Comparing Hamlet 'And 1958 Western Film The Bravados'
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The loss of a loved one is something everyone is likely to experience at some point in their lives. Feelings of anger and the need to make peace with what has happened are common defense mechanisms. A traumatic event can make a person vacillate from one extreme to another. They can become changed forever; a shell of whom they once were. In some cases, people turn to revenge as a coping mechanism. The pitfalls of revenge are well demonstrated by Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet and the 1958 Western film The Bravados. In both works, the main protagonists live their lives as kind and respected individuals before being affected by a traumatic event. They both suffer the loss of a loved one and as a result, vow to take revenge. When their revenge is carried out,…show more content… The two works clearly establish that revenge is only capable of changing people for the worse.
To start with, both works are illustrative of the fact that the main characters begin their journeys as good people. In Hamlet, Prince Hamlet lives out the first several years of his life as a highly respected and noble individual before he is faced with tragedy. For example, Hamlet was a scholar, and a devoutly religious young man. It is evident that Hamlet had been studying at the University of Wittenberg. While he was there, Hamlet studied his bible intently, and was considered to be a very good student overall. As well, Hamlet had earned the respect of many people. A prime example of this is Horatio, a nobleman not unlike Hamlet who was his roommate at Wittenberg. The play shows that the two of them have a very positive relationship from start to finish. Ophelia is also someone who has earned Hamlet’s respect, as she seems to be in love with him. They have exchanged several letters and there is evidence that they have been intimate. On another note, Hamlet has clearly shown that he loves his family. When Hamlet gets the news that his father, King Hamlet, has died, he suspends his studies at