The act of revenge never fails to attract an audience, for the simple fact that revenge raises one of the great questions regarding human life: how do we seek justice When does the law cease to function properly? William Shakespeare tapped into the human fascination with the act of revenge and produced a play that has revenge as a predominant motif. Hamlet has not one, but three revenge plots; each related in a very fascinating way. In the play, young Fortinbras, young Hamlet, and Laertes all act to avenge their slain fathers. The first plot is due to the killing of King Fortinbras of Norway by King Hamlet of Denmark; “…our brave Hamlet – for so this part of the known world esteemed him – slew this Fortinbras” (1.1.96-98). As a result, Fortinbras seeks revenge against Denmark. Hamlet wants revenge for the murder of his father by Claudius, Hamlet's uncle. The final revenge plot involves Laertes taking revenge on Hamlet for the death of Laertes' father Polonius. In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses revenge as the main force driving the play, and shows that revenge taken recklessly rather than through reason leads to ruin. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In most revenge tragedies, a crime is committed, but the perpetrator cannot be prosecuted for some reason. Hamlet was not found to be the one who killed King Hamlet in the play Hamlet. This form of event occurred in the daily lives of people living during the Renaissance. Thus making Hamlet a tragic hero who commits crimes but gets away with it, unable to learn from them and therefore unable to face what is real. James Black states, “Hamlet is the crowning achievement of the revenge genre because Shakespeare made the issue revolve around the character of the avenger.” I agree with this because at the beginning of the play the problem was that Claudius killed Hamlet's father, so Hamlet seeks revenge. The issue then turns to Hamlet himself as he kills many people when he only wanted to kill Claudius. He is so obsessed and overwhelmed with killing Claudius because the Specter told him he kills more people in the process. Hamlet's obsession with what is not real makes him unable to face reality, i.e. he killed many people needlessly. All acts of revenge have four phases. The first step in seeking revenge is motivation for action. In the opening scene, Horace asserts: “But to take back, with strong hand and obligatory terms, those lands foretold and so lost by his father” (1.1.114-116). Following that speech by Horace, the reasons for Fortebraccio's revenge become known; Fortinbras wishes to reclaim the lands he lost in Denmark when his father was killed. Hamlet's revenge is also introduced; the ghost of old Hamlet speaks to the prince for the first time and Hamlet discovers that his father's death was a murder. The blame fell squarely on the shoulders of the new king of Denmark; “The serpent that stung your father's life now wears his crown” (1.5.46-47). The Ghost orders Hamlet to "avenge his disgusting and unnatural murder" (1.5.31). Hamlet does not trust the Ghost and accepts the fact that he lacks concrete evidence to justify killing Claudius. Most of Denmark was Protestant during the setting of the play, including Hamlet. He had attended Wittenberg, a Protestant school, and the Protestants did not believe in purgatory or ghosts, which leads Hamlet to think that the ghost is a demon. Consequentially,before Hamlet acts on the Ghost's words, Hamlet will use his academic skill to confirm them in his own way. Unlike Fortinbras, who is ordered to do nothing, Hamlet's efforts to take revenge and prove his uncle's guilt are hindered by his indecision in taking revenge on Claudius. With his motivation for revenge, Hamlet remains suspicious of his uncle's apparent guilt. Hamlet attempts to remove his great suspicions by pretending to be mad, so that he can do and say almost anything he wants, without fear of reproach. “Though this be madness, yet there is method in it” (2.2.206). Polonius, as well as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet's childhood friends, are used by Claudius to spy on Hamlet. Unbeknownst to Claudius, Hamlet sees through their false words and effortlessly recognizes Claudius' true intentions. While pretending to be mad, Hamlet takes his time as he figures out what to do to avenge his father; following his initial suspicion, Hamlet finds a way to prove Claudius' guilt. A traveling acting troupe visits Elsinore Castle, and Hamlet first asks the players to perform a speech which particularly insists on the motif of revenge; “With eyes like carbuncles, the infernal Pyrrhus, old grandfather Priam searches” (2.2.488-489). Hamlet requests the speech because Pyrrhus resembles Hamlet in that his mission is to kill a king to avenge his father's death; Pyrrhus' father was Achilles who famously died from an arrow wound to the ankle. He also resembles Claudius in that Pyrrhus is the murderer of the rightful king of Troy. In the soliloquy Pirro is presented as an infernal character, without remorse or mercy. Hamlet may also have asked for the speech because he questions the morality of revenge and Pyrrhus' portrayal in the speech helps him confirm these doubts in his mind. Hamlet then has a sudden idea and plans to have the players perform a play; the show in mind is "The Assassination of Gonzago." Hamlet expresses his plan, saying, “…the play is the thing wherein I will capture the king's conscience” (2.2633-634). It imitates the method by which King Hamlet was presumed murdered by Claudius. Hamlet's plan will remove all doubt, so his revenge can take place. Therefore, Hamlet's confirmation of his suspicions will occur after Claudius has witnessed the play; Claudius' reaction will remove all suspicion of the Ghost's words so that Hamlet can have his revenge. Hamlet tells Claudius that the play is called "The Mousetrap" (3.2.261). Claudius flees the room after seeing the play, and Hamlet appropriately shouts, "What, frightened by the false fire!" (3.2.292). Hamlet's assertion of his uncle's guilt allows him to take revenge; “Contagion in this world: now could I drink hot blood and do such bitter deeds before which the day would tremble” (3.2.422-424). Hamlet comes across Claudius while he appears to be praying, so he decides to delay killing him, because he is convinced that killing Claudius while he is praying will send him to Heaven, which would ultimately nullify his revenge; “Now I could do it, now he's praying; And now I won't. And so it goes to heaven; And so I am avenged” (3.3.77-79). Ironically, Claudius, "And that his soul may be damned and black as hell, whither goeth he" (3.3.99-100), is not praying, because he is unable to repent. Hamlet's delay in carrying out his revenge results in his downfall. Hamlet now has a good reason and no longer has any doubts about Claudius' guilt. Hamlet just needs to kill Claudius and his revenge will be complete. But Hamlet's irascibility and blind rage lead him to kill Polonius: “So what? a mouse? Dead, for a ducat, dead!”(3.4.29), thinking that he was instead killing Claudius (who he believed was spying on Gertrude and Hamlet). Hamlet is damned, and his revenge will have a big complication; following her father's murder, Ophelia committed suicide and Laertes now wishes to kill Hamlet to seek his own revenge. Fortinbras, Hamlet, and Laertes now all find themselves in similar situations; it's the honorable thing to do to avenge their slain fathers, and that's exactly what each of them intends to do. Laertes and Hamlet are both infatuated with revenge to the point of acting quickly without thinking and ignoring the consequences. Claudius orders Hamlet to go to England, with the apparent intent of collecting retribution, but his true intent is for Hamlet to be executed, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern will be there to observe his death. On his way, Hamlet meets the army of Prince Fortinbras, where he makes his final and most important soliloquy. There is much talk about revenge and his failure to achieve it: "How all occasions inform against me and stimulate my dull revenge!" (4.4.33-34). Hamlet is distressed by the fact that he has not yet killed Claudius, and everything now seems to remind him of his unfulfilled mission. Hamlet swears that he will have his revenge and nothing will stop him from killing Claudius; “Oh, from now on my thoughts will be bloody, or worth nothing!” (4.4.68-69). In his final soliloquy, Hamlet shows extreme respect towards Fortinbras due to his apparent willingness to risk everything just to gain a small piece of unusable land in the name of honor. Hamlet is angry that he waited so long to take revenge and will no longer be delayed. Meanwhile, Laertes and Claudius are hatching a plan to kill Hamlet. Laertes, in his blind rage, regards Claudius' words as the whole truth. The two decide to stage a duel between Hamlet and Laertes, and Laertes will use a dull sword soaked in poison. “With this contagion I will touch the point: if I irritated him slightly, it could be death” (4.7.166-168). Laertes is bloodthirsty and seeks revenge, and it seems that he will succeed, because Hamlet apparently trusts him and does not expect Laertes to sink to Claudius' level. However, Claudius vastly underestimates Hamlet, who said he would make his enemies: "Hoist with his own petard: and it will be hard if I dig not a yard under their mines and blow them to the moon" (3.4.230- 232). As a result, Claudius and Laertes will die in their own apparent trap. Hamlet returns after having previously sent a letter to Claudius in which he said he would return to Denmark alone. He hinted that he had eliminated Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, having issued a royal order executing them in England Horatio notes that Hamlet now behaves rather regally: "Why, what a king is that!" , and is definitely now a more decisive and intelligent person. Hamlet confronts Laertes and offers an apology, which Laertes rejects is still too angry to back down from his position, and his anger will lead to his death. As a result, Hamlet and Laertes engage in their duel. Laertes strikes Hamlet and mortally wounds him: “It is here, Hamlet: Hamlet, thou art slain the world's medicine may do thee good; there is not half an hour of life in you. my betrayal” (5.2.337), and accepts his own death, Laertes is avenged, as Hamlet will die. However, in the end he does not blame Hamlet, but rather, after Gertrude drinks the poisoned wine she dies, and after her mortal wound, Hamlet kills Claudius: “Behold, you incestuous, murderous, damned Dane, drink this potion. Is your union here? Follow my mother” (5.2.337-339), and Claudius dies, following Gertrude into death. There.