The Impossibility Of Certainty In Hamlet By William Shakespeare

The Impossibility of Certainty

“Hamlet” is one of the most famous and well-known plays written by William Shakespeare. “To be, or not to be” (Shakespeare: 3:1:65) is the opening statement given by Prince Hamlet. This prince is known to be focused on for his indecisiveness. This statement is illusive to indecisiveness and confusion, which ties into the foreshadowing of the theme of impossibility of certainty. This play was written in the fifteenth century, between 1599 and 1601. These years marked the Elizabethan Era. This was a time of major uncertainty about politics and religion. The article written by Smith-Bernstein states this, “The turmoil was largely religious in nature as Queen Elizabeth’s father, King Henry VIII, had broken with the Catholic Church and created the Church of England. Henry VIII’s heir and only son died young leading to the bloody rule of Mary I Queen of England—who forcibly converted England back to Catholicism. After Mary was deposed, Elizabeth took the throne and yet again reverted England to Anglicanism. Elizabeth was less violent than her sister, but still executed hundreds of Catholics. The

For instance, '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: 3:1:66) The troubles that Prince Hamlet is facing are being compared to a sea. This implies that there are more than just a few, but a multitude of them. Shakespeare uses these metaphors to foreshadow the theme of uncertainty that is wrapping around Hamlet’s life. Another instance of a metaphor in the play is found in act four. The play states, “Would, like the spring that turneth wood to stone, / convert his gyves to graces”. (Shakespeare 4:7:22) The audience is seeing uncertainty come from a different perspective in this example. Claudius is unsure of how to punish Hamlet for killing