passions to interfere with himself and those that are close to him. As a result of Hamlet’s eagerness to avenge his father, he is led to neglect both Ophelia and his mother, disregarding his morals as a person, and revealing that revenge is a destructive ambition to all those that encounter it. Hamlet fools those around him with his madness as a part of his plan of revenge and eventually destroys the relationship between him and Ophelia. Ophelia follows her†¦show more content†¦According to Gertrude, Hamlet’s madness is caused by â€Å"no other but the main - His father’s death and our o’erhasty marriage† (2.2). While Hamlet is so fed up with the quick marriage of Claudius and his mother, he ignores the fact that his mother still loves him. By letting the marriage get the best of him he lost a person who is there to support him, which leads him down a path of self destruction. Queen Gertrude explains to Claudius that Hamlet has gone â€Å"to draw apart the body he hath killed, o’er whom his very madness, like some ore among a mineral of metals base shows itself pure. He weeps for what is done† (4.1). Gertrude’s attempt to see the sliver of good left in Hamlet proves that she still loves him. But, Hamlet continues to push her away with his desire to get revenge and loses the only parent he has left. Hamlet then yells to God â€Å"a beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer† (1.2). Hamlet has lost all respect for his mother by comparing her to an animal. With his frustration, he forgets the reality that he is her son and the duties that come with that. Hamlet’s urgent need for revenge leads him to push away his mother and leaves him without a parental figure in his life as his madness progresses. Hamlet’s plan for revenge dismisses all of his morals and he is now seen as a dangerous and cold person. He instructs himself that his â€Å"thoughts be bloody or nothing worth† (4.5). After the Ghost tells HamletShow MoreRelatedPresentation of Hamlet in Act 2 Scene 2 and 3 in William Shakespeares Hamlet663 Words   |  3 PagesPresentation of Hamlet in Act 2 Scene 2 and 3 in William Shakespeares Hamlet It is hard to determine the intentions of William Shakespeare when he wrote Hamlet without looking at the social, historical and ethical context in which it was conceived. From the cover notes found within the Longman Literature edition, we can deduce that it is Shakespeares most well known play and, written during the year 1602, it was one of his later works. At this time, revenge was a very Read MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet 1060 Words   |  5 PagesGeorgi Mrs. Wenning English Literature 7 December 2014 Relationships in Hamlet â€Å"True love is an act of the will-a conscious decision to do what is best for the other person instead of ourselves.† The quote by Billy Graham relates to the tragic play, Hamlet, by stating how true love is and should be rather than love being thought out to be doing what is best for yourself. One family in the story involves Hamlet, Gertrude, King Hamlet, and Claudius and the other family includes Ophelia, Polonius, and LaertesRead MoreDefine Revenge in Hamlet Essays1219 Words   |  5 Pages Revenge is one’s desire to retaliate and get even. Human instincts turn to revenge when loved ones are hurt. But, these misdeeds of taking upon revenge may lead to serious consequences. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy â€Å"Hamlet,† Fortinbras, Hamlet, and Laertes’s each show how their desire for revenge unavoidably leads to tragedy. The loss of their loved ones caused these characters in Hamlet to take action. Young Fortinbras has built an army to get back the lands his father lost to King Hamlet andRead MoreAn Analysis of Queen Gertrudes Position in King Hamlets Death in William Shakespeares Hamlet1056 Words   |  5 PagesAn Analysis of Queen Gertrudes Position in King Hamlets Death in William Shakespeares Hamlet Usually in a playwright, one of the authors objectives is to keep the viewer or reader confused or disconcerted about certain events in the plot. Certain characters in a play or story that have concocted covert schemes to perhaps murder or frame somebody, may have confusing effects on the viewer. Depending on the way the plan was developed in the plot the viewer may have to stop and ask themselves;Read More Hamlet, why did he delay Essay1626 Words   |  7 Pages William Shakespeare, perhaps the greatest playwright of all time, authored a number of works consisting of sonnets, comedies, and tragedies. In his brilliant career, Shakespeare created literary works of art. What makes Shakespeare unlike any other writer of his time, is his ability to organize a realistic plot, manage themes, and develop characters within his works (Nordling). As well, Shakespeares ability to provoke feeling and reaction to his writing is also what sets him apart from other commonRead MoreRevenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold Essay1527 Words   |  7 PagesAuthor Pierre Choderlos writes, â€Å"revenge is a dish best served cold.† This quote is renown for its popularity across the centuries, often used as a proverbial description of the idea of revenge. Vengeance itself is a popular issue of morality, discussed and portrayed in a multitude of manners throughout literature, film, and live theater. Two playwrights that tackle the matter of revenge are Zeami Motokiyo and the famous William Shakespeare. Motokiyo’s play Astumori takes quite an artistic approachRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet - Hamlet s Revenge1742 Words   |  7 PagesHamlet’s Vengean ce Hamlet is one of the greatest literary works that has the innate ability to transcend time with the study of the human condition. William Shakespeare investigates themes of revenge, morality, sex, and familial complexities that entangle us all at one point and time. Shakespeare story of Hamlet gives us one of our first tragic heroes in modern literary history. In his quest for revenge for his father’s death we also see the systematic decline and lapses into madness that willRead MoreHamlet Soliloquy Analysis899 Words   |  4 Pagesone might do so differently than in present day. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet delivers a speech in which all those who watched could relate to. Before Hamlet was exiled to England he encountered the captain of Norway’s army and learned of their plan to attack a small patch of Poland’s land. The land was worth nothing to neither Norway or Poland yet both took up arms to obtain the land for it would cost them their pr ide to lose it. Hamlet then proceeds to recite his soliloquy in which theRead MoreHamlet1304 Words   |  6 Pagest With underlying themes of revenge, incest, and suicide, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet was remembered by many Elizabethan Era viewers as both a philosophical and oft-debated masterpiece (Dickson). These controversial themes attracted viewers everywhere, enticing them to see the play. One scene in particular from the original text of the play where this proves true is act IV, scene iv, lines 31-65, in which the titular character Hamlet decides that the time for revenge is at hand in an insightfulRead MoreEssay on Patriarchy in Hamlet1721 Words   |  7 PagesPatriarchy in Hamlet  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare’s Hamlet employs the concept of patriarchy in several scenarios and each on different levels. These levels of patriarchy, if even for the same character, vary in their role in the play. Three patriarchal characters are easily identified: the ghost of Hamlet’s father, the king Claudius, and the lord chamberlain Polonius. Despite their variances each patriarchy displays values and actions which are key factors in bringing about the cataclysmic ending