Is Hamlet's Revenge Justified? Essay

Is Hamlets revenge justified?

Hamlets revenge is not justified. Hamlet believes that his father came back as a ghost in order for him to avenge his death. Lunatics are not responsible for their actions. First of all, ghosts do not exist. The loss of a father can lead a person to imagine things that are not there. So, Hamlet has lost his father and gone mad.

Hamlet in this play represents a strong figure that has to deal with his fathers death. Losing his father was something hard that he had to deal with especially when his mother, Queen Gertrude, decides to marry his fathers brother, King Claudius. Hamlet is placed in a situation in which he has to choose between what is good or wrong.

Each human being has its own perception of death, either accepting it or neglecting the fact that you lost someone. Hamlet, realizes that his father, King Hamlet, was not killed by a snake. He encounters a spirit who claims to be his father and explains to him that it was not a snake that killed him. The spirit which is King Hamlet tells Hamlet that it was Claudius who killed him. In addition to that, Gertrude ends up marrying Claudius. Moreover, the spirit tries to convince Hamlet to seek revenge Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder (I, v, 25), which in the end Hamlet is convinced of and ends up killing Claudius. Hamlet uses poison and his sword to kill Claudius.

Is Hamlets revenge justified? Personally, I do not believe that his actions were justified. Losing an important figure such as a father can be a hard fact to deal with, but when it comes to revenge it should be thought of twice. On the other hand, Hamlet knew that his uncle was the one responsible for his fathers death. Claudius killed King Hamlet to take over power and marry his wife. Why would Hamlet kill Claudius? Hamlet believes his father is a ghost, but it is not possible for him to prove this. Hamlet has gone crazy and maybe is depressed and hallucinating. Killing Claudius will do nothing but take another life away. Even if Hamlet kills Claudius the fact that King Hamlet is dead will not change. Whatever Hamlet does will not bring his father back to life. King Hamlet as a spirit says to Hamlet Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder (I, v, 25), but there is no specification of how Hamlet should revenge. I believe killing Claudius is not the right way to revenge.

In order for Hamlet to revenge his father death, he should have found another way to revenge his father. He should have made Claudius feel embarrassed about him killing his own brother and seek for Gods forgiveness instead of killing him. As one of our classmates said we should look for justice and not for revenge. Also, Hamlets conscience, if he would have not been poisoned, would have been of regret and thoughts since he is not sure that his father is actually the ghost. Due to Hamlets actions in the play it is fair to say that Laertes, Polonius, Ophelia, Claudius and Gertrude die. What would have happened if he lives? Maybe, he would have committed suicide now that all his family and friends are gone. It is clear that Hamlet is crazy and does not think ahead of what could happen.

Brianna, our classmate, discussed how Hamlet might be is greedy and how losing his father might cause him to see things that are not there and to act the way he did. I do not believe in ghosts or spirits. I believe in what the Catholic Church says. If you are a sinner and do not seek for Gods forgiveness then you will go to hell. On the other hand, if you seek for Gods help throughout life and have his forgiveness then you go to heaven. The ghost of King Hamlet in the book says Doomed for a certain term to walk the night/ And for the day confined to fast in fires/ Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature/ Are burnt and purged away(I,v,10-13). This quote tells us that King Hamlet is in the purgatory. If he is in the purgatory he probably is suffering. Instead of telling his son to seek revenge he should give him strength and make him fight for justice.

It is hard to face someones death but seeking revenge is not an option. When I was young, I lost my grandfather. My grandfather was like a father to me and I thought of killing the person who was responsible of his death, but as Hamlet says conscience does make coward of us all (III, i, 83). Killing is not the right way to revenge, I believe in God and he will take care of what others do. God rewards those who are brave and that act according to his teaching and punishes those who do not follow him. This is why Hamlets revenge is not justified. He should have thought of this better and simply let God take care of the punishment Claudius deserves.