Violence In Hamlet

In The Tragedy of Hamlet, characters are constantly confronted with moral and physical dilemmas which deal with violence. These characters which include Hamlet, Claudius, and Laertes each deal with these violent motives in their own way. Quotes and imagery help propel the story as it develops the underlining theme of violence that is sprinkled throughout the play. The play confronts certain scenes with both ironic and juxtaposing situations that tie into the theme of revenge and its role within the story. The Tragedy of Hamlet throws the reader in a society where war is commonplace between countries, and violence is seemingly an everyday part of life. In order to fully understand the many meanings of the play, an actor or reader may want to

During Act IV, a small horde of men, led by Laertes, come storming in to speak to King Claudius. According to the king’s messenger they are a small rebellion who are chanting for Laertes to become king. “Eats not the flats with more impiteous haste / as the world were now but to begin” (IV.v.98-101). If Laertes were to lead a rebellion against King Claudius many lives would be lost. Before knowing the truth behind his father, Laertes wants to rebel against Claudius because he learns his father was betrayed. Laertes seeks revenge for his father the same way Hamlet wants revenge for his dead father. A rebellion that goes against its government can lead to violence which can later lead to war, an example of this would be French Revolution, where a small uprising led to a complete overturn of the government. It is interesting that Laertes acts so fast in order to avenge his father. Laertes’s action of acquiring a group of men to go against the king shows the different approach for revenge Laertes has in comparison with Hamlet. Laertes will do anything to find out what happened to his father and who was the murderer behind Polonius’s death. “To hell, allegiance! / only I’ll be revenged most thoroughly for my father” (IV.v.129-133). This shows that Laertes will go through anything, how violent it may be, to be even with the person who took his father’s life. Later in

Hamlet, Claudius, Laertes, and even Fortinbras are drawn to violent behaviors due to the war-torn countries that they live in. The idea of revenge gives a motive for characters to inflict violence on those who wronged them. More importantly, violence surrounds each and every one of these character. Revenge simply gives Hamlet and Laertes a purpose. A purpose to pursue something meaningful. Even if Hamlet or Laertes succeeded in their goal of retribution for their fathers, their lives would still be filled with violence. Normandy and Poland fought for a meaningless piece of land so that the violent nature of mankind can be met. Fortinbras could have easily declared war on the weakened Denmark but instead opts for the invasion of a small territory belonging to Poland. Hamlet sums up the reason perfectly, “What is a man if his chief good and markets of his time be but to sleep and feed?” (IV.iv.32-34). Simply put, Fortinbras attacks that little sliver of Poland’s land because it gives him and his people a reason to act out their violent mindsets. History, throughout time, has been shaped by violence and love. Each character is involved in a situation that involves violence; however, they reach the climaxes of these situations through different ways and motives. Violence and war is innate for the characters during this time, and revenge is a