Theme

The notion of avenging the wrongful killing of another was one commonly recognized in Elizabethan times and Hamlet takes this concept to extremes. Hamlet must seek vengeance for his father's murder. This becomes his sole purpose and he seems to forget all other aspects of his life, even his love for Ophelia. His actions become inconsequential to him, even though they mean the ruining of his own life. During his quest for revenge, he accidentally murders his lover's father, Polonius, sparking Polonius' son Laertes to seek vengeance against him. A circle of retribution with Laertes begins, as he teams-up with Claudius to avenge Polonius and Ophelia while Claudius is also anxious to be rid of the  Prince. If for every murder someone must die the vicious cycle would never end. This is a notion that Shakespeare may have been commenting upon in the writing of Hamlet.