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Schexnayder Challenge III: Shakespeare 4/24 Revenge Or Avenge?

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Katie Spaulding Mrs. Spaulding/ Mr. Schexnayder Challenge III: Shakespeare 4/18/24 Revenge or Avenge? Samuel Johnson, recognized for writing the first dictionary, once said, “Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged.” On almost every list of great literary works lies William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, namesake originating with the main character. This play by the English playwright and wordsmith himself, contains some of the most well known lines in all of literature, “To be or not to be, that is the question.” Hamlet is here contemplating the meaning of life and death, and some even go so far as to speculate suicidal thoughts. Unfortunately, that macabre idea of possible feelings of …show more content…

During this conversation, Hamlet ends up killing another innocent man, thinking that it was Claudius. From hatred came murder, and not even the kind of murder that might be justified, out of blind rage Hamlet stabbed another. One thing led to another, and Hamlet was forced to flee as a consequence of wanting to send him off where he wouldn’t be seen, out of fear that he was insane. When Hamlet later returns he is thrown into a duel with the sister of a woman who loved him that went mad and killed herself after Hamlet previously killed her father, thinking it was his stepfather. So everything finally comes full circle, and Hamlet is met with consequences for his actions. In the course of this duel the queen is poisoned by a cup meant for Hamlet, and a sword with a poison tip not only fatally pierces Hamlet but also its wielder, Laertes. The dramatic ending to this play is filled with one of the main themes: death. When looking at the events of this tragedy, one almost imagines what they would do, were they in Hamlet’s position. Still, it is a known fact that Shakespeare wasn’t one to endorse revenge, yet he wrote an entire play all about it, and it became one of his best

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In Shakespeare's “Hamlet”, Laertes is one of Hamlet's greatest foils. Shakespeare uses Hamlet actions to contribute to the play's complexity around revenge and morality, but when compared to Laertes actions it highlights his shortcomings as a character. Laertes' impulsive behavior is the opposite of Hamlet's introspective personality. In the play, both men's fathers were murdered, but only Laertes was eager to take action for revenge. “Hamlet’s desire to avenge his father’s murder is foiled by Laertes’ impulsive attempt to rectify his father’s death” (Barreto).

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Have you ever been wronged by someone so badly that you felt as though revenge was needed? Perhaps your best friend stole the woman you loved, so you felt that you needed to act and do something to get back at him. Maybe you destroy his life by starting a false rumor about him, or you get in a fight with him and humiliate him. This is just one common example of “revenge” in our everyday lives. In the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, there are much more serious things going on, involving death, murder, and wars between nations.

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