Hamlet and Revenge
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Revenge. Revenge causes one to act blindly through anger, rather than through reason. It is based on the principle of an eye for an eye, but this principle is not always an intelligent theory to live by. Young Fortinbras, Laertes, and Hamlet were all looking to avenge the deaths of their fathers. They all acted on emotion, and this led to the downfall of two, and the rise to power of one. Since the Heads of the three major families were each murdered, the eldest sons of these families swore vengeance, and two of the three sons died while exacting their acts of vengeance, revenge is a major theme in the Tragedy of Hamlet. There were three major families in the Tragedy of Hamlet. These were the family of King Fortinbras, the family of Polonius, and the family of King Hamlet. The heads of each of these families are all slaughtered within the play. Fortinbras, King of Norway, was killed by King Hamlet; slain by sword during a man to man battle. “our valiant Hamlet-for so this side of our known world esteemd him-did slay this Fortinbras.” This entitled King Hamlet to the land that was possessed by Fortinbras because it was written in a seald compact. Polonius was an advisor to the King, and father to Laertes and Ophelia. He was nosy and arrogant, and he did not trust his children. He was killed by Young Hamlet while he was eves dropping on a conversation between Hamlet and his mother. “How now! A rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead!” King Hamlet was the King of Denmark, and Hamlets father. He had killed King Fortinbras, only to be killed by his brother, Claudius. “…My offense is rank, it smells to heaven; A brothers murder…” Each of these events effected the sons of the deceased in the same way, it enraged them.
Every one of the three eldest sons had one thing in common, they all wanted revenge for a slaughtered father. In the time in which this play is set, avenging the murder of a father was part of ones honor, and had to be done. All of the three sons swore vengeance, and then acted towards getting revenge for the deaths of their fathers.
Young Fortinbras was deeply enraged by the death of his father, and he wanted revenge against Denmark because of this occurrence. Fortinbras wanted to, by force, regain the lands that had been lost by his father to Denmark. “…Now sir, young Fortinbras…as it doth well appear unto our state-but to recover of us, by strong hand and terms compulsative, those foresaid lands so by his father lost…” Claudius sends messengers to talk to Fortinbras uncle, the new King of Norway. He forbid Fortinbras to attack Denmark, and instead convinced him to attack the Poles to vent his anger. “…His nephews levies, which to him appeard to be a preparation gainst the Polack; But better lookd into, he truly found it was against your highness…On Fortinbras; which he, in brief, obeys, receives rebuke from Norway, and, in fine, makes vow before his uncle never more to give the assay of arms against your majesty.” Laertes found out about his fathers death, and immediately returned home. He confronted the King and accused him of the murder of his father. Claudius told Laertes that Hamlet was responsible for his fathers death. He then decides to kill Hamlet to avenge the death of his father. He and Claudius concoct a plot to kill Hamlet. Hamlet dies of wounds from the poisoned tipped sword Laertes used. “…Hamlet, thou art slain…The treacherous instrument is in thy, unbated and envenomd…” Hamlet was deeply sorrowed by his fathers death. He spoke to a ghost, and this ghost stated that his fathers death was a murder, by the hand of his uncle, Claudius. “The serpent that did sting thy fathers life now wears his crown.” Hamlet was astonished, and then swore vengeance for his fathers death. He then proceeded