Essay on Revenge and Vengeance in Shakespeares Hamlet

Speculation about whether the Shakespearean drama Hamlet satisfies the requirements of an Elizabethan revenge tragedy is discussed in this paper, with considerable critical commentary. Richard A. Lanham in â€Å"Superposed Plays† comments on the lesser revenge tragedy within the greater revenge tragedy of Hamlet: Now there is no doubt about how to read the Laertes play: straight revenge tragedy, to be taken – as I’ve tried to imply in my summary – without solemnity. We are to enjoy the rants as rants. When we get tears instead of a rant, as with the Laertes instance cited earlier, an apology for our disappointment does not come amiss. We are not to be caught up in Laertes’ vigorous feeling any more than in Ophelia’s bawdy†¦show more content†¦. . . Is not this passing strange? Hamlet and Horatio are supposed to be fellow-students at Wittenberg, and to have left it for Elsinore less than two months ago. Yet Hamlet hardly recognizes Horatio at first, and speaks as if he himself lived at Elsinore (I refer to his bitter jest, ‘We’ll teach you to drink deep ere you depart’). Who would dream that Hamlet had himself f just come from Wittenberg, if it were not for the previous words about his going back there? How can this be explained on the usual view? Only, I presume, by supposing that Hamlet is so sunk in melancholy that he really does almost ‘forget himself’ and forgets everything else, so that he actually is in doubt who Horatio is. (370) The ghost says that King Hamlet was murdered by Claudius, who had a relationship with Gertrude prior to the murder. Hamlet swears to carry out vengeance. Gunnar Boklund in â€Å"Judgment in Hamlet† sees the ghost as the character who introduces revenge into the play: An equally familiar and somewhat more plausible argument may also be adduced to explain the significance of the Ghost: Shakespeare, like his fellow dramatists, did not personally regard blood-revenge as justified but followed the so-called revenge convention of the Elizabethan theatre. Dramatic heroes were, in other words, traditionally supposed to have the right to revenge the deaths of their kinsmen, provided that they did not resort to such un-English methods as poisoning or allow their desire forShow MoreRelated Revenge and Vengeance in Shakespeares Hamlet - Why Revenge?1054 Words   |  5 PagesRevenge in Hamlet        Ã‚  Ã‚   In Elizabethan times, a type of play known as a revenge tragedy became popular. These plays revolved around, ... the revenge of a father for a son or vice versa, the revenge being directed by the ghost of the murdered man... (Harmon and Holman #6). 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This genre was well established and quite popular in Shakespeare’s time, but it was precisely part of his genius that he could take old forms and renew them by a creative violation of their standards. As this essay will explore, Hamlet stands the conventional revenge tragedy on its head, and uses the tensions created by this reversalRead MoreEssay on Vengeance in Shakespeares Hamlet - The Theme of Revenge1162 Words   |  5 PagesThe Theme of Revenge in Hamlet    In Shakespeares tragedy,  Hamlet, the thoughts of revenge are introduced early in the play. At the end of the first act, Hamlet meets the ghost of his deceased father. He is brought to see him by Horatio and Marcellus, who saw the ghost yesternight (Shakespeare 1.2.190). During this exchange of words between the Ghost and Hamlet, the Ghost tells Hamlet, [s]o art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear. (Shakespeare 1.5.5). 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Interestingly enoughRead 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 Zeam i Motokiyo and the famous William Shakespeare. Motokiyo’s play Astumori takes quite an artistic approachRead MoreHamlet: Decisive End, Indecisive Approach Essay742 Words   |  3 PagesIndecisive Approach In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the titular character struggles to engage in his desired plan of revenge. Hamlet shows throughout the play that he is inconsistent, indecisive, and unsure of himself, as well as his actions. The play focuses on Hamlet’s revenge; however, he continuously fails to happen at opportunistic moments. Throughout the play, Hamlet insists that he intends to avenge his father’s death through the murder of Claudius, but Hamlet fails to act on occasion because