Hamlet vs. Revenge Essay

Shelby Catala
Friday November 1st, 2013
English III

The Reoccurrence of Revenge
The play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare can be analyzed and compared to the article “Revenge: Will it Make You Feel Better?” by Karyn Hall. Hamlet is a tragic play that challenges multiple characters to the opportunity of revenge, which was usually taken but shown to have remorseful feelings. As the article goes to explain that revenge only has a brief sense of relief where the feeling of regret follows quickly after.
It would not take long before Hamlet would find out that his Uncle murdered his father over his desire to reign as king. This would drive him crazy or at least to make him act crazy. His neurotic behavior would convince his good friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to comply with his Uncle Claudius in killing Hamlet. Hamlet would catch wind of this very quickly and would set up his “friends” for death. The cycle of revenge can happen extremely quick as humans are very impulsive and rarely think before acting. As Hall states that it is very important to “Wait until you are calm emotionally and can think rationally before making any decisions.” Hamlet was obviouslt not in a clear mind set and was acting on impulse due to tragic events that had occured.
In Act III Scene IV, Hamlet plans to kill his Uncle Claudius in revenge for the murder of his father.Hamlet accidentally stabs Polonius whom he mistakes for Claudius when he sees someone surreptitiously lurking behind the curtain. In killing Polonius, Hamlet not only killed the wrong person but murdered the father of his lover and a loyal soldier to the King. This event made multiple characters spiral out of control. In this case, revenge did not make Hamlet feel better as his love, Ophelia, killed herself over the death of her father and Hamlet was now aware that Polonius would be out for his life as well, just continuing the cycle of revenge.
Although the article did state that when apologies were exchanged the anger and desire to take revenge disappeared. This is shown in Hamlet when Laertes and Hamlet both know they are going to die yet they apologized to each other. Their guilt for their actions taken and even planned actions were unbearable and they refused to die with the remorse they felt unexpressed. As Laertes says “Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet. Mine and my father’s death come not upon thee, nor thine on me!”
Ophelia’s suicide was quite a revenge in itself. Ophelia, taking her own life, displayed her anger with Hamlet for his actions. Knowing the strong lust that Hamlet had for her, Ophelia killed herself as a retaliation of the pain she felt from the murder of her father. Although this recrimination is not stated, it is implied. Hamlet now really had no reason to live as the one person he truly loved was dead. Hamlet manifests this at Ophelia’s burial when he says “I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not love (with all their quantity love) make up my sum. What wilt thou do for her?” and continues to say “Be buried quick with her, and so will I” (Hamlet).
As Shakespeare said, “ If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?” Although revenge is a hardwired instinct in the human brain, studies have shown avoiding revenge is more pleasurable in the long run. “While the anticipation of revenge may feel pleasurable, the actual carrying out of revenge brings little satisfaction and may create more problems and suffering” (Hall). Hamlet exhibits the vicious and perpetual cycle of revenge throughout the many tragedies of Hamlet.
Works Cited:
Hall, Karyn. “Revenge:Will You Feel Better?” Psychology Today. 15 September 2013. Print
Shakespeare, William, Louis B. Wright and Virginia A LaMar.
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Price of Denmark, New York: Pocket, 1958. Print.

Cited: Hall, Karyn. “Revenge:Will You Feel Better?” Psychology Today. 15 September 2013. Print Shakespeare, William, Louis B. Wright and Virginia A LaMar. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Price of Denmark, New York: Pocket, 1958. Print.