Heroes and Vengeance in Hamlet and the Spanish Tragedy and punished - in other words, justice would be done. The problem arises, however, when the “heroes” of the play use the same methods as the villains. I use the term hero with caution, because the traditional hero of a revenge tragedy is one who seems at first glance totally unsuitable for a vengeful role; Heironimo is portrayed as being too old, while Hamlet is seen as too young. It can be generalized that the avenger begins by being dissatisfied with the events that occurred before the play, and it is an event in the play that catalyzes his transformation from a mere discontent into an avenger. In Hamlet, it is the appearance of old Hamlet that convinces young Hamlet that his suspicions about his uncle are correct: Ghost... but know, noble youth, The serpent that stole your father's life now wears his crown. O my prophetic soul! My uncle! Hamlet 1 v 37-40 In The Spanish Tragedy, it is the letter from Bel Imperia which galvanizes Heironimo into action: My unfortunate brother has hidden me from you: Take revenge on Balthazar and him, For it is they who murdered your son. .Heironimo, revenge for the death of Horatio,And better price than Bel Imperia.What does this unexpected miracle mean?The Spanish tragedy 3 II 27-32The difference between the two avengers is their will; Hamlet realized that there was "something rotten in the state of Denmark", and even had suspicions about who it might be, but he could not act because he lacked evidence. The obvious...... middle of paper...... is the hero's villain. The villain decides to act in a Machiavellian manner for personal gain, but the hero uses it as a last resort to keep a promise he made to avenge someone. The difference is therefore a question of honor. The hero finds himself compromised, but is simultaneously redeemed by the decision to interact with a corrupt and vile society. The hero is faced with the choice of acting and being damned or remaining inactive and being damned. The most difficult, and therefore most heroic, option is to take revenge, as suicide is widely seen as a "soft" way out. Works Cited Kyd, Thomas. The Spanish tragedy. JR Mulryne, ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 1989. Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Hamlet, prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html

Essay / Heroes and Vengeance in Hamlet and the Spanish Tragedy and punished - in other words, justice would be done. The problem arises, however, when the “heroes” of the play use the same methods as the villains. I use the term hero with caution, because the traditional hero of a revenge tragedy is one who seems at first glance totally unsuitable for a vengeful role; Heironimo is portrayed as being too old, while Hamlet is seen as too young. It can be generalized that the avenger begins by being dissatisfied with the events that occurred before the play, and it is an event in the play that catalyzes his transformation from a mere discontent into an avenger. In Hamlet, it is the appearance of old Hamlet that convinces young Hamlet that his suspicions about his uncle are correct: Ghost... but know, noble youth, The serpent that stole your father's life now wears his crown. O my prophetic soul! My uncle! Hamlet 1 v 37-40 In The Spanish Tragedy, it is the letter from Bel Imperia which galvanizes Heironimo into action: My unfortunate brother has hidden me from you: Take revenge on Balthazar and him, For it is they who murdered your son. .Heironimo, revenge for the death of Horatio,And better price than Bel Imperia.What does this unexpected miracle mean?The Spanish tragedy 3 II 27-32The difference between the two avengers is their will; Hamlet realized that there was "something rotten in the state of Denmark", and even had suspicions about who it might be, but he could not act because he lacked evidence. The obvious...... middle of paper...... is the hero's villain. The villain decides to act in a Machiavellian manner for personal gain, but the hero uses it as a last resort to keep a promise he made to avenge someone. The difference is therefore a question of honor. The hero finds himself compromised, but is simultaneously redeemed by the decision to interact with a corrupt and vile society. The hero is faced with the choice of acting and being damned or remaining inactive and being damned. The most difficult, and therefore most heroic, option is to take revenge, as suicide is widely seen as a "soft" way out. Works Cited Kyd, Thomas. The Spanish tragedy. JR Mulryne, ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 1989. Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Hamlet, prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html

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