Hamlet's Killings

A detailed Summary of Hamlet's Killings

In William Shakespeare's most famous play, "Hamlet," the main character, Hamlet, is either directly or indirectly responsible for the murder of many characters throughout the play. The audience of the play is left wondering which of the deaths are justified and which is not. The play does provide many murders and many other deaths, but it is up to the reader and the audience to decide who is to blame for these tragedies.

Prince Hamlet is directly involved with the deaths of Polonius, his son Laertes, and his daughter Ophelia. After Hamlet discovers from his father's ghost that the newly crowned King Claudius murdered his own father, Hamlet is out for revenge. In order to keep his revenge tactics a secret, Hamlet puts on the act that he is insane. His insanity draws the attention of all those nearest to him, and when he murders Polonius it is obvious to the audience that this murder happens with intent. Hamlet claims that he has killed a rat when instead he has slain Polonius who is hidden behind a curtain, "How now! A rat? Dead, for ducat, dead,"(1441). Hamlet's act is a malicious attack on Polonius. He knows that Polonius is conspiring with the King to have Hamlet killed. This murder helps Hamlet

a gentlemen's duel. The duel comes about when he and Laertes are fighting over who loved Ophelia more. While Laertes mortally wounds Hamlet he returns with his own mortal blow and finishes off Laertes. By now Hamlet knows that he is marked for death. In order for him to avenge his father and kill Claudius he must kill Laertes to stay alive. Though the reader never truly knows whether or not Ophelia committed suicide or if her death was accidental, it is obvious that Hamlet is to blame. Her state of madness is a result of how Hamlet pretends to be mad throughout the play. She can never tell whether or not he is truly in love with her, and this causes her insanity. Hamlet begins confusing Ophelia when he enters her bedchamber, holds her hand, and does nothing but breathes very hard. She tells her father, "He took me by the wrist and held me hard; then goes he to the length of all his arm; And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow, he falls to such perusal of my face a!

to stay alive and seek revenge for his father's death. Hamlet does slay Laertes at the end of the play. Laertes and Claudius lace poison on Laertes' blade when he and Hamlet square off in !

The last deaths related to Prince Hamlet are those of King Claudius and Queen Gertrude. The first time Hamlet sees the ghost of his father in Act 1 the ghost tells him that he was murdered by Claudius, and for Hamlet to, "Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder," (1402). Hamlet is very patient in his revenge. He knows that when he and Laertes have their duel that he will more than likely be set up. He does not know i

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Approximate Word count = 1078
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

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