Revenge, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, is “[t]he act of taking revenge on oneself or another” (Def. 1.A.) and appears as a common motif of many characters throughout Renaissance plays. This idea of ​​vengeance and revenge is present in many of Shakespeare's plays, notably his most famous play Hamlet and also The Tempest. Both plays really focus on revenge and getting back at someone, but these ideas are very different today than they were in Shakespeare's time. In this essay we will discuss how revenge and vengeance are apparent in Hamlet and The Tempest. Additionally, the different ideas about revenge and retribution in today's society compared to the Renaissance era will be discussed. In the play Hamlet, the ideas of revenge and vengeance are very evident. In fact, Hamlet “is prey to an inner compulsion” (Greenblatt 106) where he is obsessed with this idea of ​​taking revenge for the death of his father, whose murder he learns of in Act I from his ghost. This is also when the audience learns how the current king, Claudius, killed his own brother with ear poisoning. During the final scenes of Act I, the ghost asks Hamlet to follow him through the forest so that they can speak in private. Before King Hamlet's ghost tells Hamlet the truth about what happened, he says, "So will you take revenge when you hear" (1.5.8). He tells Hamlet that he will want or need to take revenge after the story he is about to hear. A few lines later, the ghost says to Hamlet: “Avenge yourself for his vile and most unnatural murder” (1.5.25). This is a critical point in the play because the ghost tells Hamlet that he must take revenge for the horrible murder that has taken place. As for the supposed Shakespeare film...... middle of paper ...... and revenge tragedy at the London Theatre, 1576-1980. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1986. 58+. Google Scholar. Internet. December 10, 2013.Permenter, Rachela. “Shakespeare and the Dramatic Fashions of the Renaissance.” English 217 D2L Course Material. Slippery Rock University. Fall 2013. “Retribution”. Def. 1b. Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, 2013. web. December 9, 2013. Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. The Norton Shakespeare: based on the Oxford edition. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt et al. 2nd ed. Flight. 2. New York: WW Norton &, 2008. 1330-1381. Print. Later parts.---. The tragedy of Hamlet, prince of Denmark. The Norton Shakespeare: based on the Oxford edition. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt et al. 2nd ed. Flight. 2. New York: WW Norton &, 2008. 116-204. Print. Later pieces. "Revenge". Def. 1a. Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, 2013. web. December 6. 2013.