A Play of Espionage and War Joshua V. Rohe

"It is not the object of war to annihilate those who have given provocation for it, but to cause them to mend their ways; not to ruin the innocent and guilty alike, but to save both" (Polybius). From the start of man's political awareness, war has become almost a necessity to mankind, and therefore, part of its nature, and although it is not the object to kill, it is an immediate mechanism of it. In Shakespeare's 17th century work, Hamlet, the writing not only employs themes of tragedy and indecision, but also themes of revenge, espionage, mystery, and death. In this sense, Hamlet can also be defined as a play on war, whether war themes are literal or metaphorical. In fact, they are both literal and metaphorical, and the metaphorical civil war plotted within the royal family is possibly the largest aid in the plot development and mystery of Hamlet. Between the first and last death of this tragic revenge play, a critique on the nature of man is obvious as neither the guilty nor the innocent are saved, and the foremost objective of annihilation on the part of each character is granted in one horrible, unnecessary bloodshed.

In the opening scenes of the play, allusion to war is already evident, as the plot focuses...