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Skylar Duensing

Mrs. Bush

English IV Honors

12 March 2018

A Christian Hamlet

Who is to say someone is not a Christian just because of his or her actions? Everyone has

flaws, even Christians. In William Shakespeare's ​Hamlet​, the main character Prince Hamlet

displays many Christian-like characteristics through his self reflection on the afterlife and

marriage as he struggles with morality on his quest for revenge. Like most religious individuals

who practice Christianity, Hamlet has similar ideals and flaws throughout his life.

One of the most effective ways Hamlet shows his hidden Christian values is through his

consistent belief in afterlife. In moments of dramatic tension, Hamlet turns to his own mind and

faith to answer his worries. A great point in which he does this is seen in his first soliloquy:

O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, Or that

the Everlasting had not fixed His Canon ‘gainst O God, O God, How stale, flat, and

unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on ‘t, ah fie! ‘Tis an unweeded

garden That grows seed. Things rank and gross in nature possess it merely. That it

should come But two months dead- nay, not so much, not two. So excellent a king, that

was to the Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother The he might not beteem the

winds of Heaven Visit her face too roughly. (Shakespeare 1. 2. 133-147)

It is in this soliloquy that Hamlet is showing that he will not commit suicide because it is a sin.

This is proving his belief in the afterlife because sin is something that is viewed to be upheld and
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measured by God. In particular, Hamlet is following a teaching of how suicide results in

damnation to hell and is an extreme sin, this being something only those of the Christian faith

recognize and teach to their followers. Edward Quinn suggests that there is a discussion with

God in his article:

From the perspective of doubt, Shakespeare's great tragedies ​Hamlet​ and ​King Lear​ offer

a challenge to make what we can of the "ripeness" and "readiness" that is "all"; Herman

Melville's ​Moby-Dick​ represents his ongoing "quarrel with God"; and the novels of John

Updike persistently probe questions of faith and religion in contemporary life.

(“Religious Faith in Literature” Edward Quinn)

By Edward suggesting this, it furthermore proves how Hamlet, like most characters in the time

period, experiences a moral discussion with God. Another way Hamlet displays his belief in the

afterlife can be seen in his fear of the unknown. This fear is best displayed in Hamlet’s second

soliloquy of the play,

That flesh is heir to—’tis a consummation Devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep. To

sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams

may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. There’s the

respect That makes calamity of so long life. ​The question is: is it better to be alive or

dead? Is it nobler to put up with all the nasty things that luck throws your way, or to fight

against all those troubles by simply putting an end to them once and for all? Dying,

sleeping—that’s all dying is—a sleep that ends all the heartache and shocks that life on

earth gives us—that’s an achievement to wish for. To die, to sleep—to sleep

(Shakespeare 3. 1. 64-77).
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This is important to Hamlet’s Christian values because once again he contemplates suicide; the

only difference is that this time a different Christian characteristic, the fear of the unknown,

changes his mind. This fear of the unknown is thought of as “purgatory” to Christians; although

Hamlet does not specifically call it this in his soliloquy, one can assume that it was applied

because it acts as a moral arbitrator that ultimately causes him to refrain from carrying out the act

of suicide. If it was not for Hamlet’s Christian views, he very well might have killed himself,

thus making him an Agnostic. Arguably the best way Hamlet shows Christian values is in his

thoughts on the ending of pain to achieve the afterlife. The Prince’s desire to end his own pain is

best seen in his third soliloquy,

maybe to dream. Ah, but there’s the catch: in death’s sleep who knows what kind of

dreams might come, after we’ve put the noise and commotion of life behind us. That’s

certainly something to worry about. That’s the consideration that makes us stretch out our

sufferings so long. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th' oppressor’s

wrong, the proud man’s contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay

(Shakespeare 3. 1. 78-86).

This shows how much Hamlet would like to end the pain he experiences in his life, but at the

same time how something is stopping him from doing this. A typical person without a religious

affiliation would end their pain and suffering without thinking twice about it; take Hamlet’s

mother for example, Gertrude did not hesitate to kill herself to end all of her sin and pain

because, one could argue, she does not have the Christian values that her son has, furthermore

proving he’s Christian faith. A typical Christian would either think twice about suicide or not

contemplate the idea at all. Ellen Rosenberg brings up a great point in her article:
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The presence of a ghost suggests a belief in the afterlife as well as a belief in a system of

judgment of the dead. When Hamlet supposes Claudius to be to praying, he 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 scann'd: A villain kills my father; and for that, I, his sole

son, do this same villain send To heaven. Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge. He

took my father grossly, full of bread; With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May;

And how his audit stands who knows save heaven? (“Death in Hamlet” Ellen Rosenberg)

This “belief system” that is suggested by Ellen proves that Hamlet is answering to something

internal, almost like a religious conscience. There is no doubt that someone who surrounds their

life with a belief of the afterlife and its consequences is a Christian.

Christians do lead moral based lives, but at the same time Christians fall into temptation,

especially the evil trait of revenge. Throughout the play Hamlet displays a vicious quest for

revenge to purify the kingdom of Denmark and is best scene in his views on the afterlife again,

“Heaven make thee free of it. I follow thee.- I am dead, Horatio.- Wretched queen, adieu”

(Shakespeare 5. 2. 364-365). This shows how Hamlet strives to leave a legacy behind him that

will be remembered forever. The legacy is important because he is not leaving it to remember

how glorious he was, but rather the purification of Denmark. By purifying the kingdom, Hamlet

essentially removes the sin and restores the faith and honor they once had, this is very similar to

the life of a Saint and their strive for humble remembrance in the kingdom of Heaven. By

stating “wretched queen”, Hamlet signifies who the sinner is and identifies the ending of that

chain of sins. Not only does Hamlet recognize afterlife, but he also recognizes the power of
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prayer. His prayer acknowledgement is best seen when he contemplates killing King Claudius

during prayer,

A villain kills my father, and, for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To

heaven. Oh, this is hire and salary, not revenge. He took my father grossly, full of bread,

With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May. And how his audit stands who knows

save heaven? But in our circumstance and course of thought 'Tis heavy with him. And am

I then revenged ​I could do it easily now. He’s praying now. And now I’ll do it. ​(he draws

out his sword)​ And there he goes, off to heaven. And that’s my revenge. I’d better think

about this more carefully. A villain kills my father​ (Shakespeare 3. 3. 77-90).

Most importantly, Hamlet actually recognizes that prayer exists. Very plain and simple, those

that are not religious do not believe in prayer and would not by any means cause it to sway their

intentions. Even though Hamlet falls for the sin of revenge, like many Christians do, prayer

stops him from killing Claudius right then and there, furthermore proving moral standard.

Harold Bloom does a great job of displaying a reflection in his article:

His canon 'gainst Self-slaughter, O God, How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to

me all the uses of this world? Fie on't, ah fie, 'tis an unweeded garden That growes to

seede, things rancke and grose in nature, Possesse it merely. That it should come to this:

But two months dead, nay not so much, not two, So excellent a King, that was to this

Hyperion to a satyr, so loving to my mother, That he might not beteem the winds of

heaven Visite her face too roughly. (“Key Passages in ​Hamlet​” Harold Bloom)

This reflection that Harold shares can easily be interpreted as prayer from Hamlet. Bloom proves

that Hamlet has self reflection and ties it to God, almost as if he is speaking to him. ​Another
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tremendous way Hamlet proves his flawed Christian characteristics is in his many murder plans

in his quest for revenge. This is best seen when Hamlet reflects on the impurity that has

consumed his family

How stand I then, That have a father killed, a mother stained, Excitements of my reason

and my blood, And let all sleep—while, to my shame, I see The imminent death of

twenty thousand men, That for a fantasy and trick of fame Go to their graves like beds,

fight for a plot Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause, Which is not tomb enough and

continent To hide the slain? Oh, from this time forth, My thoughts be bloody, or be

nothing worth! ​that comes from thinking too much (thinking thoughts that are one part

wisdom, three parts cowardice), I don’t know why I’m still alive to say ‘I have to do this

deed’​ (Shakespeare 4. 4. 59-69).

Most Christians do not support the death penalty unless the crimes committed deserve such a

punishment. Hamlet does this because of the incest that has uprooted his family’s love and the

entire kingdom of Denmark. Due to how tempting and fulfilling sin can be, one can not exactly

blame Hamlet for wanting to kill those who destroyed his family, much like Christians who have

had their families destroyed by the evil crimes of others. Charles Boyce sympathises with

Hamlet in his article:

The basic story—a young man grieves for his father while faced with the duty to avenge
his death—came from Shakespeare's source, the ​Ur-Hamlet​, and its genre, the Revenge
Play, but Shakespeare's attitude toward vengeance is not the traditionally approving one.
Hamlet's regret when he says, "The time is out of joint. O cursed spite, / That ever I was
born to set it right" (1.5.196–197), testifies to this, as does the existence of a parallel
revenge plot, that of Laertes's revenge of ​his​ father's murder by Hamlet. The ​hero​ of one
plot, Hamlet is in effect the ​villain​ of the other, casting an inescapable doubt upon his
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heroic role. Hamlet recognizes the ambivalence of his position when he says of
Polonius's death, "…heaven hath pleas'd it so, / To punish me with this and this with me"
(3.4.175–176). (“Hamlet” ​Critical Companion to William Shakespeare ​Charles Boyce)

Charles proves that Hamlet is not to blame for his need for revenge, although it is

considered a sin, because he is a tragic hero. Although Hamlet falls for a major sin and

wraps his life around this quest for revenge, he is arguably still a Christian due to the fact

that so many Christians are like this around the world.

One of the most important ways Hamlet proves his Christian values is in his views on

sexual relations. Hamlet really finds the value of loyalty important and displays this in, “Would

have mourned longer!—married with my uncle, My father’s brother, but no more like my father

Than I to Hercules. Within a month, Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears Had left the

flushing in her gallèd eyes, She married. O most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to

incestuous sheets!” (Shakespeare 1. 2. 151-158). This shows how important loyalty in marriage

is to to him. Going back to Gertrude, it is quite easy for her to participate the relations with her

dead husband’s brother because she is not a Christian. On the other hand, Hamlet is appalled by

this because he is a Christian and as one can observe, a Christian person takes their vows and

understands how important they are. Gertrude and Claudius absolutely destroy these vows and

think nothing of it, while Hamlet is left in the misery of sin. Joseph Rosenblum proposes a great

question regarding this issue in his article:

The opening words raise a much deeper question: What is the nature of being? For

Augustine and Plato, contemplation is the highest state of existence. Dante represented
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this view in his ​Paradiso​, where the three highest spheres contain the contemplatives.

Renaissance humanism, however, valued action: "A man of words but not of deeds / Is

like a garden full of weeds," Hamlet's unweeded garden. Should one submit to suffering

in Christian humility? Or, should one act to remove the cause(s) of that suffering, not by

killing oneself but rather, in Hamlet's case, by avenging his father's death? Such action

will, however, carry with it consequences not only in this world but also in the next.

Unlike Macbeth, Hamlet will not, cannot, "jump the life to come" (​Macbeth​ 1.7.7).

(“​Hamlet:​ Key Passages” Joseph Rosenblum)

Joseph proves the entire religious controversy of incest that Hamlet endures throughout the play

with the simple question of “Should one submit to suffering in Christian humility?” Hamlet also

supports true love and understanding what it means to be in love. The Prince best shows this in

his conversation regarding the topic, “​If thou dost marry, I’ll give thee this plague for thy dowry.

Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery,

go. Farewell. Or, if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool, for wise me n know well enough what

monsters you make of them. To a nunnery, go, and quickly too. Farewell​.​ ” (Shakespeare 3. 1.

136-146). This proves that Hamlet values the sanctity of the human person and truly understands

that people are called to love. By being called to love, Hamlet also recognizes that this must be a

true, genuine love; and if it is not true love, then it is not love at all. He may be speaking in a

vicious manner, but he explains both his opinion on what love must include to be considered

genuine and what their love was lacking. Only someone who follows Christian values would

understand this because of the teachings in the Bible, unlike most other religions and especially

those who follow no religion. Lastly, Hamlet is completely against incest. Hamlet best shows
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this trait while exploring his feelings again, “She married. O, most wicked speed, to post With

such dextrity to icestuous sheets! It is not, nor it cannot come to good. But break, my heart, for I

must hold my tongue” (Shakespeare 1. 2. 161-164). Incest is the base for all of Hamlet’s anger

and his entire quest for revenge. As Christians believe, incest is not taken lightly and is a sin. It

is such a bad sin that it often drives Christians mad and can have horribly negative effects on

their emotional life, just like Prince Hamlet when he began to contemplate suicide frequently and

plotted to kill many members of the royal court of Denmark. Assuming hamlet is a Christian,

thoughts of extreme punishment and destain towards sinners would be supported by the Old

Testament. Joeseph Rosenblum enlightens his readers on incestual marriage throughout the

course of time in his article:

Gertrude's marriage is indeed hasty: In 16th-century England a woman was expected to

mourn her husband for at least a year. Anne of Bohemia, daughter of James I, would

mourn hers for more than a decade. Hamlet is also correct in calling the marriage

incestuous. Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21 forbade the marrying of a brother's wife, though

Deuteronomy 25:5–10 made an exception if the brother died without issue. Shakespeare's

audience would have recalled that Henry VIII had required a papal dispensation to marry

Catherine of Aragon, who had been the wife of Henry's older brother, Arthur. After

Arthur died, Henry and Catherine wed. Twenty years later, Henry claimed that their

failure to produce a male heir was God's punishment for incest, and he asked the pope to

annul their union. When the pope refused, Henry broke with the Catholic Church to

marry Anne Boleyn, mother of the sitting queen in 1600. (“Hamlet: Key Passages”

Joseph Rosenblum)
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With Joseph’s historical and biblical examples, he proves that incest, religion, and kingdoms are

all in some way intertwined. With that said, if it was not for the negative sexual relations that

surround Hamlet, he may have never maintained such a harsh view on Denmark, Claudius, and

his mother.

Despite Hamlet's flaws, he is indeed a Christian. In William Shakespeare's ​Hamlet,​

Prince Hamlet displays a variety of Christian-like characteristics towards his quest for revenge,

marriage in moral, and his thoughts on the afterlife. Christians believe that Jesus died for the

flaws of mankind; no matter what the sin is, even multiple murders, if the disciple follows the

teachings of Christ, then that same person will be redeemed in Heaven and known forever as a

true Christian, just like Hamlet shouted to Horatio moments before his passionate death.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold. “Key Passages in ​Hamlet.​ ” ​Hamlet​, Chelsea House, 2008. ​Bloom's Literature,​
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online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=105585&itemid=WE54&articleId=48355.

Accessed 22 Mar. 2018.

Boyce, Charles. “​Hamlet​.” ​Critical Companion to William Shakespeare, 2-Volume Set,​ Facts On

File, 2005. ​Bloom's Literature​,

online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=105585&itemid=WE54&articleId=19847.

Accessed 22 Mar. 2018.

Quinn, Edward. “Religious Faith in Literature.” ​A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms,

Second Edition,​ Facts On File, 2006. ​Bloom's Literature,​

online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=105585&itemid=WE54&articleId=37104.

Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.

Rosenberg, Ellen. “Death in ​Hamlet.​ ” ​Encyclopedia of Themes in Literature, 3-Volume Set​, Facts

On File, 2010. ​Bloom's Literature​,

online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=105585&itemid=WE54&articleId=39412.

Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.

Rosenblum, Joseph. “​Hamlet​: Key Passages.” ​The Facts On File Companion to Shakespeare​,

Facts On File, 2012. ​Bloom's Literature,​

online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=105585&itemid=WE54&articleId=483595.

Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.

Rosenblum, Joseph. “​Hamlet​: Key Passages.” ​The Facts On File Companion to Shakespeare​,
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Facts On File, 2012. ​Bloom's Literature,​

online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=105585&itemid=WE54&articleId=483595.

Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.