The Cycle of Evil in Shakespeare's Hamlet

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The Cycle of Evil in Hamlet

In the play Hamlet, William Shakespeare illustrates how revenge can ravage one’s mind. Revenge, put in simple terms, is an act of inflicting harm or injury in return for a wrong. [Obvious?] Both Hamlet and Laertes vowed to seek revenge for the murders of their fathers. In doing so, they weren’t making right what was once wrong, but instead they were returning the same evil that had been inflicted upon them. Revenge isn’t good or sweet when it is in fact evil continuing to repeat itself.

William Shakespeare helps bring this point to the forefront by using the Ghost of King Hamlet as a foil to Hamlet. The Ghost is used to give Hamlet someone to talk to in order to understand him more. These two characters both express their revulsion of Gertrude’s marriage to Claudius. [You need to cite from the text here, particularly for the Ghost.] Also, both King Hamlet and Hamlet were brought to their deaths at the hands of poison, although King Hamlet had the poison poured in his ear by Claudius while sleeping. On the other hand, Hamlet was poisoned with the point of Laertes’s rapier during their duel.

The Ghost brings about two different perspectives of Hamlet. First, Hamlet can be viewed as a loyal son. Hamlet is prepared to avenge his father’s murder before the identity of the murderer was made. [He is?] After the Ghost reveals Claudius as his murderer, he demands that Hamlet does not punish Gertrude in seeking revenge against Claudius. Hamlet doesn’t get revenge against Claudius until his mother dies after drinking the poison in the cup that was originally intended for Hamlet to drink. [Ergo, does he get revenge for his father, or for his mother?] On the other hand, Hamlet doesn’t necessarily fulfill his father’s wishes. Although unintended, Hamlet “punishes” Gertrude by slaying Polonius before her eyes. Thus evil deeds were to continue to repeat themselves. [I don't see the repetition here.Which "evil deeds" are you referring to?]

Another character used as a foil to Hamlet was Laertes. Both Hamlet and Laertes had endured the lose [loss] of their fathers at the hands of a murderer. Both character[s] sought revenge for these murders. Laertes immediately wanted to kill Hamlet for his crime, expressing how he would cut his throat in the church.

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