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Hamlet Essay

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Hamlet Essay
"An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind"-a quote once stated by a man known as Mahatama Ghandi (Quinones-Millet).

This statement can directly relate to William Shakespeare 's most well known play, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, for those who were involved in such revengeful scheming upon others ended up dying themselves (Farrell). For example, Hamlet, Claudius, and Laertes, all of Catholic faith, engage themselves in revengeful conduct throughout the entire play; all three of these characters end up dying as a result of their own revenge upon another. The lust for revenge begins when Hamlet discovers that his honorable father, King Hamlet, was not killed by a snake 's poison, but by poison poured into his father 's ear by the hand of his very own uncle. To make matters worse, Hamlet 's uncle Claudius marries his mother two months after his father 's death. Throughout Hamlet, revenge is portrayed as nothing more than infectious. Revenge brings each participating character to the very foot of their own downfall, often bringing others around down with them. The play revolves around a single concept-avenging a loved ones death (particularly a father 's). In the play, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Shakespeare uses the misfortune of Laertes, Claudius, and Hamlet to convey that revenge does not resolve past issues, but instead causes such issues to multiply uncontrollably.
Firstly, Shakespeare utilizes Laretes to illustrate how revenge often backfires when executed. After the unintentional murder of Laertes ' father, a passion for revenge begins to burn deep inside Laertes ' very being. For example, when Laertes says, "I am satisfied in nature,/ Whose motive in this case should stir me most/ To my revenge" (Shakespeare 5.2.244-247), he is referring to the honorable Shepard 2 reasoning behind his desire to avenge his father 's death. Throughout the play, the concept of honor is directly related to revenge. Each character who indulges in



Cited: Quinones-Millet, Stephanie. "Gandhi Peace." Gandhi Peace. RIT. Web. 19 May 2012. Farrell, Nancy A. "Hamlet.html." Hamlet.html. Shakespeare 's World. Web. 19 May 2012. Delany, Joseph, and Charles Sloane. "Homicide." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 22 May 2012 "Catechism of the Catholic Church - The Fifth Commandment." Catechism of the Catholic Church - The Fifth Commandment. Vatican. Web. 22 May 2012.

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