Hamlet World Theatre 102

Revenge. Revenge causes one to act blindly through anger, rather than

through reason. It is based on the principle of an eye for an eye, but

this principle is not always an intelligent theory to live by. Young

Fortinbras, Laertes, and Hamlet were all looking to avenge the deaths of

their fathers. They all acted on emotion, and this led to the downfall of

two, and the rise to power of one. Since the Heads of the three major

families were each murdered, the eldest sons of these families swore

vengeance, and two of the three sons died while exacting their acts of

vengeance, revenge is a major theme in the Tragedy of Hamlet.

There were three major families in the Tragedy of Hamlet. These were the

family of King Fortinbras, the family of Polonius, and the family of King

Hamlet. The heads of each of these families are all slaughtered within the

play. Fortinbras, King of Norway, was killed by King Hamlet; slain by

sword during a man to man battle. "Ð'...our valiant Hamlet-for so this side of

our known world esteem'd him-did slay this Fortinbras." This entitled King

Hamlet to the land that was possessed by Fortinbras because it was written

in a seal'd compact. Polonius was an advisor to the King, and father to

Laertes and Ophelia. He was nosy and arrogant, and he did not trust his

children. He was killed by Young Hamlet while he was eves dropping on a

conversation between Hamlet and his mother. "How now! A rat? Dead, for a

ducat, dead!" King Hamlet was the King of Denmark, and Hamlet's father.

He had killed King Fortinbras, only to be killed by his brother, Claudius.

"Ð'...My offense is rank, it smells to heaven; A brother's murderÐ'..." Each of

these events effected the sons of the deceased in the same way, it enraged

them.

Every one of the three eldest sons had one thing in common, they all

wanted revenge for a slaughtered father. In the time in which this play is

set, avenging the murder of a father was part of one's honor, and had to be

done. All of the three sons swore vengeance, and then acted towards

getting revenge for the deaths of their fathers.

Young Fortinbras was deeply enraged by the death of his father, and he

wanted revenge against Denmark because of this occurrence. Fortinbras

wanted to, by force, regain the lands that had been lost by his father to

Denmark. "Ð'...Now sir, young FortinbrasÐ'...as it doth well appear unto our

state-but to recover of us, by strong hand and terms compulsative, those

foresaid lands so by his father lostÐ'..." Claudius sends messengers to talk

to Fortinbras' uncle, the new King of Norway. He forbid Fortinbras to

attack Denmark, and instead convinced him to attack the Poles to vent his

anger. "Ð'...His nephew's levies, which to him appear'd to be a preparation

'gainst the Polack; But better look'd into, he truly found it was against

your highnessÐ'...On Fortinbras; which he, in brief, obeys, receives rebuke

from Norway, and, in fine, makes vow before his uncle never more to give

the assay of arms against your majesty."

Laertes found out about his father's death, and immediately returned

home. He confronted the King and accused him of the murder of his father.

Claudius told Laertes that Hamlet was responsible for his father's death.

He then decides to kill Hamlet to avenge the death of his father. He and

Claudius concoct a plot to kill Hamlet. Hamlet dies of wounds from the

poisoned tipped sword Laertes used. "Ð'...Hamlet, thou art slainÐ'...The

treacherous instrument is in thy, unbated and envenom'dÐ'..."

Hamlet was deeply sorrowed by his father's death. He spoke to a ghost, and

this ghost stated that his father's death was a murder, by the hand of his

uncle, Claudius. "The serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears

his crown." Hamlet was astonished, and then swore vengeance for his

father's