Revenge causes one to act blindly through anger, rather thanthrough reason. It is based on the principle of an eye for an eye, butthis principle is not always an intelligent theory to live by. YoungFortinbras, Laertes, and Hamlet were all looking to avenge the deaths oftheir fathers. They all acted on emotion, and this led to the downfall oftwo, and the rise to power of one. Since the Heads of the three majorfamilies were each murdered, the eldest sons of these families sworevengeance, and two of the three sons died while exacting their acts ofvengeance, revenge is a major theme in the Tragedy of Hamlet.There were three major families in the Tragedy of Hamlet. These were thefamily of King Fortinbras, the family of Polonius, and the family of KingHamlet. The heads of each of these families are all slaughtered within theplay. Fortinbras, King of Norway, was killed by King Hamlet; slain bysword during a man to man battle. "…our valiant Hamlet-for so this side ofour known world esteem'd him-did slay this Fortinbras." This entitled KingHamlet to the land that was possessed by Fortinbras because it was writtenin a seal'd compact. Polonius was an advisor to the King, and father toLaertes and Ophelia. He was nosy and arrogant, and he did not trust hischildren. He was killed by Young Hamlet while he was eves dropping on aconversation between Hamlet and his mother. "How now! A rat? Dead, for aducat, dead!" King Hamlet was the King of Denmark, and Hamlet's father. He had killed King Fortinbras, only to be killed by his brother, Claudius. "…My offense is rank, it smells to heaven; A brother's murder…" Each ofthese events effected the sons of the deceased in the same way, it enragedthem.Every one of the three eldest sons had one thing in common, they allwanted revenge for a slaughtered father. In the time in which this play isset, avenging the murder of a father was part of one's honor, and had to bedone. All...
