Revenge

Revenge

1. Prompted by the ghost -Supernatural

   • Act 1 Scene 5
     • "Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder"
       • The imperative "revenge" is demanding, and shows the demands placed on Hamlet
     • "I with wings as swift as meditation or the thought of love may sweep to my revenge"
       • At first Hamlet seems to conform to the traditional role of avenger
     • Shakespeare sets up the play like a typical revenge tragedy, however shows hints that Hamlet is not a typical avenger
   • Act 3 Scene 4:
     • "The visitation is to whet thy almost blunted purpose"
       • Shakespeare uses the entrance of the Ghost, to increase the tension and pressure for Hamlet to seek vengeance

2. The final act of revenge

   • "here, thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane"
     • Finally at the end of the play, Hamlet finally achieves revenge in through an impulsive action
   • Component revenge tragedy that the villain causes his own downfall
   • Is this "noble" or too late as so many deaths that could have been prevented have already happened

3. Delay of revenge

   • Act 2 Scene 2
     • "but I'm pigeon livered and lack gall to make it oppression bitter" "currents turn awry and lose the name of action"
       • Throughout the play we see Hamlet's delay in his revenge, and his agony at his inability to act
   • Act 3 Scene 3
     • "and am I revenged / to take him in the purging of his soul?
       • When he can act he questions whether killing Claudius in the church will be "true" revenge
     • Link in idea of purgatory

4. Laertes + Hamlet + Fortinbras

   • Shakespeare creates a 3 part narrative in which the plots for revenge in all three character mirror each other
   • Fortinbras "of unimproved mettle hot and full"
   • Laertes "O thou vile king, give me my father' riotous head"
   • "Shakespeare makes his purpose plain by juxtaposing Hamlet with Fortinbras and especially Laertes"