7 Deadly Sins In Hamlet Essay

One of the central themes of William Shakespeare's Hamlet is the idea of sin and its gruesome altercations. The book of Proverbs in the Bible includes a list of anathemas named the seven deadly sins. Mike Aquiliana, Executive Vice-President of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and Kevin M. Clarke, Dean of the Institute for Lay Ministry and Associate Professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, both mention that the sins, according to the Catholic Church, are pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth (page 1), all that are present in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. In Hamlet, these sins are not portrayed as temptations, but rather as character flaws that lead to an ultimate tragedy. The characters in the play each represent

Sloth, or spiritual apathy, is typically associated with a lack of motivation or energy to pursue one's goals or responsibilities. Throughout the play, Hamlet struggles to take action against his uncle, Claudius, who he believes is responsible for his father's death. Despite his desire for revenge, he repeatedly hesitates and procrastinates, and he postponed his plan to the point of self-sabotage. Hamlet's inaction can be seen as a manifestation of sloth, as he is unable to muster the energy or motivation to take decisive action against his uncle. His indecision and reluctance are linked to his personal turmoil and fear of the consequences of his actions. However, it is also worth noting that there are other factors at play in Hamlet's delayed response, such as his desire for revenge to be both just and honorable, and his need to gather sufficient evidence of his uncle's guilt. Therefore, while the theme of sloth can be applied to Hamlet's behavior, it is only one of several possible interpretations of his

Previously mentioned was the fact that slaves to these sins would be placed in hell. That known, there are instances within the play where characters attempt to pray or reconcile themselves concerning whatever they have sinned against as a hope that they will not be thrown in hell, but rather placed in heaven for their repentance. A unique circumstance presented in the play allows the audience’s interpretation for where Claudius will reside in his afterlife. Grace Tiffany, a professor of English at Western Michigan University, describes how Claudius views prayer as an opportunity to repent for his wrongdoing of killing a man and taking his wife, and how he values this chance to reconcile with God (para. 10). Claudius' soliloquy in 3.3 reveals his constant and fortunate chance to seek redemption through prayer, and his experience of prayer gives him a sense of salvation or relief. Therefore, this instance suggests that if these characters did not have the opportunity to repent before they had died, several of the characters end in