Revenge in Hamlet

A detailed Summary of Revenge in Hamlet


Revenge has caused the downfall of many a person. Its consuming nature causes one to act recklessly through anger rather than reason. Revenge is an emotion easily rationalised; one turn deserves another. However, this is a very dangerous theory to live by. Throughout Hamlet, revenge is a dominant theme. Fortinbras, Laertes, and Hamlet all seek to avenge the deaths of their fathers. But in so doing, all three rely more on emotion than thought, and take a very big gamble, a gamble which eventually leads to the downfall and death of all but one of them.

King Fortinbras was slain by King Hamlet in a sword battle. This entitled King Hamlet to the land that was possessed by Fortinbras because it was written in a seal'd compact. "…our valiant Hamlet-for so this side of our known world esteem'd him-did slay this Fortinbras."

Young Fortinbras was enraged by his father’s murder and sought revenge against Denmark. He wanted to reclaim the land that had been lost to Denmark when his father was killed. "…Now sir, young Fortinbras…as it doth well appear unto our state-but to recover of us, by strong hand and terms compulsative, those foresaid lands so by his father lost…"


Instead he chose to fight Hamlet. He and wounds him fatally with the poisoned tipped sword, however, their swords become switched, and Hamlet inflicts the same wounds on with as those that had been inflicted on him. It is by these wounds that Laertes dies.

King Hamlet ruled Denmark and was the father of Hamlet. He had been slain by Claudius, his brother, who had since laid claim to the throne.

Polonius was King Hamlet’s advisor and the father of Ophelia and Laertes, both of whom respected and loved him, despite his arrogant demeanour. Young Hamlet murdered Polonius accidentally, thinking him to be the king eves dropping on a conversation between Hamlet and his mother. "How now! A rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead!"

Hamlet does indeed die as a result of wounds inflicted by Laertes, but it is the poisoned tipped sword that causes the demise of Laertes as well.

This left the Claudius dead, and King Hamlet’s death avenged, but at a grave cost to Hamlet.



Some common words found in the essay are:
Laertes Hamlet, King Hamlet, Astonished Hamlet, Fortinbras Fortinbras, Ophelia Laertes, King Denmark, , Unfortunately Hamlet, Norway Fortinbras’, King Hamlet’s, tipped sword, poisoned tipped sword, laertes hamlet, poisoned tipped, king hamlet, hamlet murdered, kill hamlet, emotion easily, wounds inflicted, father's death, denmark father,

Approximate Word count = 1010
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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