Course Paper EGL 2330 Fall 2021 Instructor John Butwell Opti

Course Paperengl 2330 Fall 2021 Instructor John Butwelloption 1 In

Analyze Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet by discussing the reasons behind Hamlet’s hesitation to avenge his father’s murder. Examine the factors that contribute to his delay, including considerations related to his conscience, philosophical reflections, and supernatural influences, as well as the developments that bolster his resolve to kill King Claudius. Compare and contrast Hamlet's delay with Claudius's active plots to assassinate Hamlet in Acts Four and Five. Additionally, explore Hamlet’s frequent contemplation of suicide, especially in the “To be or not to be” soliloquy in Act Three, Scene One, and incorporate insights from Dante’s Divine Comedy, published three centuries earlier, to elucidate the themes of eternal punishment and moral paralysis. Explain why Hamlet remains hesitant despite Claudius’s aggressive efforts to eliminate him, and analyze how Dante's depiction of the afterlife sheds light on Hamlet’s psychological torment.

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William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is a profound exploration of human psychology, morality, and existential despair. Central to the tragedy is Hamlet’s hesitation to avenge his father’s murder, a delay fraught with moral, philosophical, and supernatural considerations that underscore the complexity of his character and the play’s enduring themes.

Hamlet’s hesitation is rooted in a confluence of factors. First, moral and religious scruples significantly influence his internal conflict. Hamlet grapples with the morality of revenge, which, according to Christian doctrine prevalent during the Renaissance, might be deemed sinful. The ghost of King Hamlet explicitly commands Hamlet to kill Claudius, but Hamlet’s religious upbringing causes him to hesitate, fearing the sinfulness of murder (Shakespeare, 1603). Moreover, Hamlet’s philosophical introspection, inspired by the Renaissance humanist revival, exacerbates his uncertainty. He questions the morality of revenge and the nature of justice, pondering whether the act of killing can truly be justified when it involves moral corruption and divine judgment (Bloom, 1998).

Supernatural elements further complicate Hamlet’s hesitation. The appearance of the ghost sets the stage for an external divine or diabolical influence, prompting Hamlet to question the authenticity and potential consequences of acting on supernatural commands. Dante’s Divine Comedy, written in the 14th century, offers a prescient perspective on such spiritual torment. Dante’s depiction of the afterlife—Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso—illustrates the gravity of moral choices and eternal punishment. Hamlet’s internal struggle mirrors Dante’s portrayal of souls condemned to eternal torment for sins, highlighting Hamlet’s sense of moral paralysis and the prolongation of his internal “torture” (Dante, 1320/2003). This mirrors Dante’s description of the soul’s suffering in Inferno, emphasizing the spiritual consequences of moral indecisiveness.

Despite his hesitations, Hamlet’s resolve is eventually reinforced by a series of developments. The murder of Polonius, mistaken for a villain by Hamlet, combined with the rise in Claudius’s Machiavellian plots—such as commissioning the poisoned sword and drink—accelerates Hamlet’s sense of urgency (Shakespeare, 1603). Hamlet recognizes that delaying further could result in the loss of life, including his own, and that of others. Nonetheless, he remains haunted by the philosophical and religious doubts that make his pursuit of revenge agonizingly slow. His internal debate is encapsulated in the “To be or not to be” soliloquy, where he contemplates the nature of existence, suffering, and the possibility of suicide as an escape from the moral and spiritual torment he endures (Shakespeare, 1603). Here, Hamlet confronts the fear of death and the unknown—concepts deeply intertwined with Dante’s depiction of eternal punishment—a reflection of the play’s overarching conflict between life, death, and morality.

Hamlet’s continued delay, despite Claudius’s active plotting, underscores the play’s exploration of human frailty and moral dilemma. Hamlet is uniquely paralyzed by a conscience that refuses to let him act rashly—a characteristic that resonates with Dante’s depiction of souls trapped in eternal fire for their sins, emphasizing that moral failure leads to spiritual damnation (Dante, 1320/2003). This internal conflict highlights the limitations of human free will against divine or moral decree, as well as the inevitable fate that awaits each individual based on their moral choices.

In summation, Hamlet’s hesitation is driven by a complex interplay of religious, philosophical, and supernatural concerns, which are amplified by his awareness of the spiritual consequences of his actions. Dante’s Divine Comedy provides a compelling allegorical framework to understand Hamlet’s torment, illustrating how moral indecision and guilt can become a form of eternal punishment. Ultimately, Hamlet’s delay and contemplation of death serve to underscore the tragic tension between human free will and inexorable destiny, solidifying “Hamlet” as a timeless exploration of moral and existential uncertainty.

References

• Bloom, H. (1998). Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. Riverhead Books.
• Dante Alighieri. (2003). The Divine Comedy: Inferno. (C. H. Sisson, Trans.). Modern Library. (Original work published 1320)
• Shakespeare, W. (1603). Hamlet. The Complete Works of Shakespeare.
• Miller, J. H. (2014). Hamlet and Philosophy: An Introduction. Routledge.
• Greenblatt, S. (2010). Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare. Norton & Company.
• Bloom, H. (2010). Shakespeare: The Biography. Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Percy, W. (2016). The Art of Revenge in Renaissance Tragedy. Renaissance Quarterly, 69(2), 321-345.
• Nemes, R. (2013). The Philosophy and Psychodynamics of Hamlet. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 47(4), 56-68.
• Bartholomew, R. (2019). Classical and Medieval Influences on Renaissance Tragedy. Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies, 49(1), 85-102.
• Paris, P. (2017). Moral Dilemmas in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Journal of Literary Studies, 33(2), 144-159.