Hamlet And Laertes
Hamlet Essay
Morals can be defined as a person’s standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do. Throughout life, people are forced to make decisions, and morals are always a contributing factor to determining the resolution. The life or death decision of killing a human is the moral struggle Hamlet deals with throughout the play. Hamlet and Laertes’ morals on avenging their father’s death are different, and the two characters show the varying beliefs of human beings. The tragedy of Hamlet is about seeking revenge, but vengeance ends up killing both Hamlet and Laertes, so Shakespeare suggests that vengeance leads to the downfall of a person's morals.
Following the death of King Hamlet, Hamlet …show more content…
is forced to avenge his father's murder after learning that Claudius killed him. Hamlet was at first very upset. His Uncle married his mother, and the kingdom had no time to mourn his father's death. Hamlet became angry after finding this out but, he is not thrilled that he needs to kill Claudius. Even though Hamlet is hesitant about gaining vengeance, he knows he needs to for his father’s honor. Hamlet’s morals prompts him to kill Claudius, but although Hamlet says he is going to gain vengeance, Hamlet backs down every time he has the opportunity to kill Claudius. When the ghost of King Hamlet tells Hamlet about his murder, he then asks Hamlet to kill Claudius for him. Shakespeare reveals Hamlet's feelings when Hamlet says “Oh cursed spite That ever I was born to set it right!” (I.v.210-211). Shakespeare portrays human views on seeking revenge by showing how Hamlet would like to seek revenge on Claudius but over thinks the situation every time and morally backs down. Hamlets morals are still intact in the beginning of the play because he never attempts to seek revenge, he just thinks about doing so. Hamlet has the chance to kill Claudius when he is spying on him praying, but he did not react to his instincts and lost the opportunity to gain vengeance. Hamlet finally attempts to gain revenge on Claudius, but decides to act on impulse instead of thinking, and his plan goes horribly wrong. Hamlet believes he is killing Claudius, but instead he stabs Polonius. Hamlet’s instinctive reaction is the reason he ends up dead at the end of the play. For the first time, Hamlet does not think before acting and murders the wrong person, Polonius, which places Laertes in the same position as Hamlet. They both are required to avenge their father's murder. At this point, Hamlet finally broke his “Achilles Heel”, but his instinct was wrong and he kills Polonius instead. As Hamlet was pulling the dead body out from the curtain he says:
Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell.
I took thee for thy better.
Take thy fortune.
Thou find’st to be too busy is some danger. (III.iv.37-40).
Shakespeare shows the downfall of human morals after vengeance is made. Hamlet acts, and attempts to seek revenge, but instead kills an innocent person. Due to this incident, Laertes is now forced to seek revenge on Hamlet to avenge his father's murder. Both Hamlet and Laertes need to avenge their father's murders, but their attempts of gaining revenge kills them at the end of the play.
As a result of Polonius’s murder, Laertes is forced to avenge his father’s death, just like Hamlet. Although the two characters both need to seek revenge, Laertes is determined to avenge his father as quickly as he can, unlike Hamlet. After being notified of his father’s death, Laertes returns to Denmark to seek vengeance. Upon his return, Laertes immediately begins plotting the revenge on Hamlet with the help of Claudius. After Claudius’s plan to have Hamlet killed in England fails, Laertes and Claudius create a new plan to murder Hamlet, Laertes says:
And so have I a noble father lost,
A sister driven into desp’rate terms,
Whose worth, if praises may go back again
Stood challenger on mount of all the …show more content…
age
For her perfections.
But my revenge will come.(IV.vii.27-31).
The immediate plotting of vengeance shows the difference between the foils. Shakespeare uses Laertes to identify how morals are broken when one is to apply vengeance. Laertes and Claudius create a master plan to have Laertes secretly murder Hamlet during a fencing match, but although the two thought out their plan, Hamlet, Laertes, and Claudius are killed along with Gertrude. Following the deaths of the characters, Horatio announces:
...give order that these
bodies
High on a stage be placed to the view,
And let me speak to (th’) yet unknowing world
How these things came about. So shall you hear
Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts,
Of accidental judgments, casual slaughters,
Of deaths put on by cunning and (forced) cause…. (V.ii.119-425).
The deaths of Gertrude, Claudius, Hamlet and Laertes signifies how vengeance leads to the downfall of morals. Shakespeare kills almost all of the characters in the play to have his view on revenge presented to the readers. Both Hamlet and Laertes gain vengeance at the end of the play, but die doing so. Although critics say Fortinbras also gains vengeance at the end of the play because he is awarded the crown of Denmark , he did not do so. Fortinbras never killed r King Hamlet or Hamlet, therefore revenge was not gained. Fortinbras never “shed blood” from his father’s murder, or his son Hamlet, consequently he never avenged him. However, even though Fortinbras never gained vengeance, he was given the crown to Denmark, which was his goal. Shakespeare compares those who seek revenge to those who never do by showing how those who never gain vengeance end up better in the end than those who do. Laertes and Hamlet gain vengeance and die whereas Fortinbras attempts to, never did, and his goals are still gained.
Gaining vengeance destroys one’s morals. Shakespeare educates his readers on his opinion of revenge by showing how vengeance leads to death and the ruination of morals with his characters Hamlet and Laertes. Society reacts the same way Hamlet and Laertes do, and the characters show differences in people. Morals can vary from person to person and culture to culture because they result from basic human emotions. One’s morals are nothing more than gut instinct, and whether or not one is to follow his or hers instinct or not.
Morals can be defined as a person’s standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do. Throughout life, people are forced to make decisions, and morals are always a contributing factor to determining the resolution. The life or death decision of killing a human is the moral struggle Hamlet deals with throughout the play. Hamlet and Laertes’ morals on avenging their father’s death are different, and the two characters show the varying beliefs of human beings. The tragedy of Hamlet is about seeking revenge, but vengeance ends up killing both Hamlet and Laertes, so Shakespeare suggests that vengeance leads to the downfall of a person's morals.
Following the death of King Hamlet, Hamlet …show more content…
is forced to avenge his father's murder after learning that Claudius killed him. Hamlet was at first very upset. His Uncle married his mother, and the kingdom had no time to mourn his father's death. Hamlet became angry after finding this out but, he is not thrilled that he needs to kill Claudius. Even though Hamlet is hesitant about gaining vengeance, he knows he needs to for his father’s honor. Hamlet’s morals prompts him to kill Claudius, but although Hamlet says he is going to gain vengeance, Hamlet backs down every time he has the opportunity to kill Claudius. When the ghost of King Hamlet tells Hamlet about his murder, he then asks Hamlet to kill Claudius for him. Shakespeare reveals Hamlet's feelings when Hamlet says “Oh cursed spite That ever I was born to set it right!” (I.v.210-211). Shakespeare portrays human views on seeking revenge by showing how Hamlet would like to seek revenge on Claudius but over thinks the situation every time and morally backs down. Hamlets morals are still intact in the beginning of the play because he never attempts to seek revenge, he just thinks about doing so. Hamlet has the chance to kill Claudius when he is spying on him praying, but he did not react to his instincts and lost the opportunity to gain vengeance. Hamlet finally attempts to gain revenge on Claudius, but decides to act on impulse instead of thinking, and his plan goes horribly wrong. Hamlet believes he is killing Claudius, but instead he stabs Polonius. Hamlet’s instinctive reaction is the reason he ends up dead at the end of the play. For the first time, Hamlet does not think before acting and murders the wrong person, Polonius, which places Laertes in the same position as Hamlet. They both are required to avenge their father's murder. At this point, Hamlet finally broke his “Achilles Heel”, but his instinct was wrong and he kills Polonius instead. As Hamlet was pulling the dead body out from the curtain he says:
Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell.
I took thee for thy better.
Take thy fortune.
Thou find’st to be too busy is some danger. (III.iv.37-40).
Shakespeare shows the downfall of human morals after vengeance is made. Hamlet acts, and attempts to seek revenge, but instead kills an innocent person. Due to this incident, Laertes is now forced to seek revenge on Hamlet to avenge his father's murder. Both Hamlet and Laertes need to avenge their father's murders, but their attempts of gaining revenge kills them at the end of the play.
As a result of Polonius’s murder, Laertes is forced to avenge his father’s death, just like Hamlet. Although the two characters both need to seek revenge, Laertes is determined to avenge his father as quickly as he can, unlike Hamlet. After being notified of his father’s death, Laertes returns to Denmark to seek vengeance. Upon his return, Laertes immediately begins plotting the revenge on Hamlet with the help of Claudius. After Claudius’s plan to have Hamlet killed in England fails, Laertes and Claudius create a new plan to murder Hamlet, Laertes says:
And so have I a noble father lost,
A sister driven into desp’rate terms,
Whose worth, if praises may go back again
Stood challenger on mount of all the …show more content…
age
For her perfections.
But my revenge will come.(IV.vii.27-31).
The immediate plotting of vengeance shows the difference between the foils. Shakespeare uses Laertes to identify how morals are broken when one is to apply vengeance. Laertes and Claudius create a master plan to have Laertes secretly murder Hamlet during a fencing match, but although the two thought out their plan, Hamlet, Laertes, and Claudius are killed along with Gertrude. Following the deaths of the characters, Horatio announces:
...give order that these
bodies
High on a stage be placed to the view,
And let me speak to (th’) yet unknowing world
How these things came about. So shall you hear
Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts,
Of accidental judgments, casual slaughters,
Of deaths put on by cunning and (forced) cause…. (V.ii.119-425).
The deaths of Gertrude, Claudius, Hamlet and Laertes signifies how vengeance leads to the downfall of morals. Shakespeare kills almost all of the characters in the play to have his view on revenge presented to the readers. Both Hamlet and Laertes gain vengeance at the end of the play, but die doing so. Although critics say Fortinbras also gains vengeance at the end of the play because he is awarded the crown of Denmark , he did not do so. Fortinbras never killed r King Hamlet or Hamlet, therefore revenge was not gained. Fortinbras never “shed blood” from his father’s murder, or his son Hamlet, consequently he never avenged him. However, even though Fortinbras never gained vengeance, he was given the crown to Denmark, which was his goal. Shakespeare compares those who seek revenge to those who never do by showing how those who never gain vengeance end up better in the end than those who do. Laertes and Hamlet gain vengeance and die whereas Fortinbras attempts to, never did, and his goals are still gained.
Gaining vengeance destroys one’s morals. Shakespeare educates his readers on his opinion of revenge by showing how vengeance leads to death and the ruination of morals with his characters Hamlet and Laertes. Society reacts the same way Hamlet and Laertes do, and the characters show differences in people. Morals can vary from person to person and culture to culture because they result from basic human emotions. One’s morals are nothing more than gut instinct, and whether or not one is to follow his or hers instinct or not.