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Humanism in the renaissance
The impact of the Renaissance on Shakespeare
Humanism in the renaissance
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With The Tragedy of Hamlet, Shakespeare was able to take a revenge tragedy and use it to portray problems and fundamental themes of the Renaissance. The Renaissance was a large cultural movement that began in the fifteenth-century and was driven by an idea known as humanitas. This was the idea that all the capabilities and virtues unique to human beings should be studied to their furthest extent (Nardo, 1999). Renaissance humanism, as the movement is now known, caused a new interest in human experience and an unwavering optimism about the extent of human understanding to develop. The purpose of the movement was to gain a better understanding of how to act, and the hope was that this understanding would lead to great benefits for society (Nardo,
As Hamlet transforms from a motivated intellectual to an obsessed griever, Shakespeare evaluates the fluidity of sanity.The juxtaposition of Hamlet’s desire to act and inability to do so unveils Hamlet’s inner turmoil, for as Hamlet disconnects from family, distrusts his environment, and forms an obsession with perfection, the audience realizes his fatal flaw and watches him tumble into the grasps of insanity. This degeneration forces the audience to consider how equilibrium between thought and action influences the conservation of sanity, not only for Hamlet, but also for all of humanity.
Hamlet’s decision to keep the murder of his father a secret to himself, along with the betrayals of many of his close friends and family, leads to his eventual downfall. If someone was there for him, whether it was his mother Gertrude, his girlfriend Ophelia, or Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, maybe his timeless death could have been prevented. Instead, his mother sides with Claudius who wants to kill him, Ophelia won’t go behind her father, Polonius’, back to be with him and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern go behind Hamlet’s back and spy on him for Claudius.
An interesting comparison between King Hamlet and Claudius is a biblical reference between Cain and Abel. Cain was the first person to be born and Abel was the first person to be killed. Cain was jealous of his brother who was younger yet he became a shepherd while he was a farmer. Whenever they would give offerings to god, Abel’s offering would be accepted while Cain’s offering wasn’t. Cain was jealous of his brother and angered that he was allowed such a better life than him. Besides being a shepherd, Abel’s wife which was decided for him was much more beautiful than Cain’s wife. On one fateful day. Cain invites Abel to the fields and then there Cain murders his brother. This biblical story is commonly associated with Hamlet. One brother takes the life of the other brother because they think that they are more deserving than the other brother. In both cases, the murderous brother is left to walk to their doom in the future and in a sense gets justice inflicted upon them.
Keeping secrets keep you isolated from your friends and make you very lonely. Hamlet’s loneliness, false friends, and betrayals cause his downfall to a great extent. The court of Denmark is filled with spies: Claudius hires Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to spy on Hamlet; Polonius spies on Hamlet in Gertrude’s bedchamber; Polonius uses Ophelia as bait to spy on Hamlet. Hamlet is not a part of this deceit; he is honest. For example, Claudius suggests Hamlet is honest when he and Laertes are discussing their dual scheme; Ophelia believes Hamlet is honest and says, "What a noble mind here is o’erthrown!" (III; i; 157), referring to Hamlet’s antic disposition, even though he has been insulting her for two previous acts. His relationship with Horatio shows his true character, because of how much he trusts him. ("Horatio, thou art e’en as just a man as e’er my conversation coped withal" --III; ii; 59). Someone who is naïve is often taken advantage of in a hard, cold, deceitful world.
An understanding of William Shakespeare’s philosophies reinforces the meaning of the human condition found in the play Hamlet. The revenge tragedy is an example in the exploration of good versus evil, deceit, madness, inter-turmoil, and utter existence. Shakespeare, fascinated by the human mind and human nature, clearly and completely illustrates the meaning of “self.” Hamlet is a drama that examines one’s personal identity. From the beginning of the story atop the castle when the guards enter the platform to the conclusion of the performance as Hamlet lies, dying in Horatio’s arms every characters’ psychological type is
Evidence of Shakespeare Not Writing His Plays How would the world react if they found out the famous William Shakespeare did not write his plays? If the conspiracy that Shakespeare was not the actual author of his words was revealed to be true, the world would be devastated. The issue is that Shakespeare might not have written his plays. Prior knowledge of this matter is that there are no records of Shakespeare ever going to school. Other knowledge is that he did not travel enough to describe his settings.
Approximately from the 14th century entering into the 17th century, the renaissance period is acknowledged for being an era that blossomed with ideas that transcended through its art, and literature. During this period, it gave a rebirth to concepts through the study of classical documents that helped alter certain views that many people may have possessed about their outlook of the world and life. Several great authors and playwrights such as Thomas More, and William Shakespeare would emerge during the renaissance era because they capture the very essence of rebirth and sending an awakening to their audience that had consideration for their text. Thomas More’s most famous work that stamps his commitment to the renaissance era is his work Utopia, as William Shakespeare play Hamlet contributes to the resurgence of this period as well.
WEEEEE!!!! I scream as my feet leave the plane, It feels as if i were flying.You ask, What am i doing….I’ll reply with sky diving.You may look at me as if i were crazy. But i just had the time of my life….life is about taking risks right?I mean Ophelia took risks with her and hamlets love, Macbeth took the risk of killing the king and his son, lastly i took the risk to have the time of my life on a ride.
The part of Hamlet that I would like to discuss is the love story theme. I think that it is very romantic how even in today's society we do not view the other aspects of Hamlet like revenge, delay, and madness but view Hamlet as a love story. I like the part of the love story when Hamlet writes that letter to Ophelia. The poem that Hamlet wrote to Ophelia, "'Doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt our love."' I really like this quote because it is very romantic. -Marka Jones
While the witches present in Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth assume the role of supernatural beings, it was not Shakespeare’s intent to portray a classic case of fatalism. On the contrary, Shakespeare used Macbeth as a way to display the idea of Renaissance humanism. Although the witches did in fact possess uncanny powers, they were in reality not controlling Macbeth, but rather they were tempting Macbeth to act in particular ways. The witches, as well as other significant characters, may have encouraged Macbeth to act in a certain way, yet they did not by any means determine Macbeth’s actions. By comparing the humanist movement and its values to the tragedy Macbeth, it becomes blatantly obvious that Macbeth was intended to demonstrate the basic humanistic qualities.
mankind is argumentative, Shakespeare shows how the perceptions of human nature are influenced by the circumstances that surround events in society, due to the subjective perspectives of
The imagery in the play of Hamlet is composed of disease, poison, and decay this adds to the overall atmosphere of horror and tragedy. First, hamlet uses images of disease to show the state of the country of Denmark and his mother. Second, the imagery of poison is used to describe his father’s death. Lastly, Hamlet describes his feelings toward himself and Claudius and his feelings toward his mother by using images of decay. In Hamlet, as in all literature, imagery adds to reader’s ability to imagine the feeling of the story.
Hamlet the Hero There are various ways to define a hero. There is an endless amount of people who are heroes. A hero can be, "one who exhibits courage and/or daring," a hero can be, "one who is supremely noble or self-sacrificing," a hero can be a champion or a winner. A hero can save the day, or even save your life.
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.
There are many reasons why Hamlet had his downfall. One being his decision to keeping the murder of his father a secret. Another one being the betrayals of his closest friends. Perhaps if Guildenstern or Rosencrantz had been there for Hamlet, to rely and place trust upon, he might not had to fell so alone. A little sympathy from his girlfriend Ophelia, and even his mother Gertrude would have been nice as well. Unfortunately Ophelia is held back from Hamlet, due to her father. Gertrude marries his uncle Claudius, who is responsible for his fathers death, and is looking to kill him next. And Guildenstern and Rosencrantz are ordered by Claudius to spy on Hamlet, and betray him as a friend.