Hamlet Renaissance Ideals in Shakespeare\'s

Hamlet

Renaissance Ideals in Shakespeare's Hamlet

Shakespeare is referred to as a Renaissance writer, specifically an Elizabethan poet and playwright. Through his many works he displays the Renaissance thought and concerns, and Hamlet is no exception. Through Hamlet's contemplation of death, his character is solidly connected to the ideals of the Renaissance.

The Renaissance is considered a period of rebirth for culture and learning. It is traditionally identified at the period of European history that closes the Middle Ages, spanning from the 14th to the mid-17th centuries. Considered the beginning of the modern world, the Renaissance period experienced a rebirth of ancient Greek philosophies, and a renewed interest in classical art forms and sensitivities. Many artists began to explore and expand the work done in the classical age, concentrating on the human form and the depiction of ancient mythologies. Mathematics was also of extreme importance at the time, often considered to have potential to reveal profound and universal truths.

One particularly interesting philosophical movement is referred to as Renaissance Humanism. This movement concentrated on exploring Man's place in nature, considering mankind as a part of nature as opposed to the Medieval culture that considered man apart from nature, considering him privileged and removed from the base considerations of animals. Humanism acknowledged Man's place among the natural order, believing that human action can, and does, have both positive and negative effects on the world around him. These ideas developed into a push towards relying on reason when seeking truth as opposed to the Christian values that dominated the earlier times. He accepted that his role in the universe is not a passive one, and that God was to be reached not through archaic subordination and blind dedication, but through deep introspection and evidence gathered through the senses.

One such archaic belief that was left behind in the previous centuries was the sense that tragedies, both personal and widespread, were great punishments for sins. In particular, a tragic and untimely death was often considered some kind of spiritual retribution passed down to the individual from God himself. This certainly made sense since the medical knowledge of the day could not explain the horrible plagues that wiped out entire populations, or other such tragic events. Often what is not understood is highly feared and attributed to a greater power, and so an early death or any death preceded by an agonizing illness was considered a terrible event since they were a clear indication of God's displeasure. These conceptions were replaced in the Renaissance, especially by the time Shakespeare was writing Hamlet.

The idea of death during the Renaissance was still one of trepidation, but not because of divine retribution, but because it is wildly unknown and uncharted territory. Just as the ancient philosophers developed ideas about death, so did the intellectuals of the Renaissance, who considered it as a new frontier explored only after you have reached a point of no return. Mortality sparked debates and controversies in both the secular and religious cultures of the time, and Shakespeare clearly found the topic just as fascinating as many other great artists of his time.

In Hamlet in particular, death is handled in a very Renaissance frame of mind. Of particular interest in Shakespeare (as well as many of his contemporaries) was the concept that matter was transmuted from one form to another. The decay of the body, and mortality in general as the great leveler is considered in Hamlet on several occasions. For example, after killing Polonius and disposing of the remains, Hamlet rather cryptically informs Claudius about the nature of both dead and living matter:

Hamlet: A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a King, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.

King: What does thou mean by this?

Hamlet: Nothing but to show you how a king may go to progress through the guts of a beggar. (4.1.27-32)

This passage also clearly shows the less oppressive view of death that Shakespeare held as a Renaissance playwright since he puns on the word "progress," which is referring to both the act of deterioration and digestion and the formal progress that the monarch took through the kingdom.

Hamlet exhibits a profound fear of death and whatever may lie in wait for him beyond the veil. Typically Renaissance thinking, it can be seen ass a departure from the orthodox Christian belief in an afterlife which is clearly set out, where one can expect to end up in heaven, purgatory, or hell. To Hamlet, death is the great unknown -- a frightening state of metaphysical uncertainty.

In Shakespeare's most famous soliloquy, Hamlet hesitates in his consideration of suicide not because of an absolute Christian belief in divine retribution but because he is afraid of an afterlife of which he cannot be sure:

Who would fardels bear,

But that the dread of something after death,

The undiscovered country, from whose bourn

No traveler returns, puzzles the will

And makes us rather bear those ills we have,

Than fly to others we know not of.

The only reason people keep on enduring life's pain is because they are afraid of the possibility of punishment if they kill themselves. This dread of the unknown -- of possibility rather than certainty -- prevents Hamlet from acting decisively and causes him to feel shame: "thus conscience does make cowards of us all."

Another scene where death is considered in a typically Renaissance way is in the famous graveyard scene. Hamlet is found once again contemplating the transitory nature of both physical matter and the concept of worldly status. Here he uses Alexander the Great to illustrate his thought processes, "Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust; the dust is earth; of earth we make loam; and why of that loam whereto he was converted might they not stop a beer barrel?" (5.1.209-12).

In addition to his contemplation of death, Hamlet's rather enigmatic character speaks of and to a Renaissance sensibility. One of the most developed characters in literary history, Hamlet always seems to exude a sense of depth that only Hamlet himself can know. There always seems to be something more to him lurking beneath the surface. Hamlet's depth extends to his constant contemplation of questions that it is impossible to find answer to, like the nature of death and what lies beyond the grave. Even through all of his deep brooding, Shakespeare has created a character that mirrors many of the concerns and trepidations that the audience feels, especially about death. This becomes a rather strong empathetic connection between Hamlet and the audience, and since the audience feels that they can relate to Hamlet on a very intimate level, they most certainly can begin to sympathize with him as they explore the depth of his woes.

One wound that is quite common and that the audience can feel a strong camaraderie with Hamlet is his loss of love and trust of the opposite sex. His mother, initially a loving wife and mother is rather suddenly in the arms of a man that is not Hamlet's father. This occurs far too quickly after his father's death for Hamlet to be entirely comfortable, and it is this that sets off the search for evidence that his uncle, the new king and his new stepfather, killed his father to usurp his thrown. Hamlet is left to mourn his father alone since his mother has abandoned him for the new king, and later even sides with him over Hamlet's insistence of his wrongdoing. Hamlet has essentially been uprooted from his life, which he found safe and comfortable to deal with some serious psychological issues all alone. This would certainly generate a feeling of sympathy in an audience.