Saturday, November 10, 2012

Revenge

In Act I, scene v, Hamlet Jr. learns the truth behind his father's death (Hamlet Sr.). I find it ironic that this tragedy is not just your average tragedy, in fact it is a revenge tragedy. A characteristic of a revenge tragedy is that the character had no part in making his own tragedy, and he must respond to something that someone else has done, causing a tragedy for the unsuspecting character. I find this a very intriguing aspect of Shakespeare play and I also believe that this was one of the reasons why lords, kings, and queens alike loved his dramas so much...because they're very catchy and keep your attention! I believe part of this interest comes from the particular characteristics of a revenge tragedy. They are unique and different from you're everyday, I-can-guess-what-happens-next drama.

4 comments:

wkuehne said...

I agree. Unfortunately, I was able to guess parts of what would happen next in "Hamlet" due to its wiidespread influence. Modern theatre has borrowed so much from Hamlet's revenge tragedies, as is evident in plays such as "The Lady in Black". In "The Lady in Black" revenge killings are made by a ghost. The only progression form "Hamlet" to "The Lady in Black" is the use of the ghost as the murderer and direct influence to the physical aspects of the play, such as killing. The ghosts in "Hamlet" and "Macbeth" are onl;y influential.

Michell D said...

I personally love the idea behind a revenge tragedy, It's almost like a mystery novel in some ways, except we know what is happening. If anything the real mystery comes from deciphering Shakespeare's language. Another positive attribute of revenge is that ( I assume) we can all relate to wanting to get someone back, although our scenarios are (hopefullly) much less severe. Overall I have enjoyed hamlet as a revenge novel even though I have not yet finished act V. Hopefully it lives up to my expectations.

Unknown said...

Whenever I read a story about revenge, whether its an epic or not, I've always enjoyed hearing out the main character(s)' justification or explanation of why they must exact revenge. I also enjoy how most stories like this play with the sentiments of hatred and spite, those which can drive a man to madness in my opinion.

Laura N said...

I agree with Mitchell. Almost everyone can relate to wanting to get someone back. I think revenge tragedies are popular because deep down, people want things to balance out, they want justice to be served in some manner. Plus it's entertaining to watch everybody DIE.