Interpreting Renaissance natural philosophy by examining the botanical symbolism and natural imagery in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, lends important insight into the way that natural philosophy was evolving at the turn of the 16th century. Hamlet is a relevant vessel with which to explore Shakespeare’s philosophical views on nature, given the importance placed on the interactions between characters and the natural world, the sheer prominence of these themes within the narrative, and the depth at which these themes are explored. This analysis will specifically examine the way that Ophelia’s bouquet relates to the behaviors and dynamics adhered to by the primary cast of Hamlet, how the metaphor of Denmark as a garden is a frequent motif that, by imagining …show more content…
During the Renaissance, the philosophical ideas surrounding natural philosophy were in a period of immense mutability. Natural philosophy during the late 1500s and early 1600s, the period in which Shakespeare was most active, hovered precariously on the threshold between upholding medieval and classical humanist concepts, and evolving into the first stages of positivistic reasoning – which would later develop into empirical research and the scientific method as the 17th century progressed into the scientific revolution. Research and discoveries by early scientists such as Copernicus, Francis Bacon, Galileo and Kepler, all served to shape societal views on the way the natural world was perceived. A definitive shift away from metaphysics and towards positivism redirected interpretation methods from inductive and qualitative reasoning, and towards deductive reasoning and experimental research. These changes were influential on natural philosophy in the way that it encouraged thinkers to provide empirical and mathematical explanations for their beliefs, as well as systematized their …show more content…
Aristotle’s influence on the Renaissance was immense, and between 1500 and 1650, 6,653 commentaries on his works were produced (Blum, 2010). Aristotle postulated that the requisites for an entity to be natural were that they possessed motion in the sense that they changed in place (e.g. earth falls, fire rises), they grew and decreased (e.g. a seedling turns into a tree), and they underwent alteration (e.g. a caterpillar turns into a butterfly) (Aristotle & Barnes, 1987). This motion, expressed through any of the aforementioned types, was essential to an object’s being. Generally speaking, the origin of this motion can be attributed to the divine spark, existent in every natural being, that instills them with their sense of purpose and self. Since the divine spark connected all natural beings, all natural beings were inherently related. Aristotle’s conclusion from this was that all natural beings, thus interconnected, all possess a dignity that human beings are morally obligated to
...esire to extract revenge against Claudius, is also actively looking for ways to relieve himself of the psychological pain that harboring his obsession causes him, even if seeking psychological refuge in such ways might mean giving up on the endeavor altogether.
Bloom, Harold. Introduction. Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986.
Originally titled The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke, this tragedy has been reproduced more times than any other play written by William Shakespeare (en.wikipedia.org 1 of 9). Prince Hamlet also has the lengthiest appearance of any character in all of Shakespeare's plays (en.wikpedia.org 6 of 9). In the play, Prince Hamlet is caught between balancing his need to avenge his father's death, dealing with the disgust he felt for Gertrude and Claudius' love affair, and maintaining the relationship he has with Ophelia without exposing his plans to kill his uncle Claudius for the murder of King Hamlet.
Hamlet is a suspenseful play that introduces the topic of tragedy. Throughout the play, Hamlet displays anger, uncertainty, and obsession with death. Although Hamlet is unaware of it, these emotions cause the mishaps that occur throughout the play. These emotions combined with his unawareness are the leading basis for the tragic hero’s flaws. These flaws lead Hamlet not to be a bad man, but a regular form of imperfection that comes along with being human.
Previous to the Scientific Revolution, it had been thought that the majority of truth was already known to man and that it merely required someone to explain and understand it. However, the discoveries occurring as a result of the rise in empiricism during the Scientific Revolution demonstrated that new truths could and were being discovered. Furthermore, empiricism, inductive reasoning, and scientists slowly began to replace philosophers and deductive reasoning. Men such as Francis Bacon were behind this shift in thinking.
(Act 1, Scene 2 – Act 1, Scene 5) William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, with a reputation as the greatest of all writers in the English language, as well as one of the world's pre-eminent dramatists. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most analysed plays. The play is about Hamlet, Prince of Denmark who hopes to avenge the murder of his father.
Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is a complex and ambiguous public exploration of key human experiences surrounding the aspects of revenge, betrayal and corruption. The Elizabethan play is focused centrally on the ghost’s reoccurring appearance as a symbol of death and disruption to the chain of being in the state of Denmark. The imagery of death and uncertainty has a direct impact on Hamlet’s state of mind as he struggles to search for the truth on his quest for revenge as he switches between his two incompatible values of his Christian codes of honour and humanist beliefs which come into direct conflict. The deterioration of the diseased state is aligned with his detached relationship with all women as a result of Gertrude’s betrayal to King Hamlet which makes Hamlet question his very existence and the need to restore the natural order of kings. Hamlet has endured the test of time as it still identifies with a modern audience through the dramatized issues concerning every human’s critical self and is a representation of their own experience of the bewildering human condition, as Hamlet struggles to pursuit justice as a result of an unwise desire for revenge.
How are the perceptions of human nature conveyed by individuals subject to the influence of
In order to rot, one must first be fresh. In order for there to be evil, there must first be good. In order to die, one must first be born. Thus, the natural state of mankind revolves, as does a garden. William Shakespeare makes this point abundantly clear in his play Hamlet. Using a minor character, Marcellus, Shakespeare proclaims, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." Applying this quote to human nature and the continued illusion to a garden, one could resolve that the "rotten" state of Denmark is comparable to the cyclical characteristics of man and nature.
Hamlet's problem is not exact; it cannot be pinpointed. In fact, Hamlet has numerous problems that contribute to his dilemma. The first of these problems is the appearance of King Hamlet's ghost to his son, Hamlet. Hamlet's morality adds a great deal to his delay in murdering the current king, Claudius. One of Hamlet's biggest drawbacks is that he tends to think things out too much. Hamlet does not act on instinct; however, he makes certain that every action is premeditated. Hamlet suffers a great deal from melancholy; this in turn causes him to constantly second guess himself. The Ghost is the main cause of Hamlet's melancholy. Also, Hamlet's melancholy helps to clear up certain aspects of the play. These are just a few of the problems that Hamlet encounters throughout his ordeal.
One of the foremost Elizabethan tragedies is Hamlet by William Shakespeare and one of the earliest critics of tragedy is Aristotle. One way to measure Shakespeare's work is to appraise it using the methods of classical critics and thereby to see how if it would have retained its meaning. Hamlet is one of the most recognizable and most often quoted tragedies in the all of English literature. Aristotle, is concerned with the proper presentation of tragic plays and poetry. Aristotle defines tragedy as:
William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Hamlet invites various interpretations of the structure because of the play’s complexity. Let us in this essay analyze various interpretations of structure.
In the play Hamlet, one of the main things the character Hamlet struggles with is carrying out a difficult task and being indecisive about whether he is a "thinker" or a "doer." He has to decide to avenge his dead father, or to go on and live his life. I believe Hamlet is a "doer" because he does what his father, the ghost, tells him to do. Even though Hamlet is hesitant about killing the king at first, he does do it at the end of the play.
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the influence of Hamlet’s psychological and social states display his dread of death as well as his need to avenge his father’s death. In turn, these influences illuminate the meaning of the play by revealing Hamlet’s innermost thoughts on life, death and the effect of religion. Despite the fact that Hamlet’s first instincts were reluctance and hesitation, he knows that he must avenge his father’s death. While Hamlet is conscious of avenging his father’s death, he is contemplating all the aspects of death itself. Hamlet’s decision to avenge his father is affected by social, psychological and religious influences.
The play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, shows human nature to be greedy, self-involved and vengeful. Claudius is driven by his greed to commit murder. Polonius is always looking out for himself, currying favor at the expense of anyone in his way. Hamlet thinks only of vengeance from the moment he finds out about Claudius murdering his father. Human nature has been all of these things, but it has also evolved through the ages. We can be base and cruel, but we can also show great compassion and kindness.