Envy In Hamlet Research Paper

The play Hamlet by Shakespeare is one of his many plays that ends in tragedy. Hamlet in particular has many factors that play into the domino effect that will ultimately result in the demise of the main characters. This play is similar to dramas you would see aired on TV today in the way that they both use the seven deadly sins. They both include pride, lust, wrath, greed, sloth fulness, yet the most prominent sin being envy. Envy is such a strong emotion that it can lead anyone, of any station in life to their ultimate demise.

I believe envy to be the cause of the multiple tragedy’s in this play. Before Claudius could’ve been greedy or even act on his greed, he would’ve had to have been envious of his brother first. As it turns out he was jealous enough to kill him, “Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole, with juice of cursed hebona in a vial, and in the porches of my ears did pour the leprous distillment” (257). Claudius was jealous of his brothers money and title, not to mention he was coveting the queen as well. It could also be said that once Claudius took the throne that Hamlet may’ve been experiencing some jealousy of his own over the crown. Along with Hamlet’s plot to seek revenge over his father’s murder, he very well could’ve been seeking his

rightful place as heir to the throne. We see this with his behavior later in the church, “And so he goes to heaven, and so I am revenged” (Act 3 Scene 3). Hamlet contemplates taking his revenge right then and there but decides to spare Claudius because he had repented and would not go to hell.
Claudius taking the throne after king Hamlet’s death was no difficult undertaking, it had been what Claudius planned all along. His greed was too strong, “Of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched” (257). His greed eventually became too much for him. The envy ate at his mind until he was greedy enough to murder his brother and lustful enough to marry his wife too. Due to Claudius’ acting on his envy, he sparked a chain of events involving the rest of the deadly sins. “Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, with witchcraft of his wit, with traitorus gifts- O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power so to seduce!- won to his shameful lust the will of my most seeming-virtuous queen” (257). Claudius being envious led to lustful actions involving queen gertrude, his brothers wife.
At the end of this chain of deadly sins is murder.

In this, all of their secrets come out and destroy each other's lives, “The drink! The drink! I am poisoned” (350). The king has unintentionally murdered his wife by means of trying to kill Hamlet. After this takes place Laertes is killed with his own sword by the hand of Hamlet. Yet before Laertes dies he tells Hamlet that this is all the kings doing, Hamlet then runs Claudius through with his blade and forces down the poison meant for himself, “Here, thou incestuous, murd’rous, damned Dane, Drink off this potion. Is thy union here?” (351). After Hamlet dies of being cut by Laertes sword, Horatio is the only one left standing, wondering where it all went

wrong.
In the mess of all this some would say that his greed is what caused his fate. Yet, greed is more an action than that of a feeling. He would have needed to be envious first then to act on his greed, lust, and attempted murder. Even then he still did not succeed in his plot for ruling Denmark.
Envy is defined as a discontented or resentful longing. Claudius grew up knowing his brother would have it all someday and envying him because of it. He knew that he would always be the brother in the background. When his jealousy finally caught up to him, it killed him with a sword and a chalice of poison.