Hamlet as So Much More Than a Traditional Revenge Tragedy

Hamlet as So Much More Than a Traditional Revenge Tragedy

Although Shakespeare wrote Hamlet closely following the conventions of

a traditional revenge tragedy, he goes far beyond this form in his

development of Hamlet's character. Shakespeare's exploration of

Hamlet's complex thoughts and emotions is perhaps more the focus of

the play rather than that of revenge, thus in Hamlet Shakespeare

greatly develops and enhances the form of the traditional revenge

tragedy.

The main source of Hamlet is Saxo Grammaticus' Historiae Danicae, a

folk tale that has a similar plot to Hamlet; however, Shakespeare

greatly transforms this story of revenge when creating Hamlet.

Shakespeare also draws upon contemporary revenge tragedies, in

particular Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy, which exemplifies the main

traditions of the Elizabethan revenge tragedy, which was developed by

Kyd from the tragedies of the Roman writer Seneca. When comparing 'The

Spanish Tragedy' and Hamlet, we can clearly see how Shakespeare has

gone far further than the conventional revenge tragedy.

Kyd's transformation of Senecan traditions of revenge tragedy in The

Spanish Tragedy, provided the main principles for the popular

Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy, and thus gave Shakespeare the basic model

for Hamlet. Therefore, it is easy to draw parallels between The

Spanish Tragedy and Hamlet, for instance the use of a ghost seeking

revenge.

In The Spanish Tragedy, the ghost of Don Andrea begins the play by

retelling the story of how he was 'slain,' and how the gods have sent

him back with Revenge to avenge his death. Therefore, Kyd uses the

ghost to introduce the main theme of reveng...

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... confines of the popular revenge tragedy genre at the time. In Hamlet

he shows the complex human emotions that arise as a result of grief,

and also takes a new stance on the 'burden of the call to revenge,'[3]

by showing how Hamlet is hindered by his overwhelming feelings about

the corruption in Denmark, such as the 'incestuous' marriage of his

mother to Claudius. Therefore, although very much adhering to the

conventions of the traditional revenge tragedy, Shakespeare goes

beyond this in Hamlet, through his focus on human nature, rather than

that of revenge.

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[1] A. Bailey, Tragedy, Revenge and Revenge Tragedy in Hamlet

[2] A. Bailey, Tragedy, Revenge and Revenge Tragedy in Hamlet

[3] A. Bailey, Tragedy, Revenge and Revenge Tragedy in Hamlet