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