Hamlet's Villain

In Hamlet, one word that puts an emphasis on evil is “villain.” The word is often used to portray feelings and to cast a sort of evil upon certain characters that inflict trouble on others. The Oxford English Dictionary defines villain “as a character whose evil actions or motives are responsible for specified trouble, harm, or damage.” Also, Dictionary.com defines villain as “a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel.” In this novel, certain characters are portrayed as villains due to their actions towards other characters or situations. Villain has many meanings behind the root word, such as “criminal,” “devil,” “sinner,” and “scoundrel.” Each word is connected to the theme that evil is portrayed in people when situations are no longer in one’s favor. Thus, one acts out and causes trouble and harm to those who threaten their initial motives.

After speaking with the ghost, Hamlet states, “O villain, villain, smiling, damnèd villain!” (I.v.106). Hamlet has just discovered the truth that Claudius has killed his father, the King. In doing so, Claudius enabled himself to gain a crown and a wife, who happens to be Gertrude, the mother and widow of Hamlet and the King. Hamlet repeats that Claudius is a villain out of pure shock and anger. Hamlet sees Claudius' malicious ambition. Thus, the motive behind Hamlet’s revenge. Hamlet can no longer have sympathy toward Claudius and even his mother. This moment marks the beginning of Hamlet’s craziness. As one can see, Claudius is a villain due to his evil motives in killing the