ipl-logo

Heaven In Hamlet Research Paper

602 Words3 Pages

It is human desire to please those that impact their life the most. The schism between good and bad is one that most cannot say they can separate. However, it is the heavens that seems to have separated this area. In Hamlet by William Shakespeare the characters often beg to the heavens for forgiveness, judgment, and praise of their actions and dialogue. Heaven is the place judged as where all good people go. But this is relative, and throughout the play many characters offer their point of view by speaking to the heavens. King Claudius brings up the heavens the most in the play, speaking to it multiple times when he speaks to Hamlet about murdering his father. He believes his “offence is rank it smells to heaven,” giving the clear statement that what he did was wrong, and he asks to be forgiven (Shakespeare Act III, Scene III). Although, this is only one of the ways heaven is referenced. In fact, often times heaven is looked up to as the most …show more content…

He desires to be a good being, and due to its connotation, heaven is what he desires. Hamlet speaks out to the heavens whenever he is wronged, and also when he is not. Because of this, heaven is why Hamlet is fearful of killing Claudius. Hamlet judges that “a villain kills [his] father; and for that, [he], the sole son, do this same villain send to heaven” (Shakespeare Act III, Scene III). Hamlet believes Claudius does not deserve to die as he will live a great life in heaven when he is dead, forcing Hamlet to doubt his conscious. Alongside this, Hamlet desires approval of himself from heaven as well. Hamlet believed” heaven hath pleased it so, to punish [him] with this and this with me” (Shakespeare Act III, Scene IV). Hamlet, alongside every other character sees heaven as the spirit that decides all of their fates and is the driving force keeping Hamlet from immediately committing the acts of revenge he seeks for his

Show More
Related

Do Individuals Often Require Assurance From The External World When Trying To Restore Honor And Certainty?

1364 Words | 6 Pages

Whilst Claudius is praying Hamlet cowers from his decisions and further loses his honor from himself, his revenge is further put on hold. Moreover, the delay in Claudius death leads to Hamlet threatening his own mother as well as the death of Polonius, this uncertainty that developed in Hamlet's mind coupled with a chase for reassurance from the outside world leads to a mass chaos to erupt as an individual can never truly gain complete certainty from the outside while having no certainty within themselves. While Hamlet was uncertain of Claudius going to heaven or hell whilst he was praying that inaction led to the death of Polonius, Hamlet started to act rashly when he did not too, and did not act when he should have. This mental uncertainty that developed within himself ultimately leads to not only his downfall but those around him too; eventually he develops the understanding that certainty must come from

Read More

Depression In Hamlet And Catcher In The Rye

931 Words | 4 Pages

In the story, he contemplates murdering Claudius while he prays but ends up not doing it as he wants him to suffer in hell. Hamlet thinks to himself saying, “ Now might I do it pat, now he is praying,And now I'll do 't. And so he goes to heaven, And so am I revenged. That would be scanned: A villain kills my father, and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To

Read More

Insanity Quotes In Hamlet

888 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet says, “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; And now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven, and so am I revenged. That would be scanned. A villain kills my father; and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven” (III, 3, 85). He realizes that if he kills him while he is confessing his sins then it wouldn’t be full revenge because Claudius would go to heaven while King Hamlet is in Purgatory.

Read More

William Shakespeare's Hamlet Religion Quotes

1364 Words | 6 Pages

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Christian concepts of conscience, death and the after life are highly questioned and expressed. During the time of the play, religion played a huge role in peoples lives as there was no separation between church and state hence during Shakespeare’s time of the Elizabethans the monarch was the country’s spiritual leader, not the Pope. Christianity therefore holds a very strong influence in Hamlet, as it not only influences their thoughts but their decisions to follow through with their actions whether is be challenging the moral beliefs of the characters or fulfilling revenge at whatever the cost. Hamlet has proven to be a rather religious person as he is constantly thinking

Read More

Hamlet's 'Words Without Thought Will Never Go To Heaven'

173 Words | 1 Pages

Act 3, Scene 4 Pg 76-77 Lines 74-98 In this scene, Hamlet sees Claudius praying and plans to kill Claudius as he is praying. However, Hamlet thinks it through and reconsiders because he believes that if he kills Claudius as he is praying, Claudius’s sins will be forgiven. Hamlet does not want Claudius to get away with his murder and reach heaven so easily and peacefully. However, at the end of this scene Claudius says, “Words without thought will never go to heaven.”

Read More

Religion In Hamlet Research Paper

345 Words | 2 Pages

In one scene with Claudius, he admits to having murdered King Hamlet in his head, and uses allusion to reference the story of Cain and Abel. Claudius compares himself to Cain when he states that he has committed the oldest of sins. Allusions like these are used to reveal certain aspects of a character’s personality which usually turn out to be flaws. These flaws are then accentuated when the characters more clearly exhibit them. This is one of the different ways Shakespeare criticizes religion because instead of using it to reveal what is good in a person, he makes a point that it is far easier to reveal what is evil about them with

Read More

Now Might I Do It Pat Now A Goes To Heaven Analysis

343 Words | 2 Pages

This is significant because after his prayer Claudius (the king) recognizes that his prayer was meaningless so Hamlets fears of Claudius going to heaven were incorrect. The king’s speech is significant to the scene because that was Hamlets opportunity to end Claudius. Hamlet’s plan was to kill Claudius:

Read More

Examples Of Hamlet's Indecisiveness

628 Words | 3 Pages

When Hamlet finally approaches the King he believes that the he is praying and decides not to kill him. Shakespeare writes “Now might I do it pat. Now he is a-praying. And now I’ll do ’t. And so he goes to heaven.

Read More

Analysis Of God And Angels In Shakespeare's Hamlet

1437 Words | 6 Pages

However he is stopped not only by the thought of revenge but because of the fixed law that one cannot commit suicide to enter the gates of heaven. He wishes God had not created the law against suicide just so that he could end his life and still go to heaven. Here, Shakespeare not only uses God but also the laws created by Him to represent Hamlet’s supergo in the sense that it represents Hamlet’s conscience telling him that while suicide may seem like the best option

Read More

The Power Of Faith In Hamlet

817 Words | 4 Pages

The pain that he is experiencing due to his father’s death and his mother’s dalliances can only be resisted by his faith and his belief in better and worse. Hamlet fears a damnation to Hell, and hopes for an easy passage to heaven, yet in a situation that many find hopeless, it is through his faith in God that Hamlet is able to resist the temptations of death. Throughout the play, Shakespeare emphasizes this intense faith that Hamlet possess and how it is a guiding force in many of his choices. Yet lack of faith can be even more telling. “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below;/ Words without thoughts never to heaven go” (Shakespeare,

Read More

Hamlet Tragic Hero Essay

812 Words | 4 Pages

During Hamlet’s epiphany, he realizes that through his actions, he has caused his own downfall. Hamlet does not only cause his own death, but also the deaths of Claudius, Gertrude, Polonius, Laertes, and many others. Hamlet brought about his own undoing in his attempt to get revenge for the murder of his father. Hamlet once had a chance to kill the king while he was praying, but Hamlet decided not to and he says “A villain kills my father and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven” (3.3.81-81). In this quotation, Hamlet is saying that he will wait until the king sins again, so that when he kills him he will not be allowed into heaven.

Read More

Life In Hamlet Research Paper

1142 Words | 5 Pages

If he do blench, / I know my course” (II.ii.625-627). This shows that Hamlet not only hopes to confirm Claudius’ guilt, but he also obligates himself to action if the play has its desired effect. The play seems to be a sort of emotional turning point for Hamlet, as it sets in motion his mistaken killing of Polonius. Claudius is also tied to action by the play, saying, “O, my offense is rank, it smells to heaven” (III.iii.40). Now that Claudius is aware that Hamlet knows of his guilt, Claudius is forced to take quick action to neutralize the threat to his life.

Read More

Justice And Corruption In Shakespeare's Hamlet

128 Words | 1 Pages

Hamlet’s insight behind justice and rightful revenge derives from the precept of the divine rights of kings. Although it’s pretty  straightforward where Hamlet’s personal grudge for Claudius came from, the most compelling rationale behind his actions is to reform the splintering state of Denmark. From this, the only way to dispose of the corruption is by addressing the source, which Hamlet determines to be Claudius.  Once Claudius dared the divine right of the king and committed a grisly murder, he began the destruction of the country.  It’s because of this rationalization, Hamlet believes that it’s his God given opportunity to condemn Claudius 's soul as punishment for his behavior.

Read More

Death In Hamlet Research Paper

1675 Words | 7 Pages

But we can see after he finds out about the truth, he is forced to act because of his morality beliefs. The battle in Hamlet’s tragedy occurs in a dynamic society that is created by opposing forces that contradict with each other and Hamlet is a philosophical prince who blames the court for impunity, injustice, and murder; and all of these problems prevents him from being a part of court’s social life and he becomes depressed. Hamlet’s deep depression effects on his behaviors until he even doesn’t act like prince and becomes mad. His madness effect on his judgment and makes him to become obsessed with the death; even he sees death as the only way to take revenge. We can see that Hamlet explores death in every facet of the play from many different angles and how he develops his definition of death from the materially to morality perspective.

Read More

Comparing Shakespeare's Hamlet And Orestes And Hamlet: Vengeance

1282 Words | 6 Pages

Hamlet promises to avenge his father, but takes a long time to do so because he want Claudius to be acting guilty so he goes to hell. Claudius and Gertrude believe that Hamlet is acting strangely and asks his friends to watch him. Soon, a group of actors who are traveling come to Elsinore, Hamlet uses them to try make Claudius guilty. When the actors do the play they do make Claudius leave the room, Hamlet follows him to kill him but he sees him praying and believes that it is not the right time.

Read More

More about Heaven In Hamlet Research Paper

Related Topics

Open Document