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Free Hamlet Essays: An Eye for an Eye

An Eye for an Eye in Hamlet

Claudius is justly punished for the murder of king Hamlet. The punishment fits the crime because his brother’s son killed him. King Hamlet killed by the brother killed by the king’s son. He was murdered. It was pay back, “what goes around comes around” “an eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth” What these two quotes are mainly saying is that you get what you give. Claudius took his brothers life therefore his life was taken away. Not only did Claudius kill his brother to marry his wife and take over his throne, but he caused the deaths of the queen, king Hamlet, Polonius and Ophelia.

Hamlet was told by the ghost of king hamlet to get back at Claudius for his death, or his soul will travel on earth forever. Even before hamlet knew about Claudius killing his father he had problems. It made hamlet mad that his mother would marry so fast and with his uncle. What Claudius did was an outrageous, back stabbing, and unbelievable thing. It was clearly an act of jealousy for his brother’s throne and the wife. Claudius did pay back for his actions. Claudius lost his wife, his messenger, and died and even after his death kept loosing because he lost his castle to Fortinbras.

Not only was Claudius punished by Hamlet but “God” also punished him. The reason that God punished Claudius, is because everyone he cared for and who helped him died. Polonius and Queen Gertrude. Polonius was killed by hamlet, when hamlet thought that he had killed the king. Claudius killed queen Gertrude with the poison whine that he had prepared for hamlet. He killed the one he loved instead of the one he wanted to kill.

Claudius was even punished after death. His throne and whole castle was taken over by Fortinbras. Not only where his wife and friend dead, but he later died himself by his brother’s son. Claudius killed and his turn to die came, but it took some time and other people to die too.

Claudius was punished for the queen’s death because although he did not intentionally mean to kill her, he watched her drink the poison that he had prepared for hamlet. He knew that she was going to die, but he didn’t say anything because he was all for himself.

Melancholic Hamlet

Melancholic Hamlet

Hamlet is a melancholic young man who does not value human life; however, he will do anything it takes to accomplish his main goal: revenge on Claudius for the death of his father. In his seven soliloquies we learn that Hamlet has become melancholic, violent, and suicidal. There are several incidences where these emotions are expressed. His melancholic attitude is very apparent in the second scene of Act I, when he suggests that his mother, in mourning his fathers death, is simply acting the part of a grief stricken widow, while he is a truly heart broken son. Another example from his first soliloquy of his melancholic state occurs when he discovers the rapid marriage of his mother and his uncle, where he finds himself both sad and mad at the fact that his mother could move on so quickly. Hamlet’s violent attitude can be blamed on the fact that his father was murdered and he wants revenge. An example of his violent attitude is in his sixth soliloquy where he sees the king praying in the church. Hamlet feels as though he should just kill him in that same instance, but then decides not to. Another instance of his violent behavior is when he sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths and feels no remorse in doing so. Hamlet’s suicidal state can be accounted for because he is a confused young man. Throughout the play his father had been murdered, his mother almost instantly re-married, he himself had gone mad, and thus he is confused because he has so many negative feelings towards himself and the easiest way out is suicide. Another example occurs in his forth soliloquy when he reasons whether suicide would be the better and quicker solution. All of Hamlet’s emotions cause him to have a clo…

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… not commit suicide because he realizes that it would be best to accomplish his goal and kill the king so he could avenge his fathers death.

Hamlet is a melancholic, violent, and suicidal character, as a result of the events that have occurred in his life. Such events as the murder of his father, the quick marriage of his mother, and the ghost’s insistence on revenge caused Hamlet to have these emotions. The murder of his father caused Hamlet’s melancholic and violent state. The quick marriage caused more violence and confusion in his life. The ghost’s insistence on revenge caused more violent behavior. As a result of all the events that occurred Hamlet became extremely suicidal because he was confused with how he should solve his problem. Everyday people are faced with similar situations and it helps us to relate to the same pain that Hamlet felt.

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