William Shakespeare s Hamlet - Morality And Religion

Morality Religion in â€Å"Hamlet† In William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Hamlet,† the prince of Denmark embarks on a quest of revenge against his Uncle Claudius, the new king, for the assassination of his father. In the beginning, Hamlet was contemplating suicide with the news of his father’s sudden death and the quick marriage of his mother, Gertrude and Uncle Claudius, but decides not to by virtue of being a sin. In the play â€Å"Hamlet,† Shakespeare examines the role of suicide in morality and religion providing a new perception into how they affect each other, and how both belief guide characters motives. The play was written during a significant time in England, the Elizabethan era was filled with the clashing of monarchs on religion. The tension between Catholicism and Protestantism caused discord amongst the royal families. This discord caused strife amongst the people leading to hard times and violence. Preston Thomas Robert, Jr. speculates â€Å"there is a tension between secular and religious morality.† (8) Between the Greek and Christian aspects upon which â€Å"attitudes are played out carefully into the various characters: Horatio, the skeptic; Marcellus, the good Catholic; and later Hamlet, the Protestant from Wittenberg.† (Robert, 7) Horatio demonstrates his skepticism in the opening act of the play: Horatio: What, has this thing appeared again tonight? Bernardo: I have seen nothing. Marcellus: Horatio says ‘tis but our fantasy, And will not let belief take hold of him.Show MoreRelatedHamlet, By William Shakespeare Essay1453 Words   |  6 PagesHamlet by William Shakespeare explores many aspects of mankind--death, betrayal, love, and mourning. Out of these, the most prominent theme in this play is death in the form of suicide. 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