Compare And Contrast Lamb To The Slaughter And Hamlet

“Think about your actions,”. These are simple words that parents preach to their children every single day around the world. Some listen while others choose a different path. This decision can become increasingly difficult when presented with an emotional outcome. One of the most emotional actions a person can attempt is revenge. In Hamlet and "Lamb To The Slaughter" the authors exemplify the simple concept of revenge through more complex and aggressive lenses, arguing that the desire for revenge can outweigh reason. Humans are conditioned to consistently choose revenge before they reason through an issue. In Dahl’s “Lamb to the Slaughter”, Mary hears the terrible news that her husband wants a divorce, and instead of talking or reasoning through the issue, she decides that getting revenge is the best course of action. Mary felt betrayed and hurt, so she

Typically, people do not do anything if they are not gaining something out of it. In “Hamlet”, Hamlet is constantly seeking revenge for the actions of his stepfather, Claudius. Claudius murdered his brother, Hamlet's father, gained extreme power, and became King. All of these actions drove Hamlet to insanity. Hamlet found the only way to end his pain was revenge. Hamlet finds immense gratification in ending the life of his stepfather. This suggests that humans seek satisfaction in themselves prior to reasoning an issue. This trend is represented throughout history through assassinations and murders of political leaders. Although some may say that they do not act on selfishness, most people seek satisfaction in themselves. Dr. Gert says “Revenge is like pleasure, knowledge, and freedom,” (Gert 2). This assertion directly confirms the previous statements by saying revenge is similar to pleasure. When seeking pleasure they are seeking personal satisfaction. Seeking satisfaction over reason is related to revenge over reason due to the fact that pleasure is