While we cannot dispute that Prince Hamlet is driven by revenge for the murder of his father, we must also acknowledge that there are different motivating factors which drive other main characters in ‘Hamlet’. At the beginning of the play King Hamlet is the only character who wants revenge, but this changes when we meet Prince Hamlet and his mother and uncle are already married. Prince Fortinbras tries to claim back his father’s land, which he believes is rightfully his. The land was lost in a legal compact between the two kings, of King Hamlet; this is an indication of the nature of their sovereignty. “Our valiant Hamlet, did slay this Fortinbras, who by sealed a compact…did forfeit all those lands.” The audience see Fortinbras as a brave hero.
The ongoing conflicts between a few of the characters contradicts the overarching Elizabethan concept of the Chain of Being since everyone has a rightful place and if they fall out of place, things will be in turmoil which is seen at the beginning of the play. There is constant conflict between the brothers and Oliver who “hates nothing more than” his younger brother and hopes to “see an end of him” which demonstrates the separation between the two. Similarly, Duke Frederick banished his brother and taken his brother’s throne that did not rightfully belong to him and “natural order” became disrupted. On the other hand, Rosalind and Celia who are cousins happen to have a more intimate relationship where Celia “loves” and “cannot live out of” Rosalind’s “company”,
Causes of Macbeth's Downfall Summary: In the play "Macbeth," both the witches and Lady Macbeth were responsible for Macbeth's downfall. Macbeth was at first a noble, loyal man who would never harm his king. However, the witches' foretelling gave Macbeth greater ambition and desire to become king himself, and Lady Macbeth's manipulation and insistence led him to commit the murders needed to fulfill this heightened ambition. Macbeth was a noble and loyal man, who would never harm his King. If it wasn't for the influences of the people surrounding him, he would have lived happily as Thane of Cawdor, an honourable title in itself.
People looked up to him and strived to be like him. Everyone knew his name and who he was because he boasted after every victory. Beowulf was cocky and arrogant, but when it was time to do business, he could get the job done. He was the brute force of the Geat army and never backed down from a fight. Image was very important to the Anglo-Saxons and they cared about being seen as courageous and tough.
Hamlet, Claudius, and Gertrude all put up a facade in an attempt to get what they want, and these characters play their roles behind a veil of duplicity. The theme of appearance versus reality gives shape to Hamlet’s, Claudius’, and Gertrude’s characters, as they all try to conceal their true emotions that stem from King Hamlet’s death. Hamlet has been interpreted as a tragic figure due to the poisonous misfortune that is inflicted upon him. It is abnormal that Hamlet cannot find the will to avenge his father’s death immediately. The full conflict of which he feels and keeps concealed within himself is not explained.
Who was to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet? This essay will examine the possible causes of Romeo and Juliet’s tragic endings. Romeo and Juliet became victims to their own love because of their families stubbornness, their own irresponsibility and most of all because of fate. The feuding family is a large contributor. The conditions forced because of the animosity between the families made the couple feel prohibited to be together and thus hiding their love.
Gilgamesh killed the monster and saved his friends life. William Wallace is more heroic character that Gilgamesh. William Wallace being the more heroic is because he fought an army along with the people who knew he was right about what he believed in. The fight for his freedom and his people’s freedom. Also, he fought for the revenge for his wife that they killed to get to him.
He is selfless and cares for his people, which pays off for him and earns him rule over everything and everyone, but also establishes him as the “main” god for an entire civilization. On the other hand, Gilgamesh is only a king who already abuses his power and is not well-received by his people. His accomplishments, such as seeking out to kill Humbaba, are motivated by his desire to become eternally famous. “Should I fall, I will have established my fame” (P.83, 90). This shows that his desire for fame is so strong that he would put his own life and the life of his best friend on the line to achieve it.
The death of one’s father and a ghostly visitation thereafter are events that would challenge the sanity of anyone. The circumstances of King Hamlet’s death render it especially traumatic. The late King seemed to be an idol to his son; Hamlet looked up to him and aspired to have the same qualities. Hamlet doesn't like King Claudius and sees him as a swindling usurper who has stolen not only the dead King’s throne, but Hamlet’s as well(2.4). Hamlet shows Gertrude that she has lowered her standards by marrying Claudius, When he refers to old Hamlet as, “A combination and a form indeed / Where every god did seem to set his seal” (3.4.55-61).
King Hamlet was murdered to satisfy his brother’s lust for power, status, and Queen Gertrude. King Hamlet’s brother Claudius held no particular feelings of malice or abhorrence towards his brother; he just wanted his position as king. The fact that his own brother would kill him just for the sake of title, likely left the king’s spirit and emotions tumultuous and restless, resulting in his eventual haunting of prince Hamlet for the purpose of vengeance through Claudius’ murder. Beloved’s circumstances are not unlike the king’s in that she too was killed by a family member, her mother Sethe. The purpose of said circumstance is where they differ; Sethe loved so dearly her “crawling-already?” daughter, she was willing to commit a mercy-killing to ensure her safety.