HOMEWORK

1. Why do you think Hamlet delays the revenge? What are the reasons? Identify key moments in the play
and their significance to this delay. (Aprox o pag.)

Hamlet has various reasons for delaying the revenge. One of the most significant reasons why
Hamlet hesitates killing Claudius and delays the revenge is because he wasn’t sure whether the Ghost was
telling the truth or not. More than that, at one point, Hamlet can’t tell anymore if the Ghost was even real.
Also, Hamlet tries to adopt Horatio’s mindset and believe that the Ghost ‘may be the devil.’ These doubts
lead Hamlet to delaying the revenge, as he was afraid his uncle might actually be innocent. Another reason
for postponing the killing is Hamlet’s personality and his personal values. He hesitates in killing Claudius
because of his moral compass and because of the fear that he would make a mistake.
And so, he comes up with a plan to find out the truth and to figure out what he is supposed to do.
Hamlet puts together a play that includes a scene recreating his father’s death, the way the Ghost told
him it happened. Claudius acts disturbed when seeing the scene and it is now clear to Hamlet that the Ghost
was right. Although he got rid of his doubts and is now very determined to kill his uncle, another obstacle
stands in the way of his revenge.
In the next scene, Claudius runs off and goes to pray and beg God for forgiveness, as he has
committed a terrible sin. Hamlet follows him, intending to kill him right there and then, but on second
thought, he gives up. Hamlet thinks that if Claudius dies while he is praying, that he will go to heaven and
his sins will be forgiven. Hamlet is, of course, not satisfied with this possible outcome, as he wants true
revenge for his father, so he chooses not to kill Claudius.
The next time Hamlet tries to kill his uncle, he is unsuccessful again.
The queen calls for Hamlet while Polonius plans to hide in order to eavesdrop on their
conversation, hoping that he would find out the cause of Hamlet’s recent behavior. And so, Polonius hides
behind a tapestry. Hamlet storms into the room and asks his mother why she has sent for him. She tells him
that he has offended his stepfather, Claudius. He interrupts her and says that she has offended his father
by marrying Claudius. Hamlet speaks to her in a violent tone and Gertrude starts to cry out, saying he has
gone mad. Polonius also starts calling out for help. Hearing him, Hamlet thinks that it is Claudius hiding
behind the curtain. He takes his sword and stabs through the curtain with it, hoping he had killed Claudius,
but instead, he kills Polonius. Because of this, he is sent to England and so, his revenge has to be delayed
again.
To sum up, the delay of Hamlet’s revenge is caused by a number of reasons, beginning with the
doubt that the Ghost was real or if it was telling the truth. Then Hamlet’s wish to properly avenge his father
makes him hesitate and makes him be calculated at first. But later, it is the opposite that drives Hamlet to
delaying the killing. He doesn’t think much before he acts and is driven by anger and impulsivity and so, he
kills the wrong person.
Because of these reasons, he only gets to kill Claudius in his final moments and after plenty of
people had already died or had been affected by his plan of revenge and its delay.
2. What is, in your opinion, the role of the Ghost in the following of the tragedy? (Maxim jumatate de pag.)

I believe that the Ghost has a very important role in the play, as it is the reason why the entire plot
unfolds. Its appearance gives Hamlet a purpose and a reason to go on after his father’s death. The impact of
the ghost’s appearance on Hamlet’s mind is huge. It makes him go through various emotions and it even
makes Hamlet doubt himself as he, at one point, believes that he hasn’t even actually seen the Ghost.
When he first hears what the Ghost tells him, he is determined to get his father his revenge. But,
despite this, later on, he starts to have doubts about the Ghost, from whether it was telling the truth or not, to
its whole existence and whether its appearance was just in his imagination.
The nature in which the Ghost appears is different between each one of the three appearances.
Throughout the play the ghost appears in many different ways, his main objective is to have Hamlet get
revenge for his death. Or it can be seen as the Ghost being some type of evil spirit trying to destroy Hamlet
through bad advice. But the ghost is simply trying to free its spirit because Claudius killed Hamlet’s father
in cold blood before he could pray for his sins. The Ghost’s role in the play is to tell Hamlet how he truly
died and give him answers.
Also, not every character can see the Ghost. In one scene, Hamlet could hear the Ghost but Gertrude
could not and thought Hamlet was just mad. This leads the readers to question if Hamlet is really mad or if
the ghost is real. It is important to remember that in Act 1, other people were able to see and interact with
the Ghost. Therefore, Hamlet is not the only one able to see it. The first appearance of the ghost sets the
action in motion for the entire plot.
The Ghost is important in Hamlet’s development as a character. Also, Hamlet’s plan results in the
unfolding of an interesting chain of events, including the the death of multiple people. Therefore, we can
draw the conclusion that the Ghost was responsible for these events.
In conclusion, the Ghost plays an essential part in the unfolding of the tragedy, especially because his
first appearance determines the whole plot.

3. What is revenge? Is it a private affair or a public matter? (Would revenge do justice only to Hamlet or the
whole state of Denmark?)
How many plots of revenge can you identify in the play? (Aprox. o pag.)

Revenge can refer to the action or the desire to make justice, by hurting someone the same way they hurt
you or someone else. Revenge is present around us in different forms and it has been around probably since
forever. It is a popular theme in literature and is present in Shakespeare’s works as well.
The theme of revenge can be considered the main theme in “Hamlet”. The ghost of Hamlet’s father appears
and tells him that it was his brother who killed him in order to take over Denmark’s throne. He tells his son
that he has to avenge him and so, the plot of the play unfolds.
There are three plots of revenge in the play: Hamlet, who aims to kill his uncle, the king; Laertes, who aims
to kill Hamlet for the murder of his father; and Fortinbras, who aims to take revenge for his country and take
over Denmark.
Hamlet’s main goal is to avenge his father, who was murdered by his uncle. His revenge is mostly
unsuccessful since it brings immense misery to all involved. The longer Hamlet delays his revenge, the more
people are affected in negative ways. A chain of unnecessary deaths and suffering takes place because of
Hamlet’s desire to avenge his dead father.
Firstly, because he was driven by anger, Hamlet kills Polonius by accident, thinking he was killing
his uncle. Polonius was the first innocent victim in Hamlet’s plan to get revenge.
 Later, because of her father’s death and because Hamlet had rejected her, Ophelia is driven into
madness and eventually kills herself, as she was in too much after two men that she loved deeply had left
her.
Her brother, Laertes is now determined to kill Hamlet because he had just lost his family because of
him. He plots with the king against Hamlet because the king had also got suspicious of Hamlet’s intentions
and had a feeling that Hamlet was after him
In the end, both Laertes and Hamlet are successful with their revenge, but at the cost of their own
lives. On top of this, Gertrude, the queen and Hamlet’s mother, also dies. Fortinbras is the only one that
succeeds in his revenge with no consequences.
Hamlet’s revenge didn’t only affect his and Polonius’ family, but also left a mark on the whole state
of Denmark. The turn of events causes instability and uncertainty in the country.