In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, two of the character’s fathers are brutishly murdered. The first murdered character is King Hamlet who is supposed to be revenge by his son prince Hamlet. The second murder is Polonius who is supposed to be revenged by his son Laertes. Both Prince Hamlet and Laertes go to seek revenge for the death of fathers, however they will each use different methods to accomplish their deeds.
Prince Hamlet has a meeting with the dead ghost of his father King Hamlet. King Hamlet’s ghost reveals to his son, his murder by his brother Claudius. Hamlet is informed by his father that he needs to be avenged by the death of his brother Claudius. By this time Claudius has already ascended the throne, and married Hamlet’s mother Queen Gertrude. Hamlet decides to take a passive approach to avenge his father. Hamlet first decides to act abnormal which does not accomplish much besides warning his uncle that he might know he killed his father. Later in the play a troop of actors come to act out a play, and Hamlet has them reenact the murder of is father in front of his uncle Claudius. The actors murder scene also make Hamlet question himself about the fact that he has done nothing yet to avenge his father. Hamlet says ” But am I Pigeon-livered and lack gall / To make oppression bitter, or ere this / I should ha’ fatted all the region kites / With this slave’s offal. Bloody, bawdy villain! ( Act II scene 2 page 84 line 577- 580 ). During the play Hamlet watches is uncle Claudius to see his reaction when the actors perform the murder scene. Hamlet plan works his uncle throws a fit and runs out the room, where Hamlet goes after him. When Hamlet catches up to his uncle his uncle is kneeling down praying, and Hamlet pulls out his sword and gets ready to kill him. But all the sudden Hamlet changes his mind because if he kills his uncle while he’s praying he will go to heaven, and Hamlet wants him to go to hell. So hamlet postpones the execution of his uncle. The next confrontation does not happen till the end of the book when Hamlet escapes from his uncle’s ill murder attempt on his life.
Horatio’s Speech to Fortinbras in Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Hamlet: Horatio’s Speech to Fortinbras
Sir Fortinbras and noble knights of the army of Norway, I stand before you today to tell a tale of a martyred hero to whom we must remember. Hamlet be thy name. He was a friend and a leader. About eight months ago Hamlet was distraught, I’d never seen him like this before. He had a good excuse, I mean his father had just died, his mom, god rest her soul, remarried not even a month afterwards. Hamlet’s affair with Ophilia was dwindling in his giant fire of emotions. Ophilia was the kings’ servant’s daughter. The king’s servant was Polonious. Polonious did not want Ophilia with Hamlet, nor did Ophilia’s brother Laertes. Hamlet was under a lot of pressure, but it wasn’t until a few of the guards and myself saw a ghost whom we believed was Hamlet’s deceased father. This was the point of all of our lives were you either take one path or the other each leading you in a total different direction. Hamlet went to the guard tower with us the next night and reasoned to our favor that the ghost did in fact perpetuate the look of King Hamlet. The ghost made a follow me motion to Hamlet and we grabbed him. Please do not follow Sir Hamlet, I pleaded. The spirit was insistent and Hamlets gut instinct drove him to follow the floating omen. I know not the exact words that the ghost spoke that night but from what I understand, he was back from the dead to inform his son that he had not died from the rumorous snake bite which had been presumed. King Hamlet’s brother, the current King Claudius, had murdered him while he lay in the garden by pouring poison in his ear. The ghost also informed Hamlet of an affair that his mother had been having with Claudius. This bit of information stunned and enraged if you will Hamlet. Hamlet knew not what to believe. After all the ghost could have just as easily been the devil himself for all we knew.
After that night Hamlet had many problems keeping sain or so it looked to me. He hurt Ophilia just because the king and Polonious set Hamlet up using the willing, beautiful daughter as bait. I found out later that the cunning little rascal was just acting to show incompetence to the revenge plot taking place in his head.