Hamlet And Coriolanus The King Research Paper

Wild, Wild Vengeance Francis Bacon once said, “Revenge is a kind of wild justice; which the more man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out” (Bacon). There has always been a fine line between justice and revenge: is justice through an act of vengeance still considered fair? As Bacon would let, it would be best left to a jury to decide. In the late sixteenth century, theatrical dramas flourished, with many tragedies carrying an explicit theme of revenge. William Shakespeare, otherwise known as The Bard, would go on to write several dramas with revenge in their meticulous plots. His tragedies Hamlet, Othello, and Coriolanus each feature a plot reliant on the act of vengeance by their main, eponymous characters. An element shared

Shakespeare’s epic chronicles the tale of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, as he seeks revenge against his uncle Claudius for murdering his father, the King. Claudius then marries Hamlet’s mother and assumes the throne. The ghost of his father appears to Hamlet, revealing Claudius as his murderer, “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life / Now wears his crown” (I.v. 38-39). Desiring that Hamlet avenge his death, he commands of his son, “If thou didst ever they dear father love…Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (I.v. 23,25). A skeptical Hamlet stages a play for Claudius, re-enacting the death of his father. From judging Claudius’s reactions, Hamlet is convinced of Claudius’ murderous deeds. Mistaking him for the King, Hamlet kills Polonius, an advisor for Claudius if by accident, as he was spying on Hamlet and the Queen. This death subsequently leads to the suicide of Ophelia, daughter of Polonius and a love interest for the Danish prince. Claudius, in fear of being uncovered, arranges for the death of Hamlet in a fencing competition, using both poisoned swords and wine and coercing Laertes, the revenge-seeking son Polonius into his scheme, having him be his opponent. However, this affair not only results in the death of Hamlet after being cut, but of his mother, who drinks the poisoned wine, Laertes, Hamlet, and Claudius too, after Hamlet

First, there’s Iago seeking vengeance for what remains a rumor, and then his non-promotion. However, this “Motive is entirely inadequate to explain his actions” (Shepherd 349), as these are not crimes befitting the punishment he would have of Othello. Instead of Iago seeking out Othello and asking him about the affair with Emilia, Iago seeks retribution instead of counsel, saying, “I know not if’t be true / But I, for mere suspicion in that kind / Will do as if for surety” (I.iii. 394-6). Shepherd went further on this manner of acting on doubt, saying, “This gives Iago a sort of excuse for personal revenge against Othello, yet he does not attempt to convict Othello of such relations” (Shepherd 350). This suggests that Iago has despised Othello for much longer than the timeframe of the action presented, this being the final excuse needed for his revenge, taking personal action, much like Hamlet. Othello was a very respected man, a general of the Venetian military, there is no doubt he would have been truthful and honest if pressed. Iago’s revenge then was not an act of justice in the slightest, but rather an act of evil. And then there is the killing of his wife, Emilia, whom he kills out of revenge for exposing his evil deeds. She was only doing the right thing, raising the only true justice out of any of the characters. And what does she get for her honesty and just