During some point in our life, we realize how much wrong there is in the world. It is always difficult to know what the right thing to do is. In William Shakespeare s Hamlet, Hamlet takes on the course of revenge. Revenge is more than angry feelings. Hamlet s revenge is a deadly feeling that starts once the damage is done, but takes time and planning to succeed through the many delays that may occur. Hamlet s desire to right a wrong has forced him to take matters into his own hands and use revenge to get even. Hamlet begins to act through his actions of anger instead of reason as he overcomes obstacles to get revenge.
Claudius commits a crime by killing his brother and justice cannot punish him for his terrible deed. Hamlet feels he must avenge his father s death by getting back at his uncle. His father s spirit helps guide Hamlet to Claudius and informs Hamlet of the evil crime Claudius has committed. Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. Hamlet takes matters into his own hands by acting as though he was mad and crazy. Hamlet rejects Opheila s love because her father has forbid her to see him, changes his dress style, and mocks Polonius instead of showing him his usual respect. Hamlet was a swift and smart thinker who suspected his friends acting as spies who were sent by his uncle to investigate his madness. Hamlet was to act crazy so that his uncle would have no clue of what he was up to until he killed him.
Instead of carrying out his revenge right away, Hamlet plans carefully and looks for the right moment. Hamlet prepares a play called The Mousetrap that would test the idea of Cluadius being guilty and prove if the ghost was telling the truth. When Claudius storms out in rage after seeing the play. Hamlet knew that he was at fault. Hamlet must proceed to prove his uncle s guilt but cannot yet. Hamlet has had many chances to kill his uncle, but his rage outweighed his intelligence. Hamlet has chosen to wait until he can kill his uncle committing sin and has not had a chance to confess to God. Now might I do it pat, now he is praying: A villain kills my father, and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven. If Hamlet were to kill Claudius when he was praying, Claudius would have gone to heaven and Hamlet s revenge would not be successful.
When Hamlet is having a conversation with his mother, Hamlet suspected an eavesdropper hiding behind the curtain. Hoping it was the King, Hamlet acted out his madness and killed Polonius. How now! A rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead! Killing Polonius brought forward a new problem since Laertes wanted revenge on Hamlet. A new obstacle has formed since Hamlet would now be sent away and would have to wait for another chance to kill Claudius.
Even though Hamlets acts as though he were mad and full of anger, Hamlet does question himself in considering if revenge is the right thing to do. To be, or not to be: that is the question. Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Or to take arms against a sea of troubles. And by opposing end them?
Hamlet asks, is it any nobler to sit back and leave it to Heaven? Or to take the evil path and take charge going against the law? This creates a period of doubt and delay for Hamlet who is trapped between choosing the moral way and his instincts of taking on revenge. Because Hamlet has sworn vengeance for his father s death, Hamlet carries it out when he is dying of poisoned wounds inflicted by Laertes during their duel. The poison that killed Laertes, Hamlet, and his mother will now be used for revenge in killing Claudius. Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane, drink off this potion, is thy union here? Follow my mother. The King is now dead, and Hamlet s father s death is now avenged.
Although Hamlets main focus was to kill Claudius, there were many times he got side tracked in his planning for the revenge. There is very clear evidence that Hamlet was capable of swift decisive action during his planning. Hamlet encounters his father s spirit making him believe revenge is the answer, stages a play to test his uncle s guilt, kills Polonius without any remorse and continues to talk with his mother over the dead body. Hamlet sends Guildenstern and Rosencrantz to their deaths without any hesitation, lies and acts as though he were insane, and takes Laertes on in a duel without any delay. Hamlet took a lot of time to take the matter into his own hands and was able to overcome these obstacles succeeding in his desire for revenge.
As we may hear people say Don t get mad, get even we may also wish killers to be dead or endure a great deal of pain and suffering to pay for their crime. Many times we demand retaliation and expect criminals to be put in jail for what they have done. Revenge is an inborn characteristic in humans because of the fact that it gives us the opportunity to strike back with intelligence and power. It is always easier to enact revenge on someone than to discuss the wrongdoing, forgive, and let it go. Just as Hamlet, revenge gives us a sense of control over a particular situation and the person who has committed the terrible act against us through whatever stands in our way of getting it.
