Analysis Of Traditional Revenge Tragedy In Hamlet

For my first critical review I will be starting off with A Traditional Revenge Tragedy. This article is written by Poonam Valeria. In her review of Hamlet, the play, she starts off by giving a lightly detailed background of Shakespeare. Then continues to apply the six characteristics of a traditional revenge tragedy and their application to Hamlet. The first characteristic is that the plot has to start off with a crime of some sort, in Hamlet that would be the death of King Hamlet. The death of King Hamlet is what sparked the traveling of Prince Hamlet to Denmark from Germany. If the Prince hadn’t come home than there would be no Hamlet. â€Å"The first murdered character is King Hamlet who is supposed to be revenged by his son prince Hamlet.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦The play of Hamlet obviously applies to this characteristic. The struggle is of the Prince’s decision to end his life or not.The death is of all the lives lost while Prince Hamlet tries to get his revenge (ex: Polonius). The adultery is between King Claudius and the Queen of Denmark. The treachery could be from many things, it could be between Prince Hamlet and his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern or between Hamlet and his mother. â€Å"Hamlet ponders, and gives too little credence to the fact that he sent Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths without hesitating† (Valeria, 2007) The fifth characteristic: After the revenge has taken place, there are serious consequences on the avenged and avenger. At the end of the play, everyone basically dies. The Queen, the King, Hamlet and Laertes die. â€Å"Thus, all these melodramatic incidents make the play â€Å"Hamlet† a true tragedy in traditional sense of the term revenge.†(Valeria, 2007). And finally the sixth characteristic is that the revenge is delayed till the very end of the play. 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