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Morality And Morality In Hamlet

1510 Words7 Pages

In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the title character Hamlet’s mind is violently pulled in divergent directions about the morals of murder. He feels an obligation to avenge his father’s death and thinks that it may be excused, since it is a case of “an eye of an eye.” But he is conflicted because the Bible has also taught him that murder is a sin and revenge should be left to God. Hamlet’s struggle to interpret this moral dilemma and his indecision, together are the ultimate cause of all the tragedy in the play; this internal conflict illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole: that murder, greed, and revenge are sins, no matter the reason, and procrastination is very detrimental. The play is set in the Middle Ages. Religion played a vastly important role in society at this time, and governments where under the influence of church leaders. When King Hamlet appears as a ghost, he is stuck in purgatory because he died before confessing, indicating that he is Catholic. This is a historical implication to what a significant role religion had in their …show more content…

The morals of the time are defined by the principles that religion and the Bible at the time set forward, which also dictate social norms. The morals of the time, set by religion’s strong influence in society, are the driving force of Hamlet’s internal conflict about whether or not killing for revenge is morally excused. Leartus’ answer that revenge is never excused and the results of Claudius killing King Hamlet out of greed, illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole. Through the play, Shakespeare shows that murder, greed, and revenge are sins, no matter the reason or justification, and how detrimental procrastination is. The play also brings up the weight of one’s morality, the meaning of life, it’s complexities, and gives various advice that can be applied to everyday

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