HAMLET

1 Hamlet The story of Hamlet occurred towards the end of the middle ages, estimated to be between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, in Elsinore, Denmark. The play was written at a time when religion formed an integral part of society and culture. It is believed to have occurred during the period that Roman Catholics were under attack by Protestants under the leadership of Martin Luther. A majority of Denmark was Catholic at the time, therefore the fighting was intense. To better understand why religion plays a major role in the play, it is essential to understand the circumstances under which it was compiled and why divinity plays a central role in it. Hamlet is the story of a young prince who seeks to find the person who killed his father. He already suspects that King Hamlet, his father, was killed by his uncle Claudius who took over as king almost immediately after the king died. Due to the cultural setting of the play, the theme of divinity is prominent. For instance, in the first scene of the play, Hamlet is visited by the ghost of his father, King Hamlet who tells him that he was killed by his uncle Claudius. In confusion he asks the ghost whether it is an angel or a demon or simply a ghost of his father.

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Hamlet describes his confusion by saying: I know my course. The spirit that I have seen May be the devil: and the devil hath power To assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps Out of my weakness and my melancholy, As he is very potent with such spirits Abuses me to damn me (Shakespeare, 55). This question plagues him throughout the story, and contributes significantly to his indecisiveness. The conversation between him and his father is filled with religious allusions and Hamlet’s experience with the dead king could mean that they both believed that there was life after death. Hamlet becomes troubled and sorrowful after the visit from his father’s ghost because it now means that his father has given him the responsibility of avenging his death. He has several doubts about whether what he is doing is right, and consequently he becomes depressed and anxious. Hamlet questions the meaning of life severally; he seems hesitant to carry out the revenge mission on his uncle. Firstly, although Hamlet feels confident that the spirit of his father protects him, he is not sure whether the ghost was a devil that wanted to mislead him. Secondly, he feels the weight of the obligation to commit a sin. This scene shows that Hamlet believed that there was Good and Evil, and that the Good was God, and the Evil was the Devil and his demons.

Hamlet tells his friend that he believes that there is a supreme being who directs people’s lives. He is eager to tell Hamlet the story of his journey so far and says that excitement and spontaneity can easily turn to recklessness sometimes but it comforts him to know that there is a caring deity who watches over him and mercifully directs him in the path he should take. He believes that he is powerless before God, and thus says, "Lord! we know what we are, but know not what we may be." (Shakespeare, 62) When he cleverly unearths evidence that Claudius had murdered his father, he credits this revelation to God. He says that

3 it is God who provided the wisdom to enable him come up with a plan that would help him find out if Claudius was guilty of the murder. The belief in God saves Hamlet from worrying about his life because he knows that everything that happens is preordained by God. He credit everything to God, both good and bad, and believes that even when the circumstance indicate otherwise, the Divine has a plan for his life. He says that when he was in deep despair and confusion, God intervened and helped to turn his failure into success. This realization strengthens his resolve to relying on God’s guidance instead of relying on his own efforts.

Belief in the Divine is a nearly universal feature of humanity. When Hamlet says that God shapes our ends, he says that by himself, he cannot achieve a lot, it is the Supreme Being who shapes one’s life, “There's a divinity that shapes our ends,Rough-hew them how we will” (Shakespeare, 68). Hamlet also believes in Divine Providence; the means through which God directs people to their destiny. According to him, Divine Guidance is assured to man if he follows the will of God. When Hamlet was confused about the situation surrounding his father’s murder, he felt that he had exhausted all his ideas on how to unearth the murderer but the Higher Power provided clarity and wisdom that enabled him to take proper action.

Before Hamlet became aware that there was a Higher Power that could guide him, he took pride in his own skills and relied on his intellect to determine the next step. However, he realized that this often led to failure and in defeat and frustration, allowed the Divine Will to take over so that he could accomplish his objectives. As the events unfold, it becomes evident that the real hero in the story is a Higher Being, who is not a cold distant force, but a power that cares for humanity. To further illustrate the role of divinity in life’s events, there are several incidents of undersigned accidents throughout the play which shape up to create a connected series of events. Hamlet becomes even more indecisive about exacting revenge on

4 Claudius due to his religious conscience that murder is a sin. He contemplates stabbing his uncle but seems unable to proceed with this plan, most likely due to the fear of being condemned to purgatory for his sins when he dies, like his father. Hamlet must therefore decide whether he will risk going to heaven in order to avenge his father’s death.

Additionally, he also realizes that killing his uncle would oil create more turmoil for his father’s spirit because it would result in his father and uncle meeting in purgatory. Hence, in these moment of indecisiveness, he says; “To be, or not to be: that is the question:Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer;The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them.” (Shakespeare 48). In the confusion and anxiety, Hamlet misses the opportunity to kill Claudius, and this ultimately becomes the reason for his untimely demise. When King Hamlet’s ghost visits Hamlet, the King tells Hamlet that he is stuck in purgatory for the sins he committed while on earth until he pays for them fully. Purgatory is a concept of the Roman Catholic Church, showing that Hamlet and his father are religious. Hamlet’s reliance on divine providence shows when he tells Horatio that there is providence even for sparrows, and if it is yet to come, it is about to come; “There’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ’tis not to come. If it be not to come, it will be now. If it be not now, yet it will come—the readiness is all.”

(Shakespeare, 10). In summary, humanity is weak and needs to rely on a supernatural being to provide meaning to life, and solace during difficult times. Hamlet’s belief in deity therefore gives him peace and assurance that there is a greater force caring for him, and willing to provide for his needs.

Oedipus the King

5 Human beings often encounter a dilemma in ascertaining who or what controls their lives. Some people claim that everything happens by chance, while others believe that one’s entire life is predetermined by a Higher Power. The role of divinity in one’s life is illustrated in the Greek tragedy, Oedipus the King. Oedipus is set in ancient Greece, where the existence of deities governed almost all aspects of life. The theme of divinity, therefore, is heavy in the entire play. As is shown in the play, the gods controlled people’s actions and fates, and challenging them would lead to one’s downfall. This is evident in the phrase; “Pride breeds the tyrant violent pride, gorging, crammed to bursting with all that is overripe and rich with ruin—clawing up to the heights, headlong pride crashes down the abyss—sheer doom!”

(Sophocles, 13). From the time he was a child, King Oedipus’ life was predetermined by a higher power, as a result, there is nothing that he could do to escape his fate. At the very beginning of the play, there is a conversation between Oedipus and a priest who implores him to return Thebes to its former glory. The conversation alludes to several spiritual concepts and therefore illustrates that there is a strong belief in the power of the gods. Oedipus aspires to be a great leader and continues to strive towards it, but his destiny is doomed due to the actions of his late father. He does not deserve the destiny that he faces but the Greek gods would punish entire families of people who committed a transgression. Therefore, he must suffer due to the sins of his father Laius. Divinity plays a major role in Oedipus the King and this is shown from the beginning of the play where Thebes is affected by a severe plague and King Oedipus consults a prophet to find out how he can stop it and save the city. He also wants to know the truth about King Laios murder but struggles to believe that prophecies are a source of knowledge on the past and the future. He says, “Since come it must, thy duty is to tell me.”

(Sophocles, 22) In ancient Greek, people’s lives were controlled by their faith in the gods,

6 which is shown when Oedipus acknowledges that he needs to consult a prophet to discover how he can help restore Thebes. Jocasta reveals that long before Oedipus was born, it had been revealed to Laius that he would be killed by his own son. Oedipus also fled Corinth to escape the prophecy that he would sleep with his mother.

In Oedipus the King, Sophocles reveals the other side of the gods; they were so ruthless in punishing people’s transgressions that entire families would suffer for the sins of an individual. To illustrate this, the prophet says, “The wretch who murdered Laius--that man is here. He passes for an alien in the land but soon shall prove a Theban, native born.

And yet his fortune brings him little joy.” (Sophocles, 32). King Oedipus struggles to believe Teiresia’s prophecy but continues to seek evidence if what he was told was true because as much as it did not sound believable, he respected the prophet’s word. Apollo was one of the gods worshipped by the Greeks. He was the god of justice, and when prayed to about the dire situation in Thebes, he stated that the plague would end only when the man who was guilty of murder was removed from Thebes. Apollo had declared that Oedipus would be his father’s murderer. Jocasta says about this prophecy “The child should be his father's murderer, Or the dread terror find accomplishment, And Laius be slain by his own son. Such was the prophet's horoscope. O king, Regard it not. Whate'er the god deems fit. To search, himself unaided will reveal” (Sophocles, 64).

In the play, the gods appear to be villainous, punishing the entire city due to the sins of a few individuals, and demanding that the guilty persons be punished for their sins for normalcy to be restored. This is illustrated by the phrase; “He was a mighty king, he was the envy of everyone who say how lucky he'd been. Now he's struck a wave of terrible ruin.

While you're alive, you must keep looking to your final day, and don't be happy till you pass

7 life's boundary without suffering grief." (Sophocles, 37). Thebes therefore suffered because the gods allowed it. Reverence for authority is also shown when the king implores Oedipus to help Thebans and says that he was able to lift up the people’s lives because god was with him, and later also said that there was a god in him. Due to the severity and impact of the plague in their lives , the people of Thebes have turned to Oedipus for help because they now consider him to be a hero, and the gods to be villains for allowing calamity to occur. They think Oedipus can do something to save them. Oedipus is afraid to hear the prophecy and thinks that he is safe as long as he does not know it. However, he learns that the power of the gods is invincible and his fate lies solely in their hands. Sin causes hardship, as is shown in the play when Thebes encounters hardship because it is contaminated with Oedipus’ sins. He murdered his father and is unknowingly in a relationship with his mother.

The nation can only be restored to its former glory when it is cleansed of its leader’s sins. Oedipus learned through the oracle that he was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Thinking he could control his fate, he escaped to begin life anew in Thebes where he was not likely to have any relatives. By attempting to escape his destiny, Oedipus commits a sin because he thinks that he can defeat the prophecy and be the master of his own fate.

Apollo, the god, is offended by Oedipus attempt to outsmart the gods and uses plague as a way of humbling him. For a significant proportion of his life, Oedipus is afraid of the gods, and thinks that he can live peacefully by avoiding them. Belief in Divinity plays a central role in the play because the gods control the events that occur even when Oedipus refuses to acknowledge their power. The defiance of a prophecy began when Laius and his wife Jacosta received a prophecy that their son would murder Laius and marry Jacosta. Appalled, they decided that the best option would be to kill their son. However, neither one of them had the

8 courage to do it, thus they instructed their servant to do it. The servant was not able to murder the child and instead, secretly gave him to a shepherd in Corinth with the hope that he could be raised outside the country. The events of the play shows that gods ought to be revered because their word has to come true despite one’s efforts to avoid or ignore certain fate.

Tiresias says, “Oedipus' cloud of darkness is "inescapable, unspeakable, unstoppable, driven by cruel winds." (Sophocles 49) Laius, Jacosta and Oedipus were appalled by the prophecies they received and thought that the gods must have erred and there was something they could do to avoid their fate. The gods punish not only the three, but the entire state of Thebes with still born children and famine. King Oedipus is desperate for a solution and decided to consult the messenger of food to help him discover what is the cause of the plague. The messenger informs him that his sins are the reason the state is undergoing problems. When all the oracles prove to be true, it shocks Oedipus severely that he had murdered his own father and was in a relationship with his own mother, but he accepts his fate saying, “Now my curse on the murderer. Whoever he is, a lone man unknown in his crime or one among many, let that man drag out his life in agony, step by painful step” (Sophocles, 82). Defeated, he gorges out his eyes. Thebans looked up to Oedipus for a solution because the plague had shaken Thebans faith. They could not believe that gods who cared for them would allow them to suffer in the manner that they suffered. In summary, the power of deity controls people’s lives, and as Oedipus and Jocasta learn, they cannot control their fate, but can only pray to the gods for mercy.

9 Works Cited Shakespeare. Hamlet. [Auckland, N.Z.]: Floating Press. 2008. Print Sophocles. Oedipus The King.Simon & Schuster, 2012. Print.