Revenge in the Characters of Term Paper

(Terry 1070)

The play Hamlet therefore reflects this complex change in the honor code and the way that personal elements were being integrated into the traditional view of honor. The characters of Hamlet and Laertes also show this complexity in their motives and actions. Terry points out that there was no clear distinction between the different honor codes at the time but that there was rather an overlapping of elements of the old and more modern views of honor. "Renaissance men had to cope with both an old, medieval code of honor and the tensions of new one, tensions that were created, to a large degree, by the contemporary insistence on the importance of the individual conscience."(ibid)

In terms of the play, Hamlet is duty bound to the traditional honor code that is imposed on him by the ghost of his father. In these terms he has no choice but to carry out the revenge instructed by his father. On the other hand he is also aware of personal and moral aspects - and struggles with these factors as the play progresses.This creates the tension within Hamlet and in the play as a whole.

Bibliography

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Corum, Richard. Understanding Hamlet A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998.

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Littauer J.S. The Cracked Mirror: The Minor Characters. August 12, 2005. http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/resources/shakespeare/crackedmirror.html

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MacCary, W. Thomas. Hamlet A Guide to the Play. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998.

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