What is the revenge in Hamlet?

Answer 1

Revenge is what drives the majority of the action of the play. It is the obligation Hamlet is given by the ghost of his father early on in the play and shapes most of the interactions between characters from that moment on. The complicated morality of revenge is a large part of Hamlet's torment. The revenge motive is what makes Hamlet "feign" madness and establishes the chain of events that leads to Ophelia's madness and death, as well as the enormous body count that amasses by the end of the play.

Answer 2

Very slowly. Hamlet's problem is to decide what it the best way to take revenge (if it is appropriate at all). He is not like Laertes, who rushes at Claudius on the unfounded assumption that Claudius was responsible for Polonius's death without taking the time to check his sources. Hamlet double-checks his sources, using the play The Mousetrap. Laertes would "cut his throat i' th' church", but Hamlet will not kill Claudius while he prays in the fear that he revenge might be less effective. Of course the problem is that while Hamlet is going about trying to set up this perfect revenge, Claudius is moving much more quickly to remove Hamlet altogether beforehand. In the end, he almost does so, and Hamlet must be satisfied with the rather disorganized and messy death which he is finally able to give Claudius.

Answer 3

There are three revenge plots in Hamlet. Hamlet is seeking revenge against Claudius for the death of Hamlet Sr., Fortinbras is seeking revenge (at the beginning of the play) against Denmark generally for the death of Fortinbras Sr. and Laertes is seeking revenge against Hamlet for the death of Polonius.

Answer 4

Yes, Hamlet is a revenge tragedy. One of the key if not the only key element of the plot is the question of Hamlet's revenge of his father's murder by his uncle. Many similarities can be drawn between Hamlet and the quintessential revenge tragedy, The Spanish Tragedy, including the appearance of a ghost, insanity, and a play within a play. And, as in all revenge tragedies, it ends in a bloodbath.

Answer 5

Hamlet succeeds in killing Claudius, but not before Hamlet himself is fatally wounded.

Answer 6

The Ghost of Hamlet's Father makes Hamlet swear to revenge his murder by Claudius, the dead king's brother and Hamlet's uncle, and new stepfather.