“Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another,”—Sherlock Holmes from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. What comes around goes around, and all wrongdoers will pay the price for their crimes. Sherlock’s continuously exposes the villain’s plans and identity with his investigation skills. According to him, the violence and felonies that criminals commit will always prompt their demise, and justice will instigate their punishments. In a world where so many evildoers and murderers exist, Sherlock cannot catch them all and make them atone for their crimes. In this case, natural order plays a grand part on bringing these felons to justice. Natural order has a way of restoring itself—specifically …show more content…
With this knowledge, Hamlet slowly acts upon it, starting by acting mad, which causes the King and Queen’s concern, as well as Polonius’ attention. Then, Hamlet decides to put on a play to determine reveal Claudius’ guilty conscience. He then is revealed to be guilty and Hamlet finally starts to act upon his revenge. Later on, he is talking with his mother and he believes Claudius is spying on them so he slaughters whoever was hiding—turning out to be Polonius. Therefore, Polonius’ son, Laertes seeks to kill Hamlet to avenge his father. Laertes then challenges Hamlet to a fencing duel in order to assassinate him. Laertes kills Hamlet, but Hamlet gets his revenge, killing Laertes and Claudius. In the end, all of the characters die to restore order, and the prince of Norway, Fortinbras, becomes the new king. The characters of Hamlet and their fated outcomes illustrate the nemesis and poetic justice that is served to an immense extent, demonstrating how evil will always pay from their …show more content…
Hamlet, despite being the hero of the tragedy, commits various actions that would consider him as a villainous character. When he learns of his fathers death, he acts mad and possibly even becomes truly mad. It prompts him to mistreat those around him—specifically important women in his life, his girlfriend Ophelia and his mother Gertrude. Firstly, when Hamlet is acting mad, he does not inform Ophelia of it, and treats her poorly. For instance, when Hamlet states, “Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder / of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I / could accuse me of such things that it were better my/ mother had not borne me” (3.1.121-23). He tells Ophelia that he doesn’t love her, which was cruel and uncalled for, even if Ophelia is not completely innocent in this situation as she is spying on him by her father’s orders. Furthermore, Hamlet’s misogyny continues as he disrespects his own mother, as he states, “She married—O most wicked speed! To post / With such dexterity to incestuous sheets” (1.2.156-57). Despite his uncle Claudius being half the relationship, he continues to solely blame his mother for the act. Hamlet continues to hurt others for no reason, disturbing natural order. Additionally, Hamlet murders people for no good reason. Firstly, he kills Polonius—someone
Hamlet is one of the most controversial characters from all of the Shakespeare’s play. His character is strong and complicated, but his jealousy is what conduces him to hate women. He sees them as weak, frail, and untrustworthy. He treats Ophelia, the women he loves, unfair and with cruelty. Similarly, he blames his mother for marrying her dead husband’s brother, who is now the King of Denmark. Hamlet’s treatment for women stems from his mother’s impulsive marriage to his uncle who he hates and Ophelia choosing her father’s advice over him.
The life of Hamlet is without a doubt very interesting, he suffers from unfortunate events in his time that are often major blows to his ego. His father dies while he’s away at college, Hamlet is next in line to be king until his “uncle-father” steals it from him; but it is to be known his “uncle-father” would not have stolen it if his “aunt-mother” hadn’t allowed it. It’s very apparent from the beginning of the play that he is very well obsessed with his mother and her doings. He harasses, humiliates, and abuses her because she has done such an unforgivable act by marrying Claudius. His thoughts and feelings towards his mother are very strong and well known, he even describes the odd pair as “little more than kin and less than kind.” That’s not all with Hamlet; his mother remarrying is just the tip of the iceberg so deeply rooted in the ocean of his emotions. His relationship with Ophelia is twisted, Hamlet goes through episodes of
father's death, then Laertes, Polonius' son, arrives on the scene enraged. and ready to kill Hamlet for what he's done, and just when you thought. things couldn't get any worse, unbeknownst to Hamlet, Claudius has been. plotting to kill him. Talk about your bad days. & nbsp; A duel takes place between Hamlet and Laertes where Laertes, using a poison-tipped sword, cuts Hamlet, thus giving way to his impending. death. Hamlet eventually gets hold of the sword and kills Laertes, then.
Both Hamlet’s and Laertes’ fathers were killed. When Laertes discovered that his father’s been murdered he immediately assumes that Claudius is the killer. As a result of his speculation he moves to avenge Polonius’ death. Laertes lines in Act IV Scene 5 provide insight into his mind displaying his desire for revenge at any cost. “To hell, allegiance! Vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation. To this point I stand, that both worlds I give to negligence, let come what comes, only I’ll be revenged most thoroughly for my father.” (Act IV Scene 5 lines 136-141) In contrast to Laertes speculation of his father’s killer, Hamlet assumes the individual spying on his conversation with Gertrude is Claudius. “Nay, I know not. Is it the King?” (Act III Scene 4 line 28). Without thinking, Hamlet automatically thrusts out attempting to kill who he believed was Claudius and actually kills Polonius. Fury and frustration instigate Hamlet’s and Laertes’ indiscreet actions and causes them not to think of the consequences that may follow.
This, of course, causes a landslide of tragedy in the play. Claudius exiles Hamlet to England and sends sealed letters to the King of England telling him to kill Hamlet upon his arrival. Ophelia goes insane. Laertes, Hamlet's brother, returns from France with an army, demanding to know why Polonius was killed. Claudius enlists Laertes to kill Hamlet. Ophelia commits suicide. Hamlet and Laertes duel at her funeral; both of them are mortally wounded, Gertrude kills herself and Hamlet kills Claudius.
Whenever Hamlet denies his true nature, his actions are very harsh. During a heated discussion with his mother Gertrude, he accidentally slays Laertes’ father, Polonius, thinking it to be Claudius. Hamlet quickly brushes it aside. He also sends his friends , Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to their deaths when he learns of Claudius’ plot to have him put to death when he arrived in England as a so called diplomat.
In the play, Hamlet is described as an intelligent, emotional, and grief-stricken protagonist but he is consumed by his own thoughts which make him a highly-indecisive individual; Hamlet’s inability to act on his father’s murder, his mother’s hasty remarriage, and his uncle assuming of the throne are all evidence that Hamlet does not know what is going on in his own life. Perhaps Hamlet wants to place the blame on someone else after he wreaks vengeance on King Claudius, or capture the attention of certain characters so that he may find out exactly what has gone “rotten in Denmark” (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 90). Throughout the play Hamlet is deeply hurt by his mother’s decision to remarry his uncle. As Hamlet says, “Frailty thy name is woman”, her actions cause Hamlet to curse women all together (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 146).
[4, 1, 40] These idiosyncrasies are observed in the play when Claudius becomes concerned he will lose power as King and the likelihood Hamlet will murder him to avenge his father’s death. This is apparent when Gertrude informs Claudius that Hamlet is, “Mad as the sea and wind, when both contend which is mightier”. [4,1,6] With these thoughts daunting Claudius, he approaches Laertes in a Machiavellian manner to convince him to murder Hamlet, for he knows Laertes is angry, deranged and “Vows to the blackest devil” [4,5,131] after the death of his father. In doing so, Claudius has the intent to use Machiavellian powers over Laertes who is currently mentally unstable, with the objective being that Laertes will murder Hamlet to avenge his own father’s (Polonius) death. Claudius is able to successfully persuade Laertes in a manipulative speech, especially with his snide comment, “Not that I think you did not love your father, but that I know love is begun by time, and that I see a passage of proof.” [4,7,96] Claudius’ malicious comment indicates he is using his power over Laertes, so that the burden and repercussions do not rest on him, so that he may retain his authority as King. By utilizing his power over Laertes, Claudius is successful, as Hamlet is slain, however, as reflected in Claudius’
He questions himself whether to avenge his father 's alleged murder or to become the noble prince he was raised and trained to become. Young Hamlet also struggles with the assumption of considering that his new stepfather and Uncle Claudius may have murdered his beloved father, King Hamlet and discovering the truth (SparkNotes). “Not so my lord. / I am too much in the sun (Shakespeare 1404). From Hamlet’s quote, he does not feel comfortable at the new relationship with Claudius Equally, Hamlet feels deceived by his mother, Gertrude, for how she quickly remarried after his father 's death. He quarrels with himself about being dishonorable to his mother (SparkNotes). Ophelia is another example of a character that struggles with honor. Her character struggles with issues of accepting her role as a woman during the Renaissance era and being true to herself, which forces her to fall into the launch of madness. From the time she is born, Ophelia is taught to obey her father, as well as, her brother, Laertes. "Do not as some ungracious pastors do/ Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven Whiles like a puffed and reckless libertine/ Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads (Shakespeare 1411)."
A second example of Hamlet’s immaturity, which stems from his plotting against Claudius, can be seen in his treatment of Ophelia, the daughter of a court advisor. Hamlet himself gives cause for belief that he is in love with Ophelia. He writes to her informing her that she is his “…soul’s idol…” (Polonius 2:2). How ever when Hamlet affects insanity he treats Ophelia in a very ribald manner. After a litany of insults directed at Ophelia because of Hamlet’s belief that she is in league with Polonius in trying to trap him he goes so far as to proclaim “I loved you not.” (Hamlet 3:1) Hamlet used Ophelia quite cruelly in order to strike a blow at her father and Claudius. Instead of acting like a man and telling them directly what he thought of them he abused a trusting, loving, girl in order to deliver his message of loathing.
After he meets the ghost, Hamlet begins to treat people cold-heartedly. His is led by his mind, but not his heart. The acts of cruelty on Hamlet’s part were done because pity or sympathy no longer exists within. His treatment of Ophelia, his only true love, is disgusting. He also treated his mother in a rude fashion. He felt betrayed by his mother because he loved and trusted her, but she went and married his uncle soon after his father’s death.
He shows his brotherly love for Ophelia when he says “For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favor,/Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood,/A violet in the youth of primy nature,/Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting,/The perfume and suppliance of a minute,/No more” (Shakespeare 1.3.6-11). Meanwhile, Hamlet embarks on a mission of revenge in which he does not seek revenge on behalf of himself but rather, for someone else. Hamlet’s revenge mission begins when he is visited by his father’s ghost who commands “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (Shakespeare 1.5.31) after his father recounts the cause of his murder. From this point on, Hamlet begins to act mad in order to put his revenge mission into action.
Hamlet’s obsession with taking revenge destroys the relationships in his life. His furiousness with his mother’s marriage causes him to lose respect for her and wish for no more marriages in Denmark (III. i. 144-152). Hamlet’s loss of respect for women affects his relationship with his girlfriend, Ophelia. He slowly begins to drive her away. Hamlet becomes impetuous and consequently kills Ophelia’s father, which permanently destroys their relationship. Another instance of obsession to revenge is Laertes. He becomes so bent upon avenging his family, that he does not think clearly. Claudius deceives Laertes by persuading him into killing Hamlet so that he remains out of harm’s way. However, their obsession to revenge becomes the foundation of their
The king forbade Fortinbras to wage an attack against Denmark, and instead suggested he attack the Poles to vent his anger. Fortinbras agreed to the plan, but had no intentions of following it. Polonius was King Hamlet’s advisor and the father of Ophelia and Laertes, both of whom respected and loved him, despite his arrogant demeanour. Young Hamlet murdered Polonius accidentally, thinking him to be the king eves dropping on a conversation between Hamlet and his mother. "How now! A rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead!" Laertes returned home immediately after hearing of his father's death and confronted the King, accusing him of the murder of his father. Once Claudius told Laertes that Hamlet was responsible for his father's death, he and Claudius concoct a scheme to kill Hamlet using a poison tipped sword. "…Hamlet, thou art slain…The treacherous instrument is in thy, unbated and envenom'd…" Hamlet does indeed die as a result of wounds inflicted by Laertes, but it is the poisoned tipped sword that causes the demise of Laertes as well.
... Claudius says that Laertes is trying to get back the kingdom of Denmark his dad lost to Hamlets’ dad. Also, he believes that Fortinbras will try to take advantage of this time where a power change occurred. At the end, since Claudius, Laertes, Gertrude, and Hamlet die, Fortinbras is chosen as the king. Fortinbras completes his promise that he will regain the land that his dad had lost.