Hamlet's context

Hamlet's context

1. Political context

   • Monarchy
     • The power of the monarch Throughout the middle ages and beyond, monarchs were seen as being God's deputies on earth, and having a ‘divine right' to rule. Henry VIII was able to act as he did largely because he had absolute power, and an attack on him, even a verbal one, was considered to be treason. Although there were meetings of Parliament, and had been for hundreds of years, Parliament did not convene unless summoned by the King; this practice continued through the reign of Elizabeth I and beyond. For most English (and European) citizens of Shakespeare's day, the ruler was accepted as head of the nation by divine appointment.
     • What makes a good king? The nature of kingship is debated through many of Shakespeare's plays. In Act IV of Macbeth, Malcolm lists the virtues that suit a king as: ‘Justice, verity, temperance, stableness,Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness,Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude.' In Hamlet, there is a deliberate contrast made between the previous king, Old Hamlet, and his usurping brother Claudius: Even before he knows of the murder, in Act I scene ii Hamlet compares them: ‘My uncle/ My father's brother, but no more like my father/ Than I to Hercules.' When confronting his mother in Act III scene iv, he shows her two physical, as well as verbal, contrasting pictures: ‘Look here, upon this picture, and on this,The counterfeit presentment of two brothers.See, what a grace was seated on this brow —Hyperion's curls, the front of Jove himself,An eye like Mars to threaten and command,A station like the herald Mercury …This was your husband. Look you now, what follows:Here is your husband, like a mildewed ear,Blasting his wholesome brother.'
     • Hamlet & the monarchy
       • Hamlet was written at the end of Elizabeth's reign, after many plots against her life from catholic supporters of her cousin Mary Stuart. People were also concerned about who might try to take the throne after the death of this childless monarch. The idea that there were some rightful and God-chosen claimants — such as James I, who certainly believed strongly in the Divine Right of Kings and himself as evidence of it — and others who were not, was a very relevant issue for Shakespeare's audience. Many started to question the idea of divinely-given earthly power, although it persisted among monarchs and the Papacy.

2. Religious context

   • Shakespeare wrote Hamlet at the end of a century ridden with religious upheaval. In the 70 years before the staging of the play, England went from Catholic to Protestant to Catholic and finally back to Protestantism again with Queen Elizabeth. Protestantism had finally been cemented by the reign of Elizabeth. However, Catholicism was still part of the English psyche (Shakespeare’s father was himself a Catholic). This religious debate was at the heart of England’s political development during the sixteenth century, and Shakespeare draws upon this for his play. It is significant that Hamlet hails from Wittenberg, the city where Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Church, a catalyst for Protestantism sweeping through Europe. When the Ghost appears to Hamlet, he says that he has come from purgatory, which is a Catholic belief. Hamlet initially distrusts the Ghost as to believe him would mean to accept the truth of the Catholic doctrine. Despite Hamlet’s trust in the Ghost, he still questions religion at every turn. As a character, Hamlet is ultimately unable to find any consolation in religion. Despite this, Hamlet looks back with some nostalgia towards Catholicism and with some hope that the two religions could exist side by side in the same world. 
   • Catholicism vs Protestantiam
     • Shakespeare wrote Hamlet at the end of a century ridden with religious upheaval. In the 70 years before the staging of the play, England went from Catholic to Protestant to Catholic and finally back to Protestantism again with Queen Elizabeth. Protestantism had finally been cemented by the reign of Elizabeth. However, Catholicism was still part of the English psyche (Shakespeare’s father was himself a Catholic). This religious debate was at the heart of England’s political development during the sixteenth century, and Shakespeare draws upon this for his play. It is significant that Hamlet hails from Wittenberg, the city where Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Church, a catalyst for Protestantism sweeping through Europe. When the Ghost appears to Hamlet, he says that he has come from purgatory, which is a Catholic belief. Hamlet initially distrusts the Ghost as to believe him would mean to accept the truth of the Catholic doctrine. Despite Hamlet’s trust in the Ghost, he still questions religion at every turn. As a character, Hamlet is ultimately unable to find any consolation in religion. Despite this, Hamlet looks back with some nostalgia towards Catholicism and with some hope that the two religions could exist side by side in the same world. 

3. Social context

   • Renaissance
     • The word renaissance literally means "rebirth." In the context of the English Renaissance, this rebirth refers to a renewal of learning, especially in terms of new beliefs and ways of doing things differently from the Middle Ages. Characteristics of the Renaissance include a renewed interest in classical antiquity; a rise in humanist philosophy (a belief in self, human worth, and individual dignity); and radical changes in ideas about religion, politics, and science. Here are some examples of how these characteristics are illustrated in Hamlet:Classic antiquity: Hamlet has lots of references to classical Greek and Roman stories, characters, and historical events. For example, you can find a murderous king (Pyrrhus), and a queen in mourning over her murdered husband (Hecuba), which mirror the main plot points of the play.  Humanist philosophy: In Act II, Scene 2, Line 311, Hamlet asks: "What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties..." In this speech, you can see a clear assertion of humanist ideas about the uniqueness and extraordinary abilities of the human mind.Religion: In Hamlet's most famous soliloquy, which begins, "To be or not to be...", he alludes to an unknown afterlife, "The undiscovered country...," which is a stark departure from Medieval religious ideas rooted in a strict belief that people either go to heaven or hell when they die.Politics: There were big political changes taking place during the time that Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. This is reflected in the play by Hamlet's questioning of Claudius's right to ascend to the throne in his father's place. It was a new idea to question anything having to do with the "natural" hierarchical structures that maintained political power.Science: This point is illustrated by Shakespeare's use of the play-within-the play in Hamlet. Here, Prince Hamlet's play, The Mousetrap, is presented to the court supposedly as entertainment, but Hamlet's intent is to gather obvious evidence of Claudius's guilt for the murder of his father. Says Hamlet: "...the play's the thing Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."