Revenge in "Hamlet"

Paper Summary:

The paper analyzes the play "Hamlet" as one driven by the question of how to revenge the death of the protagonist's father. The paper discusses Fortinbras' ruthlessness in his revenge and Laertes' revenge that is from a more sympathetic and emotional nature. The paper explains why Hamlet is of superior character, with his forestalling not a weakness but a lesson to the audience. The paper asserts that the play makes the audience question what drives people to act or to think in questionable ways.

From the Paper:

"Hamlet is a play driven by the question of how to revenge the death of the protagonist's father. It begins upon the battlements, which are apparently haunted by the ghost of the recently deceased king, Old Hamlet. The ghost's reasons for remaining upon the earth, rather than residing in heaven become clear when he is given an opportunity to explain to his son the manner of his demise. Old Hamlet's brother Claudius, the current King of Denmark happened upon Old Hamlet while his brother was napping in an orchard, and poured poison in his ear. The king was murdered without the ability to make a full confession and is doomed to walk the earth until he is purged of all of his sins. Thus, Hamlet, the son of a murdered father, must avenge his father's death, and he vows to do so."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." Electronic text available at the Shakespeare Homepage.http://shakespeare.mit.edu/hamlet/ [5 Dec 2007]

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