Theme Of Justice In Hamlet

Some literary works may often deal with the concept of redressing a wrong in order to obtain justice and bring closure. William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a prime example of this as Hamlet looks to bring justice to his father’s murder by the hand’s of Claudius. However, Hamlet begins to stray from his moral code as the play progresses and his gradual decay impedes him from completing what he first set out to do. Ultimately, Hamlet’s rage-fueled quest signifies the theme of vengeance corrupting the morality of a person.

The recurring motif of revenge seen throughout the play plays a central role in Hamlet’s progression throughout the story and this begins to alter his personality. At the onset of the play Hamlet it highly depressed with the recent

As the rising action continues Hamlet attacks those around him such as when he states to Ophelia, “If thou dost marry, I 'll give thee this plague for thy dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery.” (III.i.136-138) On his search for justice, Hamlet has lost all love for the girl he once loved and no longer wants anything to deal with her. For this reason, Hamlet represents a dynamic character as he changes to this cruel and violent person who has lost all trust in people. The conflict that sparks this change is the internal struggle that Hamlet goes through due to the loss of his father and the search for justice in order to redeem his father’s death, which results in Hamlet abandoning his morals. Prior to the climax, Hamlet has the perfect opportunity to kill Claudius while he is praying, but he decides not to because he wants him to go to hell so he will kill him when he is sinning. Evidently, Hamlet is attempting to play god and decide who goes to hell or not, which was not his mission from the start. This signifies that Hamlet’s search for justice has become a search for