The plot of Hamlet is based heavily on revenge and can be looked at in many different ways. Mainly it is Hamlets revenge on his uncle for killing his father, however there are some other characters involved, such as Laertes who plays a big part towards the end of the play. With Hamlet revenge starts right away, but it does not begin to fully develop until he puts together clues and evidence that really drives him to avenge his fathers death.
It all starts when Hamlet sees the ghost and is informed there was foul play in his death. Once this occurs Hamlet begins acting different and it starts to get his friends and family suspicious. He may seem strange and come off as mad to certain people. However he has not lost his mind. An example is when Hamlet is talking to Polonius and he states, this may be madness, yet there is method in it ( II.ii.202). Polonius has been going around telling everyone that Hamlet is mad, even though Polonius is starting to realize that Hamlet might actually know what he is talking about and the truth behind his words. Later on Hamlet meets two friends who arrive at the castle and again he shows his intelligence.
When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern show up unexpected and tell Hamlet they are just there to visit, he does not believe it. He is smart enough to know that something is going on and demands that they tell him. Hamlet is aware of whats going on and is starting to figure out who he can and cant trust. In this play Hamlet brings out the message of revenge in a different way. The way revenge is brought out in this play is in a continually postponed method; Hamlet is slowly trying to obtain more knowledge about what he is doing. Then he discusses to himself if revenge is even worth it, to be, or not to be: that is the questionwhether is it nobler in the mind to suffer or to take arms against a sea of troubles (III.i.56-59). Basically he is trying to decide which is better, to just die and not have to deal with the misery the world inflicts on people; or to live and fight against all the wrong to justify his father.
Madness and being clever are totally different. Hamlet is being extremely smart and the plan for revenge he comes up with is not sudden and allows for error; Either Claudius has no reaction or he does and Hamlet can find out the truth. The plan is to have the actors add a specific scene into their play displaying how he believes his father was murdered, wherein Ill catch the conscience of the King (II.ii.592). Stated by David Kastan, Claudius does rise, and this allows Hamlets play to imitate both Claudius guilty secret and his own; his desperate desire to kill the king (His Semblable in the mirror pg 118). Now that Hamlet has proof that Claudius was involved he has a choice to make. Being smart, he chooses not to directly approach the king and shows patience waiting for the right moment.
After the play Hamlet if requested to go to him mothers room, and on the way there he comes across Claudius. He notices that his uncle is kneeling and believes that he is praying.
However Claudius is saying how he is not truly sorry and does not want to give up the crown. Eric Sterling says, Hamlet knows it could not be Claudius behind the curtain because theres no way he could have got there before Hamlet because he was still praying (Shakespeares Hamlet). I could agree because he did not want to kill him while he was praying because it would serve no justice to his father because Claudius would be doing something good. So killing him for just eavesdropping would not be sinful and Hamlet wants to make sure that he kills him while doing something wrong.
Hamlet is now realizing that me may be looking at his revenge plot and seeing that he may be going at it the wrong way. He hears that young Fortinbras, who is a prince like himself has raised such a big army to get revenge for his father. To this point Hamlet has not done much and now understands he must change in order to achieve his revenge. He is disappointed in himself, having a father killed and a mother stained (IV.iiii.57). Hamlet feels shame and believes he has done nothing to bring his family justice, and now swears his thoughts will be bloody from now on. While all this is going on, another character is now seeking revenge. Laertes is now upset about his fathers death and wishes to take revenge against Hamlet, with the help of Claudius they come up with a plan to make sure Hamlet dies.
In the last scene of the play revenge is finally achieved, but at a costly result. Hamlet has got his revenge but at the cost of his own life, the same goes with Laertes. This shows that revenge is a dangerous thing and it never turns out the way people want it and it makes a big mess. Theodore Benditt describes revenge as a desire to see those who have wronged us suffer (Revenge, Introduction). This fits with Hamlet because Claudius had to suffer through everyone
finding out he was guilty, killing King Hamlet, Gertrude, and then being poisoned by Hamlet. Not only does Hamlet get his revenge and gets to see Claudius die, but Laertes also gets his. Even though he feels wrong and is sorry for what he did to Hamlet, he knows that Claudius and Hamlet are both dead and had something to do with his fathers death.
Shakespeares ending shows that although the story ended bloody there is always a way to remember the good things that happened. Chikako Kumamoto agrees by saying, Horatio must tell a story of the horror within, yet Hamlet remains a sweet prince (Gertrude, Ophelia, Ghost, Hamlets revenge. 62). Hamlets story was a tragedy, especially how it ended with the death of several innocent people. On the other hand it change be told in a way that people can see Hamlet as a Prince of honor and he did what he must to get justice for what happened to his family.
All of Hamlets actions were driven by revenge either from what he experienced or from what he saw others going through. Fortinbras and Laertes played a role in helping Hamlet understand what it takes to truly seek revenge on the ones who deserve it. Even though Hamlet died, he succeeded in what his father asked of him and Claudius died in the act of committing a sin and justice was brought to King Hamlet.
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