Violence In Hamlet

Hamlet is a play that represents violence through its many scenes. The violence is shown throughout multiple characters including Hamlet, Claudius, Laertes, and Fortinbras. Also, the plot includes multiple situations of violence such as the killing of late King Hamlet, Gertrude, Laertes, and Hamlet. The killing of these main characters derives from acts of revenge and selfishness, as they all represent inhumane qualities. Though other events in this play exhibit violence, such as the killing of late King Hamlet, Polonius, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, nothing so effectively captures and concludes the essence of this work like the last battle to purge the kingdom.

The play begins in a violent manner with the appearance of the ghost.
This outbreak occurred in Gertrude’s room, as Hamlet killed Polonius. However, Hamlet believed he was killing Claudius: “How now! A rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead!”...”Oh I am slain” (III, iv, 24-25). The quote describes how little emotion or sympathy Hamlet shows Polonius, after the accidental killing of him. The reason behind the bloodshed here is rage. Without the anger by Hamlet, nobody would have been killed during this course of the play. Even though Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius, he did not show forgiveness or sympathy after learning it was not the king. This represents Hamlet’s urge for violence and revenge, as well as his actions to stop at nothing to honor his
Due to the killing of Polonius, Laertes agrees to help Claudius in the killing of Hamlet, in order to gain revenge for the death of his father. In their scheme, Claudius and Laertes would use a poisoned tipped sword: “The point envenomed too! Then, venom, to thy work” (V,ii, 320). The previous quote reflects on the boundaries Claudius went to, in order to kill Prince Hamlet. Claudius went above putting venom on the end of the sword, as he also filled a drink with poison. However, Claudius did not account for Gertrude to drink the poison. Furthermore, during the course of the action, Hamlet and Laertes has a scramble for the sword. Laertes is stabbed with his own sword, along with Claudius. By stabbing Claudius, Hamlet has fulfilled his revenge, but not without consequence. Hamlet is also fatally wounded and dies soon after selecting Fortinbras to be the King of Denmark. This match shows the most violence throughout the whole play, and successfully ends the plot of the story with many of the main characters