Revenge

“I am pigeon livered and lack gall”

metaphor and allusion. In Renaissance physiology, pigeons supposedly had no gallbladder making them gentle. gallbladder supposedly stored bile responsible for wrath. Hamlet is berating himself for hesitating to avenge his fathers murder.

“Why this is hire and salary not revenge”

hamlet is given the opportunity to kill Claudius but finds him praying. metaphor. Hamlet seeks to control the spiritual consequences of death. compares killing Claudius to while he is praying to a wage and employment

“o cursed spite / that was ever born to set it right”

Hamlet Antithesis. Contrast between the injustice of Hamlets circumstance and his responsibility to restore justice. “Cursed” Revenge is an oppressive obligation revenge as a source of suffering. tension between personal agency and imposed obligations.

“Oh treble woe, fall ten times treble on cursed head”

Laertes When leaping into Ophelia’s grave and expressing anguish. Hyperbole exaggerated multiplication of suffering conveys the extremity of Laertes grief + revenge. Suggests ordinary punishment would be insufficient to satisfy his emotional anguish. suggests revenge is never satisfied with proportionate justice.

“To all that fortune, death and danger dare, even for an eggshell”

Hamlet when he encounters a captain from Fortinbras Norwegian army. Symbolism, Juxtaposition, tricolon. eggshell represents the insignificance of the territory being fought over. irrationality of warfare motivated by honour. Fortinbras decisive military action contrasts with Hamlets prolonged deliberation.

“With less remorse than Pyrrhus bleeding sword”

Spoken by the first player reciting a speech about the trojan war for hamlet. Pyrrhus a Greek warrior kills Priam in the trojan war avenging his father. brutal imagery foreshadows destructive consequences. brutal imagery foreshadows destructive consequences. constructs an ideal model of ruthless vengeance against which Hamlet condemns with his own hesitation.