Hamlet is the first of the three to plan his revenge. While in mourning of the recent, mysterious death of his father, the king, he is contacted by a spirit, which bears resemblance to his father. When the ghost tells Hamlet that the new king, Claudius, is responsible for his father's murder, Hamlet proclaims that he will exist to avenge the death of his father. He will carry out the ghost's request: "Thy commandment all alone shall live/ Within the book and volume of my brain" (I.V.102-103). Though Hamlet has promised revenge, his actions are delayed.

Hamlet decides that his revenge must wait for a while. He has realized that the ghost he has contacted might simply have been an evil spirit leading him to damnation. Instead of completely believing the ghost, he decides to set up Claudius in order to catch his conscience: "The spirit I have seen/ Maybe a devi

rone. All people bent on revenge in Hamlet, accomplished it, making the play a revenge play.

Hamlet then takes his next step in revenge by having the play acted out. Hamlet and Horatio will both watch Claudius throughout the play. Hamlet explains the plot of the play which is identical to his father's death: "'A poisons him i'th' garden for his estate/. . .You shall see anon how the murderer gets the love of Gonzago's wife" (III.II.255-258). When the second scene occurs and the player nephew of the king, Lucianus, poisons the king player, Gonzago, Claudius immediately becomes upset and stops the play. The king then leaves: "Give me some light. Away" (III.I.263). This reaction is exactly what Hamlet had hoped for. Claudius has just convicted himself and Hamlet can now proceed with his revenge by killing the obviously guilty Claudius.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The second man who plots to avenge the death of his father is Laertes. Hamlet accidentally kills Laertes' father, Polonius, and becomes the object of a revenge plot in the midst of his own revenge plot. Laertes swears revenge to Claudius: "I dare damnation. To this point I stand/That both the worlds I give to negligence/Let come what comes, only I'll be reveng'd/Most throughly for my father" (IV.V.133-136). The madness of Ophelia over her father's death also drives Laertes to action.

The final step of motivation in Hamlet's revenge comes during the fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes. The queen drinks from the king's cup that has been poisoned to kill Hamlet. She falls and proclaims she has been poisoned: "O my dear Hamlet/The drink, the drink! I am poison'd" (V.II.315-316). Laertes then tells Hamlet everything including how he has poisoned Hamlet: "Hamlet, thou art slain/No medicine in the world can do thee good; In thee there is not half an hour's life/The treacherous instrument is in thy hand/Unbated and envenom'd/. . .Thy mother poison'd/I can no more. The King-the King's to blame" (V.II.319-226). Hamlet has finally been motivated enough to act. The king has poisoned his mother and father, and tried to kill Hamlet also. Hamlet then avenges his father's death by wounding the king with the poisoned sword: "The point envenom'd too! Then, venom, to thy work/ Wounds the King" (V.II.127). Hamlet has achieved the revenge that he has planned fo!

act but did not need to, as it was already done.

Claudius wants Hamlet dead because he is still afraid of him. Laertes wants Hamlet dead for the murder of Polonius. Thus, the two unite as Claudius offers to help Laertes obtain his revenge. Laertes will fight Hamlet in a fencing match with an unbated and poisoned sword: "You may choose/A sword unbated, and in a pass of practice/Requite him for your father/(Laertes) I'll do't/And for that purpose, I'll anoint my sword" (IV.VII.136-139). They then decide that just in case that does not work Claudius will poison Hamlet with wine: "And that he calls for drink, I'll have prepar'd him/A chalice for the nonce, whereupon but sipping/If he by chance escape your venom'd stuck/Our purpose may hold there" (IV.VII.158-161).

Claudius is then found in another room revealing how guilty he is and how much it is weighing on his conscience. He attempts to pray but cannot bring himself to do it. Hamlet comes across him and decides that this is the perfect time for executing him. But again his religious beliefs stop him from doing the deed. He realizes that if he kills Claudius while he is in a state of grace he will send him to Heaven. He realizes that this would almost be like payment for killing his father: "And so'a goes to heaven/A vill

Some common words found in the essay are:
Claudius Hamlet's, Laertes Fortinbras, Laertes Hamlet, England Hamlet, Claudius Claudius, Hamlet Hamlet, VII127 Hamlet, VI139-143 Fortinbras, IV102-103 Hamlet, Hamlet Horatio, death father, hamlet hamlet, plot revenge, hamlet laertes, father's death, religious beliefs, revenge play, revenge hamlet, kill hamlet, laertes hamlet, hamlet laertes fortinbras, hamlet thou art, revenge apparent throughout, horatio watch claudius, avenge death father,
Approximate Word count = 2489
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)