Hamlet Essay, Research Paper
Literature of the Renaissance was far different from that of the
previous eras. Man was now thought of as the center of life, as opposed to
God being the center in earlier times. Also, man was thought to have free
will over his life, not being simply a pawn of the Gods. These new ideals
were presented in the theaters as well as written literature. The esteemed
William Shakespeare incorporated many of these components into some of
the greatest performed classics in the history of theater. Shakespeare’s
Hamlet contains elements that are derived from the Renaissance way of
thinking and influenced from it’s earlier writers.
The play continuously incorporates themes of free will of man in
controlling his destiny. This is ever present throughout the play as Hamlet
contemplates each of his actions. Some look at this as cowardice or
procrastination, but his deliberation is clearly recognized as his choosing of
his own fate. In previous eras, man came across as being locked into one
action, without a choice of what to do. In Act I Scene IV, Hamlet
provides three possible answers to the cause of evil. The first is an
inherited fault: “As, in their birth- wherein they are not guilty”, which does
not involve human responsibility. Another claims the individual as being a
victim of fate: “Fortune’s Star.” If that were the answer in Hamlet, then
the play could not be classified as a Renaissance tragedy, but one based on
the Medieval theory that individuals have no choice in their life. The
second offering includes “the o’ergrowth of some complexion, oft breaking
down the pales and forts of reason. . .” Here human responsibility is
obvious, defining the moral theory of the Renaissance.
Act II Scene II contains a speech by Hamlet to Rosencrantz and
Guidenstern that outlines the way man was viewed in Renaissance thinking.
“What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason, how infinite in
faculty, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like
an angel, in apprehension how like a god- the beauty of the world, the
paragon of animals!” Even though Hamlet goes on to say that “man
delights not me”, the speech still shows the Renaissance view on life. This
ideal was evident in the work of earlier Renaissance writers such as Pico
della Mirandola. In Pico’s Oration on the Dignity of Man, the “great
miracle” of humanity was discussed. “There is nothing to be seen more
wonderful than man. . .man is the intermediary between creatures, the
intimate of the gods, the king of the lower beings, by the acuteness of his
senses, by the discernment of his reason, and by the light of his intelligence.
. .”
Also in Act II Scene II, the loveletter of Hamlet to Ophelia is being
discussed by Claudius, Gertrude, and Polonious. Although thought of as a
ploy by Hamlet to make everyone think he is mad, the first few lines may
have some distinctive significance: “Doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt
that the sun doth move. . . .” Doubts to the stars and the sun in the
universe came about in the Renaissance and represented a challenge to the
traditional view of the universe. Here Shakespeare incorporates the
current learning of the time period in the theater. This can also be
interpreted that Hamlet lost faith in traditional values after experiencing evil
and heartbreak.
Also in Act II Scene II, Hamlet is spurned by his two friends
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and comes to the conclusion that man has a
terrifying capacity to reject reason and descend to the bestial level: Brother
may kill brother, friends may betray the sacred principles of friendship.
This is the case as Rosencrantz and Guidenstern allow themselves to be
used as spies of Hamlet by Claudius. The idea of descending to lower
levels of humanism was also derived from Pico’s Oration. “With freedom
of choice and with honor, as though the maker and molder of thyself, thou
mayest fashion thyself in whatever shape thou shalt prefer. Thou shalt have
the power to degenerate into the lower forms of life, which are brutish.”
Another symbol of the Renaissance idealism is the nature of
Claudius, who, although showing guilt over his actions, can be seen as a
Machiavellian. This of course comes Niccolo Machiavelli who wrote The
Prince, the book that supposedly theorized how an ideal prince should rule.
Machiavelli describes how the nature of man is evil and one should
whatever is neccessary to maintain power: “Taking everything into
account, he will find some of the things that appear to be virtues will, if he
practices them, ruin him, and some of the things that appear to be wicked
will bring him security and prosperity.” These Machiavellian concepts are
clearly defined by Claudius as he first kills his brother to claim the throne,
later sends his nephew Hamlet to be executed in England, and finally,
inadvertantly causes his wife’s demise from another plot to kill Hamlet.
The themes and ideas used in Hamlet are clearly seen as that of the
Renaissance thinking. Shakespeare’s use of notions first brought on by
early Renaissance writers shows his ability to incorporate modern thought
in drama. This modern thinking combined with old ideals characterized
what the Renaissance was all about.