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How Does Shakespeare Present The Elizabethan Audience

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William Shakespeare’s Hamlet addresses many relatable societal, political and economical issues associated with the Elizabethan audience. The hardships and conflicts that the characters in Hamlet have to deal with and go through, are all incidents the Elizabethan audience can relate to; whether it be losing a loved one, accepting one’s unarguable decision or taking revenge. Hamlet’s speech in Act IV, Scene IV is powerful as he questions the creation and purpose of humans who give in to one’s animalistic desires and evil; leading the audience to reflect on how they live their everyday lives. In addition, Hamlet addresses the importance of making the right decision to maintain honor, which shows the development in his character; creating an effect …show more content…

In an article called “Shakespeare’s Elizabethan Audience” written by Samuel Bowles, it is mentioned “To understand the audience one has to look at the society in which they worked, were entertained and lived.” This is important because in the Elizabethan years, religion was known to be an important part of everyone’s lives and in the society. Hamlet feels that a person should not just simply be eating and sleeping which makes one nothing more than a beast, as that is not the vision God has for humans. He reminds the audience that God created humans with freedom and religion to use it to their benefit in life. This soliloquy effectively targets the Elizabethan audience as they are influenced to reflect on themselves and how they live their lives. Being in a strictly religious society, this gives the audience an opportunity to connect to Hamlet’s beliefs and feelings as they realize that there is more purpose to their lives that God has intended. This speech in Act IV, Scene IV creates a great effect on the Elizabethan audience making one reevaluate and change their ways of life and try to fulfill what God has truly planned for them as humans. Hamlet also addresses the importance of a major value in the Elizabethan years, honor, which takes a great effect on the Elizabethan audience as they begin …show more content…

Along with that, he comes to the realization that all he is left with is a father who has been killed and a mother who is tarnished as she decides to remarry into an incestuous marriage. From an article called “The King in Hamlet” written by Howard Mumford Jones, it is stated that “"incestuous" was used in Elizabethan times, to designate not only incest, but adultery, or loosely, all violations of sexual ethics.” This is the first time Hamlet recognizes and has to accept that his mother has dishonored him through her decision; this creates an effect on the Elizabethan audience because they see a change in Hamlet’s character as he expresses his true emotions towards what his mother has become. Furthermore, this part of the speech in Act IV, Scene IV targets the Elizabethan audience to comprehend the difference between right doing and wrong doing in a society where honor is an important value in one’s

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