Justification Hamlet; S Deeds

Justification of Hamlets deeds

In this essay I am going to discuss why the actions of Hamlet are justifiable and can be excused. I am going to do this by discussing Hamlet's actions and the consequences these actions had for the characters.
At the end of the play Hamlet asks Horatio to tell the story of Hamlet so that people will understand what happened 'Hamlet: Thou livest; report me and my cause aright To the unsatisfied' V.ii 317-318. Hamlet wills Horatio to show the world why his actions were justifiable. Horatio speaks of what kind of actions took place and states that he will show us, the audience, how they came to be 'How these things came about.......truly deliver' V.ii 359-364.

Throughout the play revenge is a recurring theme. In the play it is viewed as an obligation of honor and love. 'Ghost: If thou didst … unnatural murder' I.v. 23-25. The gost literally charges Hamlet to seek revenge, beause if he doesn't this means Hamlet did not love his father. Hamlet feels he has a moral justification for revenge because of the circumstances of the murder (brother kills brother and marries his wife). The murder of old Hamlet is the cataclyst for all the subsequent actions. Taking this into mind we can argue that without that one action Hamlet would never have sought revenge having as result that all the other actions would never have taken place. Therefore we might say it is not Hamlet' s fault but Claudius's. Though we can counter this by arguing that   after the murder by Claudius Hamlet made his own choices. He could have killed Claudius earlier on in the play during prayer but he did not want to do this because he did not want him to go to heaven while his father was stuck in purgatory.

The first action which occurs because of Hamlet's procrastination is the accidental death of Polonius by the hand of Hamlet 'Hamlet: How now, a rat?.....I am slain' III.iv 23-25. This act was an act out of passion, a spur of the moment thing. He has mistaken...