1. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Jump in time: 1300 Dante’s start of the Inferno
Hamlet composed around 1600 or 1601
From Medieval to High Renaissance in one leap

2. Hamlet as Renaissance Man
Medieval supernaturalism: faith; afterlife; uniform view (more or less); suppressed the ego and individual
Renaissance humanism: movement toward secularism; appreciation of worldly pleasures; individual experience rather than shadowy afterlife; reliance upon faith and God weakened
Renaissance man suspended between faith and reason (scientific attitude came later)

3. Elizabethan Age reigned 1558-1603
Renaissance English Literature
Became queen when she was 25; nation bankrupt; not believed legitimate heir of throne by most
Educated as well as any prince; pragmatic--never passionate about religion
Quest for prosperity-stability guiding force of her reign

4. Struggles between Church of England and Catholics
Despite her desire to prevaricate or play both sides, tensions mounted
She was considered Protestant leader
To be activist Catholic was to be a traitor to England

5. Themes in Hamlet
Revenge: Can personal revenge ever be justified? What effects does seeking revenge have on the avenger?
Friendship-betrayal: Who is loyal in this “rotten state” of Denmark?

6. Hero Journey
More psychological, though it has some spiritual components
Play of questions & mystery—more questions than answers
Struggle to take action of revenge
He has inherited his situation

7. Sanity vs Insanity Hamlet feigns madness as a ploy
Seems on the edge of insanity
Ophelia struggles to keep her sanity

8. Appearance vs Reality Nature of reality-truth (Myth of the Cave)
Phony or feigned appearances (deception)
Appear or seems
Four interpretive possibilities of the Ghost, for example

9. Family Relations Friendship-Love-Loyalty
Father-son (King Hamlet and Prince Hamlet; Polonius and Laertes; Old Fortinbras and Fortinbras
Mother-son (Gertrude-Hamlet; Ophelia as motherless)
Brother-sister (Ophelia-Laertes)
Brother-brother (King Hamlet and Claudius; Cain and Abel connection)
Polonius-Laertes-Ophelia subplot

10. Prominent Imagery Patterns
Disease-poison-infection
Animal imagery
Music-painting imagery
Garden imagery
Drama (show-act-play)
Allusions to Greek and Roman myths