Although in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare Hamlet is successful in his revenge act, he has to become a damaged murderer just like Claudius. The play suggests that revenge is useless and it leaves a negative impact on a person’s character. The ineffectiveness of revenge leaves Hamlet to believe he is being a devoted son, when in reality he becomes the murderer he wants to rid the world of. Hamlet’s first character downfall is when he takes on the role of “the destroyer” and believes he has the powers of God. The Ghost tells Hamlet that he has been given the role of a person who will get revenge on Claudius for the sake of Old Hamlet. In the play a crime is committed and for many reasons law and justice cannot punish the criminal, so
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In act three Hamlet catches Claudius praying. Although this was a very vulnerable moment for the character, Hamlet sees this opportunity to excite his revenge plot. Hamlet is more concerned that killing Claudius while he is praying about his sins will prompt Claudius “[to go] to heaven, and so [is he] revenged. That [will] be scanned”, in Hamlet’s eyes. He also calls Claudius “a villain [who] kills [his] father, and for that/ [Hamlet] his sole son,/ do the same villain send to heaven”. For Hamlet “this is hire and salary, not revenge” (3.3 85). It is important to note that when Hamlet uses the phrase “do the same villain send to heaven”, he is holding himself to a powerful status, similarly to God. Only God has the power to send someone to heaven or doom them to hell, therefore Hamlet is showing the reader that he has taken on a darker role than just revenge. In this quotation Hamlet also seems to justify his plot as “hire and salary”. Hire (verb form) according to …show more content…
Considering the fact that Hamlet comes from royalty, his duty is to be strong and fearless, yet the reader witnesses Hamlet’s vulnerability multiple times. This vulnerability and uncertainty of death and suicide alludes to Hamlet’s diminishing character. In act three scene one, Hamlet questions life or death. The first six words of his soliloquy establishes an important balance and also includes a direct opposition, “to be or not to be”. For Hamlet this six word phrase means life versus death and the contemplation of a state of being versus a state of not being (being alive versus being dead). In the next few lines the balance continues with the consideration of how one deals with life and how one deals with death. Life according to Hamlet is “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”. It is important to note how complex this phrase is because Hamlet could’ve just said that life is a lack of power. Hamlet makes this phrase so intricate and almost like a riddle in order to exaggerate the complexity of this soliloquy and to highlight the complexity of life versus death. Hamlet also notes that ending one's life is the only action one can take to “oppose [the ‘sea of troubles’]”. Therefore death is empowering for Hamlet. Living is a more passive state while dying is more of an active state. Hamlet describes death as something desirable or the perfect closure. To Hamlet
In act three Hamlet catches Claudius praying. Although this was a very vulnerable moment for the character, Hamlet sees this opportunity to excite his revenge plot. Hamlet is more concerned that killing Claudius while he is praying about his sins will prompt Claudius “[to go] to heaven, and so [is he] revenged. That [will] be scanned”, in Hamlet’s eyes. He also calls Claudius “a villain [who] kills [his] father, and for that/ [Hamlet] his sole son,/ do the same villain send to heaven”. For Hamlet “this is hire and salary, not revenge” (3.3 85). It is important to note that when Hamlet uses the phrase “do the same villain send to heaven”, he is holding himself to a powerful status, similarly to God. Only God has the power to send someone to heaven or doom them to hell, therefore Hamlet is showing the reader that he has taken on a darker role than just revenge. In this quotation Hamlet also seems to justify his plot as “hire and salary”. Hire (verb form) according to …show more content…
Considering the fact that Hamlet comes from royalty, his duty is to be strong and fearless, yet the reader witnesses Hamlet’s vulnerability multiple times. This vulnerability and uncertainty of death and suicide alludes to Hamlet’s diminishing character. In act three scene one, Hamlet questions life or death. The first six words of his soliloquy establishes an important balance and also includes a direct opposition, “to be or not to be”. For Hamlet this six word phrase means life versus death and the contemplation of a state of being versus a state of not being (being alive versus being dead). In the next few lines the balance continues with the consideration of how one deals with life and how one deals with death. Life according to Hamlet is “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”. It is important to note how complex this phrase is because Hamlet could’ve just said that life is a lack of power. Hamlet makes this phrase so intricate and almost like a riddle in order to exaggerate the complexity of this soliloquy and to highlight the complexity of life versus death. Hamlet also notes that ending one's life is the only action one can take to “oppose [the ‘sea of troubles’]”. Therefore death is empowering for Hamlet. Living is a more passive state while dying is more of an active state. Hamlet describes death as something desirable or the perfect closure. To Hamlet