Saturday, January 4, 2020

The Hypocrisy of Revenge in Shakespeares Hamlet - 854 Words

In todays society, the media often portrays revenge as an acceptable option. This is not outright stated, but rather implied. Characters often seem to think that revenge is the only way to get closure from a bad experience, and when this is acted on, negative consequences are not shown. Rarely is the fact that vengeance is hypocritical and wrong brought up. People need to wake up and realize that revenge is always hypocritical and illogical. As Christ said, â€Å"Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.† (John 8:7) The play, Hamlet, illustrates the hypocrisy of revenge. In this play, the prince Hamlet has just lost his father. While everyone thinks the death was accidental, Hamlets dead father appears to him and tells him that his brother, Hamlets uncle, murdered him. He commands Hamlet to avenge his death, yet not to harm his mother, because God and her conscience will punish her. Already, there is hypocrisy shown here - the dead ki ng trusts God to take care of punishing his wife, yet commands his own son to to murder his uncle, rather than following what God says, â€Å"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. (Romans 12:19) He says, â€Å"But howsoever thou pursuest this act, [revenge on his uncle] Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive Against thy mother aught. Leave her to heaven And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge To prickShow MoreRelatedHamlet Reflections Essay1126 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeare’s revenge tragedy Hamlet has endured the tests of time and successfully lived on till our present era due to its exploration of prominent themes and core values which appeal to the human condition and resonate deeply in the contemporary world. 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