Hamlet Act V Scene 2: Anger and Revenge

“Why, as a woodcock to mine own springe, Osric;

I am justly killed with mine own treachery.”

                        --Hamlet, William Shakespeare, 2497

            Simply put: karma’s a b***. In this scene, Laertes has been poisoned with his own sword, poisoned to kill Hamlet. Laertes grew angry, losing sight of his composure, and in the course of the exchange, Hamlet switched swords with Laertes and returned the offence (drawing blood in what was supposed to be a playful game)—an eye for an eye and all that…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oStWixf19OM (0:00 – 0:17)

            After all, is not turnabout fair play? Laertes received his just desserts, just as Mr. Yin in the Psych episode Yang 3 in 2D. http://movies.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=70153394&trkid=2361637&t=Psych#MovieId=70153394&EpisodeMovieId=70152179 (35:54 – 37:54)

But as Laertes lay there, dying, he realizes this was not brought upon by Hamlet’s hand, but by his own vengeful spirit. And, instead of holding onto that spirit in death, he apologizes to Hamlet for his perfidy. 

Certainly there is insight in his actions. Buddha said, “Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” As I see it, that vengeful, unforgiving anger is the poison, and it will fester and stew inside of your soul, darkening it, eating away at it, and ultimately destroying it. The moral of Laertes story? Thus: when we fuel our anger with exacting revenge, no one gains… 

And everyone dies in the end.