"I am justly killed by my own treachery," says Laertes (V.ii.308). If the reader agrees with Laertes, then he must acknowledge the fact that Hamlet, too, is guilty of "treachery" as both are in the same situation of a dutiful son seeking to avenge a father's death. Depending upon whether or not one thinks that human beings can or should avenge misdeeds, Shakespeare's Hamlet can either be the tragic story of a son killed in the process doing his duty or as a satire on the attempts of human beings to interfere with the workings of fate. Although Hamlet, prince of Denmark, never questions whether or not murdering his guilty uncle is justified, Hamlet does.

The main scene that causes a reader to doubt the validity of revenge is the final scene in which numerous people are killed one after another. This bloodbath makes the reader ponder whether or not the seeking and gaining of revenge actually serves a purpose. Both Hamlet and Laertes are successful in avenging thei

Fortinbras is another son with rights to revenge: "Now, sir, young Fortinbras,/

If Shakespeare really is rejecting the capability of human beings to interfere with the higher power of destiny, Hamlet's "tragic flaw" might actually be a subconscious knowledge of the truth. Hamlet's death would no longer be tragic; it would be the due consequence of his own sins, including killing Polonius. Hamlet would not be the story of a virtuous son avenging his father's wrongful death; it would be a satire on human pride and folly taking "an eye for an eye" and "making the world go blind."

In Hamlet, Shakespeare leaves no doubt of Claudius's guilt; the king confesses: "O my offense is rank, it smells to heaven;/ It hath the primal eldest curse uponn't,/ A brother's murder" (III.iii.36-8). Once Claudius's guilt is ascertained, the reader agrees it is Hamlet's duty to avenge his father's "foul and most unnatural murder" (I.v.25); however, the prince's "tragic flaw" of procrastination prevents the immediate execution of t

Some common words found in the essay are:
IIIiii36-8 Claudius's, Shakespeare's Hamlet, Majesty IIii68-71, IViv47-53 Hamlet, Laertes Vii308, Ii95-104 Fortinbras, Hamlet Laertes, Hamlet Shakespeare, Polonius Hamlet, , tragic flaw, avenge father's, human interfere, reader agrees, justly killed, claudius's guilt, punish sin,
Approximate Word count = 691
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)