Essay on Heroes and Revenge in Hamlet and The Spanish...

Heroes and Revenge in Hamlet and The Spanish Tragedy In Elizabethan drama, it was accepted that the villains of the piece would, because of their evil methods and aims, be revealed and punished - in other words, justice would be served. The problem, however, arises when the heroes of the piece use the same methods as the villains. I use the term hero warily, as the traditional hero of a revenge tragedy is one who would at first seem completely unsuited to a revenging role; Heironimo is portrayed as being too old, while Hamlet is seen as being too young. It can be generalised that the revenger starts off as being dissatisfied with the events have happened prior to the play, and it is an event within the play that catalyses his†¦show more content†¦Heironimo, on the other hand, is almost completely unwilling to start once he receives the first sign of who to be revenged upon, indeed he thinks it to be a trap laid for him by Lorenzo. It is only after his wife kills herself; when he is left with nothing to live for, that he starts to activly seek revenge. It I this transformation from passive victim to active revenger that marks the beginning of the compromisation of the revenger. He or she turns away from the idea that God is the ultimate revenger, and takes the law into their own hands. This decision is the compromising one, rather than the act itself. The techniques that each character uses are remarkably similar not only to each others, but to the villains of the play. Both rely upon machiavellian tactics; they both feign madness to seem unthreatening, then proceed to strike when least expected: I will revenge his death! But how? Not as the vulgar wits of men, With open, but inevitable ills, As by secret, yet certain mean, Which under kindship will be cloaked best. The Spanish Tragedy III xiii 20-24 This behaviour is echoed by Hamlet following his meeting with his fathers ghost. This insanity, this posturing and preparation for revenge, though for a good reason, is undoubtedly machiavellian. It is arguably the case that the insanity that both characters experience is not entirely faked, as both undergo extreme mental stress. This very real insanity isShow MoreRelatedHamlet as So Much More Than a Traditional Revenge Tragedy Essay1713 Words   |  7 PagesHamlet as So Much More Than a Traditional Revenge Tragedy Although Shakespeare wrote Hamlet closely following the conventions of a traditional revenge tragedy, he goes far beyond this form in his development of Hamlets character. Shakespeares exploration of Hamlets complex thoughts and emotions is perhaps more the focus of the play rather than that of revenge, thus in Hamlet Shakespeare greatly develops and enhances the form of the traditional revenge tragedy. 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