Hamlet as Revenge Tragedy

HAMLET AS A REVENGE TRAGEDY

Revenge implies the wronged individual taking the law into his own hands in order to satisfy an inner passion. The theme of revenge was very popular in the early and ancient as well as Elizabethan dramatists. This theme enabled the dramatists to display human passions, render rhetorical speeches and present bloody and violent actions.

Shakespeare, in ‘Hamlet’, adopted the dramatic tradition of the revenge tragedy but his artistic skill and excellence lifted the play much higher than any play treating this theme. As A.C. Bradley says:

“Hamlet has all the characteristics of a typical Elizabethan revenge play.

                The revenge motive is strong in it”.

One of the most important features of revenge tragedy is the ghost of the dead which reveals the identity of the culprit and lays the duty of revenging the murder. The role of the ghost is to urge the avenger to action and the revenge encounters impediments in achieving his goal. Finally he avenges the murder with much difficulty and perishes in an encounter. Hamlet follows this tradition as the Ghost of Hamlet’s father appears and reveals its identity in these words:

“I am thy father’s spirit.”

Hamlet is enjoined by his father’s ghost the duty of avenging his father’s murder. As the ghost says:

                “If thou didst ever thy dear father love--

                                            Revenge his foul and most un-natural murder.”

As Verity says:

“Without the ghost’s initial revelation of truth to Hamlet, there would

                   be no occasion for revenge, in other words no tragedy of Hamlet”.

When the Ghost finds Hamlet inactive, it appears again and exhorts him to a speedy action revenge. As it says:

              “Do not forget; this visitation

                                          Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose.”

Another chief characteristic of revenge tragedy is that the avenger faces many obstacles to carry out the task. The play ‘Hamlet’ also fulfills this requirement. Hamlet also encounters many obstructions to carry out the task of killing the king Claudius. He is charged with delay. He is a man of irresolution. On the other hand, King Claudius is also not a weak person. He is always guarded by Swiss body guards. So it is not easy to kill him. He has a best chance to kill Claudius at prayer but he does not want to kill him at prayer. He was to murder him:

                                             “When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage;

                   Or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed;”

Another hurdle which Hamlet has to face is the certification of the murder of his father by producing the play “The Murder of Gonzago” as a mouse trap for the king.

Hamlet’s task is not only to take revenge of his father’s murder but also to make him suitable and adjustable in the world. The world is ugly, detestable, treacherous and corrupted. He says:

“Time is out of joint. O cursed spite,

                                              That ever I was born to set it right!”

He vacillates due to the conflict which is going on within his mind. He meditates on each of his actions and reflects on life. This makes him an inactive man.

The theme of revenge is extended beyond the main character. There are also other revenges. Fortinbras wants to take revenge on Denmark; Laertes also wants to avenge his father’s murder and Ophelia’s madness. So there are elements of murder, adultery, incestuous marriage, insanity and faithlessness. These are the elements of a revenge tragedy.

Physical horrors and much bloodshed are the important features of a revenge tragedy. In Hamlet the ghost appears and produces horror and fear. Hamlet’s pretended madness, his killing of Polonius, his grappling with Laertes in Ophelia’s grave, Fortinbras’ preparations for war, Laertes’ efforts to make people against the king and in the final scene Queen’s death due to poison, Claudius’ death, killing of Laertes and Hamlet all these events produce horror on the stage. A.C. Bradley says:

“The original ‘Hamlet’ was almost but an embodiment of revenge”.

However, Hamlet is different from other revenge tragedies as it contains some finest speeches, tender feelings and problem of existence of a sensitive man in this world.

To conclude, it will be a great injustice to call ‘Hamlet’ a mere traditional revenge tragedy. It will ignore the play’s artistic superiority over other plays of this genre.