Who Is Wronged In Hamlet

The principle of “an eye for an eye” is an ancient law that is not completely extinct. It is certainly not an extinct way of life to William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Throughout the play there are many acts of revenge carried out by the characters. When the characters are wronged in the play, they feel very strongly to retaliate; and/or seek vengeance for their self, or their loved ones. Hamlet, Laertes, and King Claudius are all characters who felt the need to obtain restitution for past injustices against them. These retaliations are not the best ways to handle things, but the characters are so set on vengeance that they forget everything else. Shakespeare shows how revenge causes the characters in Hamlet to act blindly through anger and emotion,
Laertes’s father, Polonius, was murdered by Hamlet. Hamlet, blinded by rage against Claudius, thought Polonius was Claudius causing him to mistakenly kill Polonius. After finding out about his father’s death Laertes says, “Let come what comes, only I’ll be revenged most thoroughly for my father” (Act 4. Scene 5). Laertes knew that he had to react, so he came up with a plan to kill Hamlet. He concocts a plan, accompanied by Claudius, to challenge Hamlet to a fencing dual. This evil plan involved Laertes secretly poisoning his sword, so that the slightest cut will cause Hamlet to die. Laertes says, “I will do ’t, and for that purpose I’ll anoint my sword… I’ll touch my point with this contagion, that, if I gall him slightly, it may be death.” (Act 4. Scene 7). The anger that came from inside Laertes was so strong that it blinded him from weighing all the possibilities of the outcomes of the dual. Laertes did not consider that if he was touched with the poisoned sword, then he will be the one to die. Ironically, Laertes is indeed wounded by the poisoned sword and dies. Laertes says,” I am justly killed with mine own treachery” (Act 5. Scene 2). Shakespeare says that Laertes is rightly killed by his own deceptive act to show that Laertes knows that his irrational actions for revenge deservingly killed
In Hamlet, King Claudius is shown to be an all-around evil, greedy man. This is first shown when Claudius kills his own brother just to gain power of the Kingdom of Denmark. Then Claudius plans to have another attempt in a selfish murder against his nephew-step-son Hamlet. When Claudius realizes that Hamlet suspects that Claudius killed Hamlet’s father, Claudius does whatever he can to get rid of Hamlet. First Claudius sends Hamlet to England to keep him from telling anyone in Denmark about his crime. The King says, “Do it, England, for like the hectic in my blood he rages, and thou must cure me. Till I know ’tis done” (Act 4. Scene 4). The King is relieved that Hamlet is gone, and can no longer tell his secret; but when Hamlet returns the King feels his secret is threatened. This threat causes the King to set up a plan to kill Hamlet, so that his secret is safe for good. He sets up the dual that is intended to kill Hamlet, and he comes up with a back-up plan in case the dual does not work. The King says, “And that he calls for drink, I’ll have prepared him A chalice for the nonce, whereon but sipping, if he by chance escape your venomed stuck” (Act 4. Scene 7). This blindness of greed, and selfishness caused the King to create a plan to kill Hamlet, which backfired and killed everyone, including the