ipl-logo

Religion In Hamlet Research Paper

345 Words2 Pages

HAMLET ESSAY
Shakespeare uses a litany of different literary devices to convey his attitude about religion. Many times, he takes a critical position of it through characters such as Polonius and Claudius, two of the most villainous characters in the play. His antagonistic position towards religion is conveyed through the utilization of literary devices such as irony, allusion, and even morbidity that are employed through the complex personalities of the different characters.
Irony plays an important role in how Shakespeare criticizes the role of religion in society by setting up different scenarios throughout the play that shine a light on its weak spots. When Ophelia is asked to help her father Polonius and the King and Queen to spy on Hamlet, Polonius gives her a prayer book to read and remarks that people read alone often like this to mask their bad deeds, and it is even implied they do it in the name of God as well. This reveals how ironic this is since Ophelia is doing exactly this to spy on Hamlet, indirectly referring to what they’re doing as a bad deed. Shakespeare uses this scenario to criticize how religion is almost always used to justify what is …show more content…

In one scene with Claudius, he admits to having murdered King Hamlet in his head, and uses allusion to reference the story of Cain and Abel. Claudius compares himself to Cain when he states that he has committed the oldest of sins. Allusions like these are used to reveal certain aspects of a character’s personality which usually turn out to be flaws. These flaws are then accentuated when the characters more clearly exhibit them. This is one of the different ways Shakespeare criticizes religion because instead of using it to reveal what is good in a person, he makes a point that it is far easier to reveal what is evil about them with

Show More
Related

  • What Role Does Religion Play In Hamlet

    1165 Words  | 5 Pages

    Instead, he decides to kill him after he has sinned some more so that “ his heels may kick at heaven, / And that his soul may be as damned and black / As hell, whereto it goes” (169). Claudius’s main worry at this point seems to be being able to confess while keeping the things he has gained as a result of the sin. Paul Stegner in his publication of "Try what repentance can": Hamlet, Confession, and the Extraction of Interiority brings up an interesting point about conflicting viewpoints on repentance

    Read More

  • Figurative Language In Hamlet's Soliloquy

    741 Words  | 3 Pages

    Claudius is then compared to the internal organs of slaves and a man without morals, remorse or kindness (Ham.2.2.607-608). The powerful metaphors and adjectives used to describe Claudius not only express Hamlet’s intense contempt and disdain towards him, but also serve to convince Hamlet to commit murder. However, Hamlet depicts himself as a whore, a prostitute, and a swearing kitchen maid (Ham.2.2.614-616), reiterating the notion that he is worthless, as well as weak for expressing his emotions through words rather than actions. The shift from metaphors to similes indicate Hamlet’s failure to move past his cowardice and proceed with an act of revenge that would inflict

    Read More

  • Outline For Hamlet Research Paper

    370 Words  | 2 Pages

    1. Shakespeare’s plays can be grouped as comedies, tragedies, and histories, Hamlet is a tragedy. A: Shakespeare’s plays can be grouped as comedies, tragedies, and histories. Hamlet is a tragedy.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Deception In Hamlet

    407 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shakespeare’s use of language helps to portray the major theme of deception in the play Hamlet. The utilization of diction helps to equate Claudius to an evil person, while metaphors help to make the comparison between Claudius and a deathly animal. By making comparisons and using specific word choice that help support the theme, Shakespeare is able to portray the deceitful antics of King

    Read More

  • Values And Beliefs In Shakespeare's Hamlet

    1262 Words  | 6 Pages

    Values and beliefs are defining principles of the way in which we view a person, action or relationship. Often, we are encouraged to think again about these values and beliefs, after being exposed to challenging and insightful events, people, or material. William Shakespeare's tragedy, “Hamlet,” written in the Elizabethan era, encourages us to think about our values and beliefs surrounding revenge, love and loyalty. After examination of these concepts, the reader develops new insights into their values and beliefs, and come to fully support the statement that “ the most significant texts encourage us to think again about our values and beliefs.”

    Read More

  • Theme Of Deception In Hamlet

    1854 Words  | 8 Pages

    This aids the reader in analyzing the motives for each of the intricate characters and how every action has a motive that can tie back to Hamlet’s grand scheme which is to get revenge for the kingdom overtaken by an authority figure who did not earn that title, honor his father’s legacy that is taken from him in the crossfire of jealousy, and for the good of Denmark. Between the murder of King Hamlet and Polonius, Ophelia’s death, and the disloyalty of many characters, we enable ourselves to see the mood of confusion

    Read More

  • Abuse Of Power In Hamlet

    836 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the beginning of the play, he exhibits no remorse as seen by his remark about his brother: “Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death, the memory be green, and that us befitted to bear our hearts in grief” (I, ii, 1-3). Claudius fools the court into believing he is

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Hamlet And Machiavelli

    910 Words  | 4 Pages

    Michael Olufunsho Fafemi Alan Rosiene HUM 2052 February 6 2018 Hamlet, The Claudius similarity and Machiavellism Shakespeare through the play Hamlet portrays many complex themes through the various characters in the play. Hamlet, the protagonist is in particular a mesh of various complexities and ideas. He is often caught in between his own opposing characteristics and these ultimately affect the course of his actions.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Happiness In Hamlet

    1124 Words  | 5 Pages

    The character of Hamlet is expressed as a protagonist. His irritated attitude towards Claudius in scene 2 of act 1 leaves the audience with a clear first impression of his nature. He is deceitful of the king, his uncle Claudius who is now the ruler of Denmark after his brothers “death”, and disgusted of his mother marrying his uncle. Hamlet is an example of someone who has compromised his happiness, in order to avenge his father’s murder.

    Read More

  • Protestant Influences In Shakespeare's Hamlet

    1099 Words  | 5 Pages

    The historical context of Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is widely debated, with connections being made towards a variety of religious influences. However, due to the plays continuous’ references to the Protestant religion, the play’s message can be traced back to Martin Luther; a disgruntled monk with a desire for change. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet the use of Protestant principles and allusions of Martin Luther’s 95 theses directly influences the character development of Hamlet, and reinforces the rebellious Protestantism versus the Catholic corruption paradigm in the play.

    Read More

  • The Power Of Faith In Hamlet

    817 Words  | 4 Pages

    Faith is believing there is light when all one can see is darkness. Throughout Hamlet, Shakespeare uses belief as a guiding force for his characters. They are defined by their faith, or lack thereof, and their beliefs lead many of their actions. In this time period, so many people had horrible lives, faith in an afterlife was the only hope in which to keep living. The concept of an afterlife based on how one behaved in life is a defining characteristic of many religions, and Shakespeare uses this belief as the ultimate decision-maker in many character’s actions.

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Religious Conflict In Hamlet By William Shakespeare

    875 Words  | 4 Pages

    Much like his other works, William Shakespeare subtly reflects the era’s social issues in Hamlet, a play about the eponymous prince of Denmark who discovers that his father’s untimely death was a murder. Throughout the play, religious anxiety plays a major role in the characters’ personal decisions. In Hamlet, the eponymous protagonist fabricates insanity to avenge his deceased father, however his goals are blocked by his own inner religious turmoil and thereby illustrating the theme of religion. The Danish court is full of deceit and immorality, from King Claudius’ murder of his brother to Queen Gertrude’s incestuous marriage.

    Read More

  • Morality And Morality In Hamlet

    1510 Words  | 7 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.

    Read More

  • Cultural Materialism In Hamlet

    853 Words  | 4 Pages

    Firstly, according to Providentialism and the great chain of being, there is a hierarchy related on the understanding of the world. In the state’s sphere, the king is the figure of God on Earth; he is elected by God. However, Claudius is not an elected king, but an “imposed” one (he kills his brother in order to crown himself). Moreover, in some moments (IV, iii, 3-4 and IV, vii, 18-21), Claudius questions the idea that the king is not elected by God but by the crown, since Hamlet is supported by the people. Thus, the play presents an illegitimate crown.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Essay

    575 Words  | 3 Pages

    This gave Hamlet confirmation of Claudius guilt. After the play, Hamlet found Claudius praying, asking God to forgive his sins. Hamlet could have took his revenge at this moment but then he thought: If Claudius is asking for forgiveness for his sins then Claudius would go to heaven. Hamlet knew a revenge of killing a murderer and then sending them to heaven was not what his father wanted so he left.

    Read More

More about Religion In Hamlet Research Paper

Open Document