Revenge and Vengeance

Hamlet Begins to Hatch a Plan

 In Act Two, Hamlet decides to put on a play reenacting the death of King Hamlet so that he can trick Claudius into betraying his guilt in front of the whole court. He plans to move forward with a plan to avenge his father after he gets the reaction he expects out of King Claudius. Hamlet is really hard on himself mentally throughout this act because of his lack of success so far in avenging his father. Also, it becomes known in Denmark that Fortinbras suddenly doesn't want to seek revenge for his father anymore. 

 Hamlet begins to feel more and more guilty in act two about not acting quickly and efficiently to avenge his father this far along and calls himself an "ass" and "a peasant slave." He says in scene two, "this player here, But in a fiction, in a dream of passion...A broken voice, and his whole function suiting...That he should weep for her? What would he do, Had he the motive and the cue for passion That I have?" Hamlet is distressed by how the actor can cue up such realistic feelings and fake cry about the fake death of another character that means nothing in reality, while he himself can not muster up that much feeling to go through with his plan for revenge when he has an actual reason and cause. He is beating himself over his inability to avenge his father's murder. He thinks of himself as an "ass" for not being more driven to avenge him so that he would have more powerful emotions than the actor.  In scene two Hamlet says, "That I the son of a dear (father) murdered. Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, Must, like a whore, 

http://ocw.mit.edu/NR/rdonlyres/Literature/21L-009Spring2004/19AB95BF-1783-4757-9F96-C24E7FA7E171/0/chp_hamlet_play.jpg

unpack my heart with words and fall-a-cursing like a very drab." Hamlet feels that it's his duty to seek revenge for his father according to God, and has been prompted by the devil (ghost) to know that it's his destiny. He knows that he has to be like a prostitute and let out his emotions regardless of how he may appear to others. So, Hamlet decides to put on a play reenacting his father's murder so that he can observe his uncle's reaction. In scene two he says, "For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak With most miraculous organ, I'll have these players (actors) Play something like the murder of my father Before mine uncle." Murder itself cannot testify against Claudius, but Hamlet can incorporate it into a play, so that it can be translated. The play serves as the instrument to speak out to Claudius since murder has "no voice" and peg him as guilty. Hamlet wants to be sure that Claudius killed him so he does the play to see his reaction.                                                                 .

http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/51/51_images/1hamlet_branaghlittle

stage.jpg