Theme Of Seeking Revenge In Hamlet

Throughout the tragedy of Hamlet, Shakespeare writes about Hamlet’s journey of seeking revenge. The play begins with Marcellus and Barnardo taking watch over the Denmark castle one night and running into a ghost in the shape of King Hamlet who recently passed. Along with these two men enters Francisco and Horatio, Hamlet’s friends, who also witness the appearance of the ghost and decide to inform Hamlet of what they have seen. After explaining to Hamlet what they have seen they advise him to see for himself at midnight upon their next watch, and sure enough the ghost reappears. As Hamlet follows the ghost it describes the actions that led to his death, explaining that Claudius murdered him, then asks Hamlet to avenge him. In the midst of asking Hamlet to punish Claudius he also says, “Taint not thy mind, not 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” (I iv 85-88). Though the Ghost
By telling Hamlet, “Taint not thy mind, not let thy soul contrive/Against thy mother aught,” he is begging him to not be upset with his mother, to not hate her on the inside for what she has done(I iv 85). Soon after explaining, “Leave her to Heaven/And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge/To prick her and sting her”(I iv 86-88). The Ghost reinforces that God has a plan for all sinners and until his plan goes into action, her guilt will eat her alive. This plays a huge role throughout the play in such a way to consistently remind Hamlet who’s fault it really is for the death of his father; that although what his mother did was wrong, she isn’t the one responsible for his death. In fact, the reminder of who’s at fault saves Gertrude, the Queen, in act three scene when Hamlet’s, ‘words like daggers’ almost turn into