<span>The play Hamlet
by William Shakespeare revolves around the theme of revenge even at the
beginning. This can be seen particularly in Act 1, scene 5 where the ghost of
Hamlet’s father told him about the intention of his appearance: “GHOST: Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing/
To what I shall unfold. </span>HAMLET: Speak. I am bound to hear. GHOST: So art
thou to revenge when thou shalt hear.” It is very clear that the ghost was not
asking for pity. He wanted his son to “revenge when thou shalt hear” for what
Claudius had done to him. As a ghost, he could not retaliate; thus, he told his
son about the act of murder and asked him to avenge his death.
Hamlet explores the theme "The desire for revenge is destructive and ultimately pointless." Even though Laertes is ultimately able to forgive Hamlet, Laertes dies in his quest for revenge. This shows both the destructiveness and the futility of trying to get revenge.
