Archetypes In Hamlet Research Paper

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Authors often reference the Bible in their works. The play Hamlet, written by Shakespeare, is set in Denmark where a prince is forced to avenge his father’s death after his father's ghost tells him his death was not of natural causes. Prince Hamlet is also forced to accept that his mother is marrying her brother in law,his father’s killer, so quickly after the funeral. Shakespeare uses archetypes from “The Book of Genesis” found in the Bible to show that human nature never changes even if people know what the outcome will be. Two themes demonstrated in Hamlet are jealousy and corruption by using symbolism that refers to the Bible.
King Claudius who murders his brother shares the actions that Cain did to Abel because of jealous. In the Bible, Cain becomes jealous of his brother when realized that God was not pleased with his …show more content…

Denmark symbolizes the Garden of Eden found in “The Book of Genesis”. In the Bible the Garden of Eden is a beautiful place that sustained life and had everything needed in order to survive, but is cursed because of disobedience and sins.
“The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground-trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of knowledge of good and evil…. “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, “You must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”...The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”... “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals!””
This passage relates to the land of Denmark because in Hamlet’s eyes Denmark was similar to Eden in the way that Denmark was a peaceful, honest and clean until sins were committed and the land became tainted and corrupt. Hamlet believes the present Denmark is just a ruin of the past since his father’s murder. He

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