'Having to enter and act in the brutal world of his uncle, Hamlet becomes a creature of that world.'
             To what extent is this an accurate assessment of the character of Hamlet by the end of the play?
             Hamlet, by the end of the play, had become a creature of his uncle's brutal world to a certain extent. However, he was only born into this nature through the visitation of his father's ghost, Hamlets knowledge of the murder and his fathers demand for revenge. In this Shakespearian tragedy, revenge is the main theme explored among many others and deflects the Elizabethan society, its values and beliefs about revenge. In Hamlets course of revenge, Shakespeare juxtaposes him with the two characters Laertes and Fortinbras, attempting to show the differences in achieving revenge, revealing Hamlet as the weaker avenger. 'Brutal' refers to a person as being savagely or coarsely cruel, merciless and harsh. Hamlet was merciless particularly in killing Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. However, he was not savage or fierce, nor was he severely cruel and harsh. Claudius on the other hand was harsh, merciless and savage going to any lengths to be in and stay in power by killing the king, marrying the queen and plotting to kill through various means his largest threat, Hamlet.
             The Elizabethan society believed revenge to be a crime against the state and a sin against their Christian faith; nonetheless, Shakespeare used the idea of private revenge through the character of Hamlet, as the revenge tragedy was popular with the audience due to its violence, action and suspense. Hamlet is a play that explores the nature and consequences of revenge. "I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at my/ beck than I have thoughts to put them in..." Hamlet speaks to Ophelia of his sinfulness in desiring revenge for his father's death and what is rightfully his – the thro...