[Name of Student]
[The Class Title]
[Subject]
[Date]
In Hamlet, what is the play’s message about revenge?
In the play, the Tragedy of Hamlet, Gertrude plays as the mother of Hamlet and the newly wedded wife of Claudius, who is the brother of Hamlet’s late father. Gertrude portrays as a loving, ignorant, and sensual woman who thinks of shallow bodily pleasures. She is the antithesis of her son, Hamlet, who is philosophical and deeply seated in search of elusive answers to life’s thrown queries. Hamlet grief and disgusted about the “foul and most unnatural death of the late King leaving him with his mother, who suddenly married Claudius after two months of his father’s burial. In Act 1 Scene 5, the Ghost reveals who killed him saying that “A serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark is by a forgèd process of my death rankly abused. But know, thou noble youth, the serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown.” The Ghost explicitly reveals that Claudius has role in the murder but never stain the name of the Queen in the story.
How guilty or innocent Gertrude is, the Ghost also answered it when he said that “but howsoever thou pursuest this act, taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive against thy mother aught. Leave her to heaven and to those thorns that in her bosom lodge, to prick and sting her.” The Ghost knows that Gertrude carries the burden of her own sins, as described by the “thorns in her bosom lodge,” yet it does not indicate that the queen has direct participation in the murder of late King Hamlet. Much of the accusation points to Claudius, who describes as “incestuous, that adulterate beast, with witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts— O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power so to seduce! —won to his shameful lust the will of my most seeming-virtuous queen (I.i.44-45).” The wickedness of Claudius contaminates Gertrude as he seduced her to marry him and become his queen although she knows that her late king has just buried two months ago and the family is still in mourning.
Hamlet’s anger is at high as he seeks revenge for his father’s death. Yet he knows that doing so requires strategy in order to kill Claudius. Each of them has played power playing of politics engages in contemporary developments of decision. The traditional belief that innocence of a person is presumed until guilt is proven is fading away as it turned upside down by the concept of ‘guilty until proven affluent.’ The affluence and power discloses influential issue in the premise of avenging the life of his father. The innocence of Gertrude is presumed in every case and not even Hamlet can question his innocence until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt (Bowers 750). Hamlet has accused Claudius and Gertrude. He has the burden to disclose evidence of facts against them yet because he has nothing to present, he uses his writing to create the play as the depiction of killing of late King Hamlet and Gertrude’s remarriage to Claudius. It is described in act 3 scene II: “the Poisoner woos the Queen with gifts. She seems loath and unwilling awhile, but in the end accepts his love (125).”
Gertrude loves Hamlet. Behind her shallow appearance lies great emotion whenever he confronts her. Even though Hamlet lashes out her mother with rage and disrespect, Gertrude remains faithful to him and her mother-side appears always on their conversation. “O Hamlet, speak no more: Thou turn’st my very eyes into my soul, and there I see such black and grained spots as will not leave their tinct (III.iv.88-91) …O speak to me no more; these words like daggers enter my ears; No more, sweet Hamlet! (III.iv.94-6). Despite the words full of rage from Hamlet that breaks Gertrude’s heart as mother; that pain wounds her inside.
Finally, it is argued that Gertrude is innocent in killing Hamlet’s father (Bowers 742). There is no indication on the play’s conversation between characters that Gertrude took participation in the death of late King Hamlet. Hamlet should have put trust in the law as vengeance to the death of his father. The creation of law helps for the reduction of risks and protects against the internal harm of individuals. That is, law pushes away violence-terror and forces justice for no one is above it even if the offender holds the highest position, such as the king and the queen of the land.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William and Jenny Mueller (Ed). “Hamlet: Simply Shakespeare, William Shakespeare.” Barron’s Educational Series, 2002.
Bowers, Fredson. “Hamlet as minister and scourge.” Publications of the Modern Language Association of America (1955): 740-749.
2017/5048
