Revenge was common during Shakespeare’s time period, many people settled their arguments with a duel, even though the government was attempting to stop that whole idea. Private revenge was disruptive to governing and lawmaking, but in Hamlet’s case, it seemed to be the only option. He could not go to his rulers for revenge, because he believed that Claudius was the perpetrator. In Hamlet’s eyes, his revenge was the only thing he could do. Just like in society at the time, both Hamlet and Laertes’ plans of revenge are destructive and do not lead to their desired results.
The audience was a great influencer on Shakespeare’s plays, because they were the reason he wrote them. Hamlet was meant for both higher and lower classes of people, therefore the content and humor is directed at both groups. Comic relief scenes were used to break up the tension so the audience wouldn’t get bored or unfocused, and the plays were left with little stage direction because actors could interpret it however they liked.
Gertrude is modeled after Queen Elizabeth I, designed to be an aging female monarch who is attempting to hold onto her political power and feminine image even as she gets old. Everyone is judging her for her relationships as she is aging, and it is built into the concern of her political prowess. Hamlet is concerned with his mother entering into a relationship at her age instead of being concerned with her political decision. This is comparable to Elizabeth I being judged by her courting and relationships.