Hamlet Defeats His Pursuit of Justice
By: Victor • Case Study • 553 Words • December 3, 2009 • 1,067 Views
Essay title: Hamlet Defeats His Pursuit of Justice
Hamlet Defeats His Pursuit of Justice through his Revenge on Claudius Polonius's death defeats Hamlet's pursuit of revenge because
he killed an innocent man, and he caused his mom not to listen to him, believeing him irrational. Polonius's death occurs as a result of him being in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Hamlet went to his mother's closet, to discuss her marriage to Claudius, and how Hamlet believed her to be in on the death of Claudius. Believing her life to be in danger, she called for help and Polonius attempts to call with her "What, ho, help, help, help!" (III,4, 22) Hamlet realizes there is someone behind the arras and reacts impulsively "How now! A rat? Dead for a ducat!"(III,3,23) and slashes the arras, killing Polonius. This does not help his cause at all, because it reduces him to the same level as Claudius by killing an innocent man, leaving a Laertes fatherless.
The death of Ophelia is brought about by the death of Polonius. After her father dies, Ophelia falls into a deep depression. When Laerters comes back to England and sees her, he is shocked at the current state she is in. "O heavens! Is't possible a young maid's wits/Should be as mortal as an old man's life?" (IV, 5, 157-58) After this first meeting between the two, Laertes comes back to the castle to discuss matters with Claudius and finds out from Gertrude "your sister's drown'd Laertes". (IV, 7, 165) If Hamlet had not been trying to force his mother to admit what she had done wrong, and attempting to drive a wedge between her and Claudius, then Polonius would not have died, and Ophelia would not have drown.
The death of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern proves that Hamlets pursuit of justice is a failure because it is unjust. Hamlet was sent to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as his gardians. Hamlet reads his death letter that Claudius sent with them and he wrote a new letter stating that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern